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Wednesday, September 30, 2026

October 2026




October is National Book Month!

To celebrate all things books, the adult department will have some Book Bingo sheets available. Complete 5 in a row on a bingo card and win a prize from our pumpkin pail!




Did you know that every year the last Friday in October is National Frankenstein Day?
In 1818, the first edition of Frankenstein was published, and within 5 years, its first 500 copies sold out. In 2016, 50,000 copies were sold.  In 2021, an original copy of Frankenstein sold at auction for $1.17 million, a record for a book authored by a woman. 





Banned Books Week:



This year, Banned Books Week runs from October 4th through the 10th with the theme of "Let Books Be."


According to the American Library Association, 2025 saw 487 documented attempts to censor books at libraries, schools, and universities. Claims of obscenity, the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ representation, and topics including race, racism, social justice, diversity, and various views of politics and religion are the most common reasons given for the censorship attempts. These attempts resulted in a total of 4,235 different titles being challenged or banned in 2025.





1. Sold  by Patricia McCormick

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

3. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

4. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

5. (tie) Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

5. (tie) Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

8. (tie) A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

8. (tie) Identical by Ellen Hopkins

8. (tie) Looking for Alaska by John Green

8. (tie) Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout



What's New:


We are starting a greeting card exchange in the adult department! We have a small selection of greeting cards available for you to take/share. Feel free to take a card or leave a (blank) card that someone else could use!




Through the generous support of the Illinois State Library "My Library is..." grant, the Dixon Public Library

is pleased to announce the addition of 3 Memory Care Buddy Bags to our collection. These resources are

available to check out from the adult department circulation desk.



Book Groups:


It's Homicide for the Holidays with Monday Mysteries!
Get ready to discuss the holiday mystery of your choice at the October 26th meeting at 1:30 p.m.


Order up a food-themed nonfiction read for Literary Merits.



Orbital will be taking on the paranormal this month by selecting a Science Fiction and Fantasy novel that features ghosts for its October 27th meeting at 6:00 p.m.

YA:


Check out the Teen Department for a new activity! 

A mystery book cover is on display in the Teen Section of DPL- can you guess the book?  Submit your response; if your guess is correct, you can earn a prize! A new book cover will be featured each month.

DPL Kids:


The Children's department has a variety of activities planned: Weekly Storytimes, a Halloween-themed family event on the 29th, and Fall Coding on Thursdays (registration required).


 The library is excited to welcome the cast of Dixon Historic Theatre's The Descendants: The Musical and Junie B. Jones Essential Survival Guide to School Jr. on November 2, 2026 from 4p.m.-6p.m..
You can meet the cast, make some crafts, color, and even enter some drawings!


Monday, August 31, 2026

September 2026


September is Read a New Book Month! To take part, you don't have to only read newly released books.
It's about reading something new to you.  It could be a book that has been waiting patiently on your TBR (to be read) list, or a genre that you are unfamiliar with.  The choice is up to you.

 



  • "In Beyond the Prescription, Dr. Lucy McBride explains why: Modern health care prioritizes transactions over relationships, screens over stories, and data over context. Into that void has stepped a massive wellness industry offering seductive promises of control - "optimize," "detox," "biohack" - often without evidence and with real risks. McBride refuses the false choice between conventional medicine and wellness culture. Instead, she offers a practical middle path built on health agency: the capacity to make informed decisions aligned with your values while advocating effectively for support. This book isn't prescriptive or perfectionist. It's a framework to help you navigate uncertainty, misinformation, and the realities of your life. At the center is a five-step process that moves you from redefining health on your own terms, through mapping your full health ecosystem and understanding how you personally approach care, to asking for help more effectively and making peace with what you cannot control." - Amazon

  • "Self-care is not just for grown-ups! Wonderful Me is a fun guide for children, featuring simple ways they can care for their mental, physical, and social wellbeing. Discover simple ways children can look after themselves, from naming feelings and moving their body, to building boundaries, and caring for their friends!"--. Provided by publisher.

  • "What if the mental health symptoms we face aren't the actual problem? What if they're signals that help us see and solve the real problem -- the imbalances in our wider systems that are making us all sick?"

