Since 2003, The Iowa Center for the Book has been picking an All Iowa Reads book. The goal is to foster a sense of unity in our state through reading. Starting in 2018, the All Iowa Reads Committee expanded the program to include three books, one for adults, one for teens and one for children.
On this edition of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with two Iowans who were on the committees that chose the books to announcethe new selection for All Iowa Reads for 2020.
The 2020 All Iowa Reads Books Selections:
Adult
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
“Brit Bennet tells a very difficult story in a way that is both compelling and highly relatable. Because there are universal issues in ‘The Mothers’ that a lot of Iowans experience. At its heart, the novel exposed complex characters who are living with the consequences of their difficult decisions. ”
Teen
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found my Father and Dealt with Family Addiction by Jarrett Krosoczka
“This is a graphic novel, and it is a memoir and the story of Jarrett Krosoczka…is basically him reflecting on how he found himself through art and how he came through dealing with his mother addiction and understand how this shaped his life and shaped him as an artist.”
Children
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
“It’s a compelling, relevant mystery that also talks about the sins of the past and the way children have the availability by facing history to make the future better.”
Guests Include:
- Helen Dagley, Iowa Center for the Book, member of All Iowa Reads Committee.
- Angie Manfredi, Youth Services Consultant at the State Library of Iowa, and on the Teen/Kids All Iowa Reads Committees.
