VPL Note: "James" by Percival Everett is available for checkout in regular type.I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn"! If you have never read the original, I highly recommend that you do so.

The popular Trees for Kids grant program is accepting applications through August 26.Grantees can be awarded up to $2,500 to purchase trees and mulch. All trees for this program must be planted on public community grounds (park, community center, public school, etc.

I loved this book! 'Family Family' by Laurie Frankel is one of my favorite kind of stories, stories that bring you into the experience of others, that welcome you into their world, and leave you with a deeper understanding of humanity.

Learn about the 17-year cicada by watching Cicada Quest: A Symphony of NatureAre you curious about the cicadas that are emerging in eastern Iowa? Maybe you’ve noticed the notorious buzzing sound they make, or maybe you’ve encountered a swarm of cicadas on your property or local park.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to trap furbearers to people with little to no trapping experience.

By Heather EganI have a tendency to stay away from YA Fiction (does that make me old?!) but am kind of smitten with Kate Alice Marshall lately. "Rules for Vanishing" is a YA Horror novel by Kate Alice Marshall available on the Libby app and it had all the trappings of an easy weekend read:1) Two missing girls2) A mysterious "Road" that appears and disappears that no one ever returns from!3) A game with a sing-song legend that needs played to find the missing girls.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its Chancellor's List, honoring those with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the spring 2024 semester.

The Iowa Legislature appropriated state infrastructure funds to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to be used for a community-based tree planting program for derecho recovery tree planting.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces its Dean's List, honoring those full-time students who earned high honors in the spring 2024 semester.

By Connie BennettIn this latest offering from Freida McFadden's Housemaid series, several of the usual characters are again present. Until I was into this book, #3, I didn't realize that I had missed the first two volumes, 'The Housemaid' and 'The Housemaid's Secret.