Las Animas - Bent County Library District

The story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat, starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the book return slot at the Spencer, Iowa, Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff,...

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often...

A young woman, Marie-Ange Hawkins, returns to her childhood home in France and marries a dashing young widower, Comte Bernard de Beauchamp. The Comte seems like the perfect husband, but nothing is quite what it seems. After a chilling revelation, Marie-Ange must make a final leap of faith to ensure the survival of herself and her loved ones.

Invite your students to explore the state of Iowa in this comprehensive title! Informative, easy-to-read text draws in reluctant readers, while vibrant, oversized photos showcase the beauty and diversity of this state. Readers journey through Iowa as they learn about its history, cities, land features, animals, industries, sports, famous people, and more! A "Tour Book" spread highlights kid-friendly things to do in Iowa. Other features include a table...

An Iowa farmer leaves his land to his three daughters, causing strife in the family, and a strange change in all their personalities.

Meet the Ames Girls: eleven childhood friends who formed a special bond growing up in Ames, Iowa. As young women, they moved to eight different states, yet managed to maintain an enduring friendship that would carry them through college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, a childs illness and the mysterious death of one member of their group. Capturing their remarkable story, The Girls from Ames is a testament to the...

"From the Pulitzer Prize-winner: the much-anticipated final volume of her magnificent, best-selling American trilogy, which brings the beloved Langdon family into our present times and beyond. A lot can happen in 100 years, as Jane Smiley has shown to dazzling effect in her astonishing, critically acclaimed Last Hundred Years Trilogy. When Golden Age, its last installment, opens in 1987, the next generation of the Langdon family is facing economic,...

Although she's always longed to see the outside world, Johanna Ilg believes her future is rooted in the Amana community inhabited by devout Christians. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind. Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa,...

Abandoned in a library book drop slot in the dead of winter, this remarkable kitten miraculously endured the coldest night of the year. When librarian Vicki Myron found him in the morning, she wrapped him in her arms, nurtured him back to health, and introduced him to his new home, the library. Helping Myron through a difficult time, and inspiring the struggling town of Spencer, Iowa, Dewey gained worldwide fame as a symbol of hope, warming the hearts...

As anti-German sentiment during WWI threatens to tear apart the peaceful life of the Amana Colonies, the families must rally to protect their own.