From comedian Melissa Villaseñor of Saturday Night Live, this self-help workbook filled with her original art, laugh-out-loud stories, and heartfelt reflections will help you embrace the silliness inside of you. Color in- or outside the lines, spend a moment finding your way through a snail-themed maze, make a list of your favorite childhood snacks--be as goofy as you wanna be! Because you're awesome.



  • "It's time for a new type of self-care. No bubble baths. No yoga. Just some truly wild-truly effective-ideas and activities that are good for you and your overall wellness. It's time to get feral! Feral Self-Care is loaded with self-care ideas that will actually help nourish your soul and make you feel good. Each entry covers an activity that reconnects you with your authentic self, helping you feel more empowered, free, and confident in embracing this human experience-in all its messy glory. From self-care activities that will have you connecting with nature to those that have you digging deep and exploring your truest self, Feral Self-Care goes beyond the skin creams and face masks to reveal and restore your inner being. You'll find inspired ideas such as: nature sounds ASMR, dancing in the rain, and much more!"--. Provided by publisher.


Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th with the theme of “UNIDOS, SOMOS MAS.” “TOGETHER, WE ARE MORE.”


PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * From the bestselling author of Fruit of the Drunken Tree, comes a dazzling, kaleidoscopic memoir reclaiming her family's otherworldly legacy.

Interweaving family stories more enchanting than those in any novel, resurrected Colombian history, and her own deeply personal reckonings with the bounds of reality, Rojas Contreras writes her way through the incomprehensible and into her inheritance. The result is a luminous testament to the power of storytelling as a healing art and an invitation to embrace the extraordinary.


A 2015 Pura Belpr\u00e9 Illustrator Honor Book and a 2015 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.



The Children's Department is ready to "rake" in the fun with some
unbe-"leaf"-bly fun programs 

Storytimes:

September 9th-November 18th
Tot Tales (18 months-3 years): Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. 

September 8th-November 17th
Raising Readers (3-5 years): Tuesdays at  10:00 a.m.

Coding:

Ages 5-14
Thursdays at 10:45, 3:30, and 4:15
October and November
*Sign-up  required*

Family Events:

All Ages
3:00-5:00 p.m.
September 17th
October 29th
November 19th



Check out the Teen Department for a new activity! 

A mystery book cover is on display in the Teen Section of DPL- can you guess the book?  Submit your response; if your guess is correct, you can earn a prize! A new book cover will be featured each month.



Through the generous support of the Illinois State Library "My Library is..." grant, the Dixon Public Library

is pleased to announce the addition of 3 Memory Care Buddy Bags to our collection. These resources are

available to check out from the adult department circulation desk.


Book Groups



    It's Back to School for our Monday Mysteries group!  Class will be in session on September 28th at 1:30.  Come prepared to share all you've learned about being schooled in mysteries.  Literary Merits will be heading to the kitchen, metaphorically speaking, and indulging in food-themed non-fiction for their meeting on September 22nd at 2pm.



Wires were crossed,

Times got scrambled,

and a mistake was made...

Last month, it was announced that the Orbital Book Club was traveling to Camelot to spend time with King Arthur and his Knights. However, the book selection for August was actually all about one of the greatest books and movies ever produced: The Princess Bride. Luckily, I have been spared from being cast into the "Pit of Despair." My humble apologies, dear readers, and I would fully understand if anyone chooses to dress up as an old hag to relentlessly "boo!" me.




Therefore, I can safely say that I have been reassured that this month, patrons of The Orbital Book Club are set to convene around a no-so-round table to discuss Arthurian-themed tales on September 22nd at 6:00pm. 


This month, the adult circulation desk is offering up free buttons for everyone who signs up for a library card!




The Library will be closed on September 7th for Labor Day.
Luckily, you can still check out books on the Libby app.




On Thursday, September 24th, the library will be closing early for a staff in-service day. Our open hours that day will be 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. We will resume our regular business hours on Friday, September 25th.


Tuesday, July 28, 2026

August 2026



Summer Reading has come to an end, and a new school year is about to start.
If it seems like the library has a little less going on this month, don't worry,
we are just taking some time to reset and transition into a new season of activities and programs.




