March Book: By the Time You Read This I’ll be Gone by Stephanie Kuehn

"Killers walk among us. Statistically, at least one of them knows your name..."

Beatrice Fletcher is obsessed with unsolved murders in her small town of Cabot Cove, Maine like her great-aunt Jessica, the famous mystery writer. But when her best friend Jackson goes missing, this time the mystery is personal.

Then Jackson fails to show up for a late night meet-up, and instead, Bea stumbles upon three students from the elite Broadmoor Academy: overly-friendly and slightly vicious Leisl, her aloof twin brother, Leif, and Carlos, who knows more about, well, everything than he’s letting on. They’re worldly, secretive, and big on playing games like tenace, the hush-hush Broadmoor tradition where anything or anyone can be a clue to future fame and fortune, and players will stop at nothing — including murder — to get ahead.

If Bea wants to find Jackson, she too must join the game and play to win. Everyone in Cabot Cove has secrets, and it’s up to Bea to ferret them out before it’s too late in this thrilling modern update of the classic television show.

The TBR (Teen Book Review) Book Club is for teens 13-18 years old. The club features a YA (young adult) novel each month. Teens register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Wednesday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

March Book: I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis

No grizzly has ever killed a human in Glacier before. Melody and her family come to Glacier National Park every year, and it's always been a place where she can forget her troubles. But this year is different, and every moment in the park is a reminder of the past. Then Mel comes face-to-face with a mighty grizzly. Now her only thought is one of survival. Mel will soon be a part of one of the most tragic seasons in the history of America's national parks - a summer of terror that will forever change ideas about how grizzlies and humans can exist together in the wild.

The Adventures in Bookland Book Club is for kids 6-8 years old. The club features an easy chapter book each month. Parents/kids register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Wednesday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

March Book: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

As the three Baudelaire orphans warily approach their new home Prufrock Preparatory School, they can't help but notice the enormous stone arch bearing the school's motto Memento Mori or "Remember you will die."

This is not a cheerful greeting and certainly marks an inauspicious beginning to a very bleak story just as we have come to expect from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got worse.

The Inkwell Explorers Book Club is for tweens 9-12 years old. The club features a middle-grade novel each month. Tweens register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Thursday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

Do you buy organic food? Have you ever stopped to think about the organic label you take for granted every time you shop?

This is the story of some of the people behind that label, who happen to be from Cass County, Michigan, especially my mother, Merrill Clark.-Author Merry Bell Clark

"Dandelion Roots Run Deep" is the true story of the author's mother, her roots, and her fight for organic agriculture and Michigan's environment from 1967 - 2009. The dandelion roots are a metaphor for the roots connecting three generations of women who "nevertheless persisted" and the tenacity of those roots.

The Make & Share Cookbook Club is held on the first Thursday of the month from 5:15-6:30 pm at the Dowagiac District Library. Make a recipe from the monthly cookbook selection, then join us at the library for a recipe share & book discussion.

In April, we are cooking from Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food by Dolly Parton

To reserve your spot, call the library or email (Att: Erin) at dowagiaclibrarystaff@gmail.com

Fandom Fest is a library collaboration dedicated to bringing the fan convention experience to Southwest Michigan. Wanna know the best part about it? Admission is completely FREE!

Lake Michigan College
Grand Upton Hall at The Mendel Center
1100 Yore Ave
Benton Harbor, MI 49022

Our goal is to welcome fans of all genres and ages to join us for a day of adventure and fun.

We offer various activities, ranging from guest speakers and panels, video and tabletop games, cosplay contests, mini-hobby activities, and door prizes donated from local and national companies.

Vendors will be on hand with a variety of merchandise for sale!​

Don't forget to check out the food trucks available outside the Grand Upton Hall.

Hope you'll join us!

Visit the website for more information: https://www.fanfestswmi.com/

Join us for the Sip & Share Book Club at Sister Lakes Brewing Company. In April, we will be discussing the book The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes.

This event will be held at:
Sister Lakes Brewing Company
92500 CO RD 690
Dowagiac, MI 49047*

• Discussion starts at 6:30pm

• Drinks and food are available for purchase, visit Sister Lakes Brewing Company for an up-to-date menu.

To register, please fill out the form below.

To access the April book using Dowagiac District Library resources:

• Download the Libby or CloudLibrary using your Dowagiac District Library card for digital content

• Visit MeL.org to request an Interlibrary Loan (usually takes a week between submitting the request and receiving a call from us that it’s available to pick up)

• Or place a hold on the library copy

• Don't have a card? Visit our Get A Card page to see if you qualify for a digital card today

For further information, please call Erin at (269) 782-3826 or email erin@dowagiacdl.org

*This event is in conjunction with Sister Lakes Brewing Company, but we do ask that you ONLY contact the library for any questions you may have about it. See contact information above.

