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. 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley

Frankenstein

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).