August is Read A Romance Month, and we've been curating a collection fit for every spice level.
Check out some of our more recent titles below:











The origins of  Family Fun Month are a mystery.  What is known is that at some point in the 1980's it became an unofficial observance, and some websites claim it coincides with efforts to create a more family-focused environment.  However it began, the idea is to spend quality time with your family, whether it be pizza and movie night, game night, a vacation, or even a trip to a museum; the point is to spend time together in a way that is fun and engaging.

Here are a few of our books that can help plan for some family fun activities:

All Together Now by Dove, Hannah





Another option for family fun is to click on the Resources tab on our website and look for Explore More Illinois  for access to free and discounted tickets to museums, science centers, sporting events, zoos, park districts, theatres, and other fun and local cultural venues


Book Groups:


This month, the Monday Mysteries group will be meeting on August 24th at 1:30pm to discuss Mysteries set by water.  Some examples include:

Murder on the Rocks : a Gray Whale Inn mystery by MacInerney, Karen

An Appetite for Murder by Burdette, Lucy

By Book or by Crook : a lighthouse library mystery by Gates, Eva

Miss Julia weathers the storm by Ross, Ann B.


The August 25th Literary Merits Meeting at 2pm will discuss books that bring about feelings of nostalgia for the reader.


The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Gilman, Dorothy

Amethyst Dreams by Whitney, Phyllis A.

A Girl of the Limberlost by Stratton-Porter, Gene




The Orbital Book Group will be meeting at 6pm on August 25th to discuss The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman or other books on Arthurian Legend.

The Bright Sword: a novel of King Arthur by Grossman, Lev

The Winter King: a novel of Arthur by Cornwell, Bernard

The Fall of Arthur by Tolkien, J. R. R.

The Faerie Morgana by Morgan, Louisa





Tuesday, June 23, 2026

July 2026

 


It's "beach read" season once again! 
Don't be fooled by that marketing phrase; a "beach read" does not necessarily mean it takes place at a beach.  A beach read generally consists of light, fluffy themes. An easy escape that is quick to read while on vacation, whether you are at the beach, camping, or just staying at home.

 

  • While on her family's yearly escape to Cape Cod, Rocky, sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, relives the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers, coming face-to-face with her family's history and future and accepting she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.


  • "On a pink-sand island where everyone knows your story, one summer brings Lucy face-to-face with the love that once broke her and a man who makes her question what comes next." -- Publisher marketing.



  • "The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip. When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer-for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House-she doesn't expect to fall in love. But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers, and the towering hedge maze. With the quirky staff and the enigmatic woman who owns the place. And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside. This mysterious garden is not the only sign that the future of Lilymoor is unstable: the foliage resists Sophie's careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges, and the manor's owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires-including her inconveniently attractive nephew who is also there just for the summer. Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden, and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more"-- Provided by publisher.


July is Anti-Boredom month, and what better way to beat boredom than with a book or two or three...


    


The Book of Outdoor Games : 50+ Unplugged Activities for Kids & Families by Philpott, Emily




We're ready to celebrate the 250th birthday of America this July with a display featuring books like





                                                                   EVENTS:


Another program for the adults!  Join us on Thursday, July 2nd from 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm for Rock Painting.  This event takes place a day before International Drop a Rock Day, when people leave painted rocks in public places for others to find.


The Dixon Public Library, along with The Next Picture Show, present: Passport to Illinois Art Exhibition, celebrating the spirit of America through the lens of local creativity! Showcasing original artwork that captures the essence of Americana: heritage, landscapes, community, patriotism, and the stories that define us. Exhibition Dates: June 15, 2026 - July 31, 2026



The Summer Reading Program continues until July 17th, so

don't forget to keep us updated on your reading progress!


Check our website to stay updated on all the events happening in our children's department.



BOOK GROUPS:

Monday Mysteries

July 27th at 1:30pm: Choose your own culinary mystery.


Literary Merits


July 28th at 2:00pm: Choose a book turned into a movie


Orbital


July 28th at 6:00pm: Choose your own epic fantasy


The Library will be closed on July 3rd and 4th

October 2026

October is National Book Month! To celebrate all things books, the adult department will have some Book Bingo sheets available. Complete 5 i...