Author Spotlight: Violet Shipman. Violet Shipman is the pen name for Wade Rouse. “Wade Rouse chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the working poor Ozarks seamstress whose sacrifices changed his family’s life and whose memory inspires his fiction.” ~Violashipman.com

Available titles by Shipman at the library:

The Page Turner (Brand new in Fiction!)

The Hope Chest (Large Type Fiction)

The Charm Bracelet (Large Type Fiction)

The Summer Cottage (Large Type Fiction)

The Recipe Box (Fiction)

The Clover Girls (Large Type Fiction)

The Heirloom Garden (Large Type Fiction)

Famous in a Small Town (Large Type Fiction)

The Secret of Snow (Large Type Fiction)

• 'Climbing in Heels' by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
• '25 Alive' by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
• 'The Book Club for Troublesome Women' by Marie Bostwick
• 'A Mind of Her Own' by Danielle Steel
• 'You Killed Me First' by John Marrs
• 'Summer Light on Nantucket' by Nancy Thayer

• '2 Sisters Murder Investigations' by James Patterson and Candice Fox
• 'The Staircase in the Woods' by Chuck Wendig
• 'The Page Turner' by Viola Shipman
• 'Run on Red' by Noelle W. Ihli
• 'How to Seal Your Own Fate' by Kristen Perrin

• 'And Then There Was You' by Nancy Naigle
• 'The Page Turner' by Viola Shipman
• 'Conversations with My Mother: A Novel of Dementia on the Maine Coast' by Ronald Stephane Gilbert
• 'Sunrise Reef' by Irene Hannon
• 'The Illusionist: The True Story of the Nazi who Fooled Hitler' by Robert Hutton
• 'The Summer Guests' by Tess Gerritsen

• 'A Mind of her Own' by Danielle Steel
• '2 Sisters Murder Investigations' by James Patterson and Candice Fox

• 'Presidents at War' by Steven M. Gillon
• 'A Place Called Yellowstone' by Randall K. Wilson
• 'Never Give Up' by Max Lucado
• 'Four Red Sweaters: Powerful True Stories of Women and the Holocaust' by Lucy Adlington
• 'When The Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day' by Garrett M. Graff
• 'Remember Us' by Robert M. Edsel

• ‘Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis’ by Suzanne Cope

• ‘Help! My Kid Hates Writing: How to Turn Struggling Students into Brave Writers’ by Julie Bogart

• ‘I Seek A Kind Person: My Father, Seven Children and the Adverts that Helped Them Escape the Holocaust’ by Julian Borger

"Olivetti" by Allie Millington is a middle-grade novel that blends together themes of memory, grief, and healing through the eyes of a child and a typewriter. Twelve-year-old Ernest is a quiet boy who enjoys being alone reading the dictionary; Olivetti, is quiet because he is a typewriter, but he is the Brindle family's secret keeper and observer.

When Ernest's mother, Beatrice, suddenly sells Olivetti to a pawn shop and disappears, Ernest is left with guilt and confusion. While he searches for answers, he discovers that Olivetti can communicate by typing back to him. Olivetti reveals memories of Beatrice's life and their family's past. With the help of Quinn, the pawn shop owner's daughter, Ernest goes on a journey to uncover the truth behind his mother's disappearance and to confront the "Everything That Happened" that has strained their family.​

The novel is a fun read because of both Ernest's and Olivetti's perspectives. Tom Hanks even wrote, "Millington's writing does us a great favor."

~Kellie

A fan of the TV show 'Golden Girls'? Then check out this cozy mystery 'Murder by Cheesecake' by Rachel Ekstrom Courage! Dorothy tries out a VHS dating service whilst Rose is planning a St. Olaf-themed wedding for her niece/cousin (yes, she is called both!) when a murder ensues in Miami where they are planning the wedding and the four ladies try to solve the case. Happy reading, friends! #librarylife #librarylovers #goldengirlsforever

~Heather

In the late 1920’s a celebrated author with a troubled past disappears, along with the sequel to her best-selling novel. In 1950s America, her daughter receives a message from England telling her that her mother’s documents along with a personal unopened letter have been found. Is it a hoax, like many that have come before? Is the risk of taking her asthmatic daughter abroad during London’s Great Smog worth the potential reward? In ‘The Story She Left Behind,’ Patti Callahan Henry once again weaves a fairy tale into a lovely novel, perfect for lovers of heartfelt fiction like me. I also read ‘The Secret Book of Flora Lea’ and highly recommended both novels. I particularly enjoyed the author's note and recommended reading list at the back of the book.

We have ‘The Story She Left Behind’ available in both regular and large type formats.

Happy reading!

