About OUR Community Reads
The Council Bluffs Public Library proudly announces the theme for OUR Community Reads 2024: “Water Connects Us All.” OUR Community Reads, sponsored by the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation, and in partnership with organizations from around our community, aims to raise awareness of a community or regional challenge through a book selection that supports community discussion, awareness, and action. This year’s theme focuses on how water, essential for all life, connects our communities.
This year, our three books are Riverman by Ben McGrath, Ocean! Waves for All by Stacy McAnulty and Sunny Makes a Splash by Jennifer Holm.
During OUR Community Reads, we invite the Community to read one of three titles and participate in events throughout March and April
2023 - Adult Fiction: The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
2023 - Ault Non-Fiction: A Culinary History of Iowa: Sweet Corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites & More by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
2023 - Young Adult: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
2023 - Kids: Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
2022 - Adult Non-Fiction: Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration by Sarah Dykman
2022 - Young Adult: The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee’s Story by Jay Hosler
2022 - Kids: Señorita Mariposa by Mister G, Illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero
Upcoming Events
OUR Community Reads Beanstack Challenge
March 1-April 30
Two ways to play!
1. Log every day you read or listen to a book for at least 15 minutes; and/or
2. Complete the activities listed under each Activity Badge.
For every reading and activity badge you complete, you will earn 10 raffle tickets for a chance to win:
- Private swim lesson session from the YMCA
- Fulsren 12-pod Hydroponic Indoor Garden System
- 40 oz. Stanley Quencher
This challenge is available to patrons of all ages.
To get ready, use the link to create or update your account and come back to enroll in the challenge on March 1.
In addition to the copies you can find on the shelf and place a hold on, the Library has multiple copies of Riverman available for checkout through the Reference Desk. Throughout our One Community Reads, copies will be available for checkout with a three week loan period. Please contact the Reference Desk to check on availability.
Digital copies of Riverman can be found as an e-book and e-audiobook through Libby by OverDrive.
Digital copies of Sunny Makes a Splash can be found as an e-book through Libby by OverDrive.
Digital copies of Ocean! Waves for All can be found as an e-audiobook though Hoopla.
Thanks to the Library’s partnership with Every Child Ready to Read, every second grader will get the book Ocean! Waves for All and through a generous grant to the Council Bluffs Library Foundation from the Iowa West Foundation, every sixth grader will get the book Sunny Makes a Splash.
Ben McGrath, author of Riverman will be joining us on Tuesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room B.
The two youth authors – Stacy McAnulty and Jennifer Holm - will speak to students at schools in Council
Bluffs during April.
Want to participate in a book discussion but don’t want to organize and plan one? Join us for our Library-led books discussions throughout March and April.
Riverman Book Discussion
Wednesday, March 27 at 12 p.m. in Meeting Room D.
Monday, April 1 at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room C.