Kelly Henkle, Library Director

Last Spring, thanks to community donations, our library added a bicycle-powered bookmobile to our services! When the weather is nice you can find us at area parks with a trailer full of books ready to check out!

Kids, come join us at the Youth Community Garden this May! We're having a special Youth Garden storytime on the following dates/times:

• Monday, May 12th, 2025, at 3:30pm
• Monday, May 19th, 2025, at 3:30pm

The Youth Community Garden is located on the corner of East 2nd Street and 4th Avenue, near the Vinton Fire Station, in Vinton.

Join us for our monthly book club where you pick the book! This month you can choose a book about an interesting time in history! We have two meeting times for you to pick from; choose the one that works best for you!

• Thursday, May 15th, 2025, at 11:30am
• Thursday, May 15th, 2025, at 6:00pm

Happy May Day from the Vinton Public Library! May Baskets are a fun tradition enjoyed by all ages; why not make a basket for a loved one today?!

Soccer won against Baseball in last week's THIS or THAT Challenge! Check out this week's challenge: Butterflies or ladybugs? Stop in and cast your vote today!

Vinton Newspapers recently collaborated with Vinton Shellsburg Community Schools for their annual 'Design an Ad' feature. Thank you to Lily R. for choosing our library for her favorite business! We love this local collaboration celebrating kids, artwork, writing, and community!

Thank you for helping us meet our goal of 100 completed surveys! We appreciate your feedback as we strive to provide the highest quality library services possible for our entire community!

Our community storytelling feature continues with another prom picture, and a beautiful story to go along with it! Do you have a photograph and a story to share? Email khenkle@vintonia.gov today!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Stop into the library for some green sidewalk chalk today to #MakeItOK!

We are on the same page! This week we "dusted off" the Bike Mobile to get it ready for next week's Youth Garden Storytime. This duo created their own "At Home Bike Mobile" out of chairs! Can't wait to start seeing families using our Bike Mobile.

We're chalking the town green as part of the Make it OK campaign with Iowa Healthiest State Initiative. New Beginnings Salon and Spa is helping to #MakeItOK!

VPL staff wishes everyone a Happy Star Wars Day!! Search our card catalog or the Libby App for plenty of ebooks, audiobooks, movies and magazines featuring light sabers, wookies, Jedi, and more from the galaxy far, far, away!

We had a fantastic time at the Tilford PTO Spring Festival last night! It was great connecting with families and sharing exciting info about our Summer Reading Program and our brand-new Calm Crew —a fun way for kids to explore yoga and mindfulness this summer.

Huge congrats to our lucky book drawing winners! Thanks to everyone who stopped by—we can’t wait to see you this summer!

A big THANK YOU to Benton County ISU Extension for bringing the fun to the Vinton Public Library! We loved the hands-on science experiments and learned so much about staying safe in the sun.

It’s Children's Book Week!

We’re kicking things off by celebrating fan favorite Mo Willems — a creative force behind some of the most beloved kids' books of our time!

Not just an author, Mo is also an illustrator, animator, playwright, and all-around artistic genius — involved in everything from classical music to comedy and digital art.

He’s the mind behind #1 New York Times bestsellers like 'Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!' and the heartwarming Elephant & Piggie series — winners of multiple Caldecott Honors and Geisel Awards.

Check out Mo Willems' books today at VPL!

Storytime in the Garden!

Join us for a Special Storytime at the Youth Garden on May 12th & 19th at 3:30 PM!

Enjoy great stories, explore brand new books from the Bike Mobile, and stick around to dig in and help out in the garden!

It’s the perfect mix of reading, fun, and a little sunshine — don’t miss it!

It’s Children’s Book Week, and today we’re celebrating the hilarious and heartwarming Ryan T. Higgins!

You might know him from the Mother Bruce series, the Penelope Rex books (yes, the dinosaur who eats her classmates!), the Norman books, and more!

Fun fact: Ryan lives in Maine with his wild and wonderful crew—his wife, 3 kids, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 1 gecko, and 1 tortoise! Now that’s a full house.

Swing by VPL to check out his books and bring the laughs home!

Mondays: 9a-5p

Tuesdays: 9a-8p

Wednesdays: 9a-5p

Thursdays: 9a-8p

Fridays: 7a-4p

Saturdays: 9a-Noon

Sundays: Closed

Copy services: $0.20 per black and white, $0.25 per color

Fax services: $1.00 for 1-2 pages, $2.00 for 3+ pages

Notary services: No charge, call 319-472-4208 for availability

Free Wifi

Boardroom available at no charge; reservations required

Email: library@vintonia.gov
Website: vinton.lib.ia.us
Location: 510 2nd Avenue, Vinton, IA, USA
Phone: (319) 472-4208
Facebook: facebook.com/heartofvinton