Little Beakers is a science program designed for kids ages 4-7 and will meet once a month to encourage scientific inquiry with the younger children.

Join us in The Pokagon Room at 11:00 on the second Saturday of the month. Please check the website’s calendar and/or Facebook page for additional Little Beakers information.

Space is limited, so please register by April 8 by calling (269) 782-3826 or email (att: Pam) at dowagiaclibrarystaff@gmail.com or fill out the form below.

Please complete to register for this event.

The Dowagiac District Library offers this weekly story time each Tuesday at 10:30 am. Preschool Story Time is geared toward children 3-5 years old and will focus on developing early literacy skills and fine motor skills through listening to one or two stories and participating in fun-filled age appropriate crafts and/or learning activities.

Children ages 8-12 are invited to join STEAM for Tweens, a new science program designed to engage young minds to think like a scientist. STEAM  for Tweens will meet at 4 pm in the Pokagon Room on the second level of the library.

Paper Marbling:  Do you like both, arts and science? Then this is the perfect activity for you! You will create beautiful marbled paper cards and practice science at the same time! The only materials you need are shaving cream, food coloring, and sheets of paper. It might get a bit messy, but that is part of the fun!

 Join us for  this STEAM for Tweens activity to create simple spring-time cards,

Space is limited, so please register by April 14 by calling (269) 782-3826 or email (att: Pam) at dowagiaclibrarystaff@gmail.com or fill out the form below

Fill out the form below to register for this event.

Join us for Craft Night at the Library! This April, we’re exploring the charming art of creating flowers from book pages—because who wouldn’t love a craft that’s truly a page-turner?

This event is just for our adult patrons, and you’ll need to RSVP to join the fun. Call (269) 782-3826, email erin@dowagiacdl.org, or fill out the form below.

The Dowagiac District Library offers this weekly story time each Tuesday at 10:30 am. Preschool Story Time is geared toward children 3-5 years old and will focus on developing early literacy skills and fine motor skills through listening to one or two stories and participating in fun-filled age appropriate crafts and/or learning activities.

April Book: The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

In their most daring misadventure, the Baudelaire orphans are adopted by very, very rich people, whose penthouse apartment is located mysteriously close to the place where all their misfortune began. Even though their new home in the city is fancy, and the children are clever and charming, I'm sorry to say that still, the unlucky orphans will encounter more disaster and woe.

In fact, in this sixth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, the children will experience a darkened staircase, a red herring, an auction, parsley soda, some friends in a dire situation, a secret passageway, and pinstripe suits.

The Inkwell Explorers Book Club is for tweens 9-12 years old. The club features a middle-grade novel each month. Tweens register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Thursday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

Join us for the annual Southwest Michigan Writer’s Conference at Lincoln Township Public Library for a full day of writing instruction and networking.

The Southwest Michigan Writers’ Conference is a collaborative effort of Lincoln Township Public Library, Niles District Library, Dowagiac District Library, Eau Claire District, St Joseph Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library, and Three Oaks Township Public Library. The conference beginning in 2018 has provided writing and marketing instruction to aspiring writers from all over Southwest Michigan, Northern Indiana, and even the Chicago area.

Register here by filling out the form, starting March 1. Registration is required to attend.

Visit the Writer’s Conference page to see a detailed schedule.

The Dowagiac District Library offers this weekly story time each Tuesday at 10:30 am. Preschool Story Time is geared toward children 3-5 years old and will focus on developing early literacy skills and fine motor skills through listening to one or two stories and participating in fun-filled age appropriate crafts and/or learning activities.

Revisit those classics from school or discover something new to expand your horizons! We meet the last Tuesday of the month in the Community Room, bringing our life experiences to the discussion.

To sign up, email Matt Weston at mweston [at] dowagiacdl [dot] org

April Book: Carry My Secret to Your Grave by Stephanie Kuehn

Bea Fletcher never met a cold case she didn't want to solve. So when she finds herself staying with family near Lake Paloma, she's torn. She's not thrilled to be bunking with her moody, taciturn uncle and his wife while her father's out of town, being away from Cabot Cove means less time for Bea to work on her true crime blog, visit her great-aunt Jessica, and spend time with new friends Leisl, Leif, and Carlos and the mysterious underground treasure hunting game they've been playing.

But Lake Paloma has mysteries of its own, including the unsolved drowning of Eden Vicente the year before. When Bea starts to ask questions about Eden's death, the answers lead her closer to home than she ever imagined. If she isn't careful, she could be the next girl to end up at the bottom of the lake.

The TBR (Teen Book Review) Book Club is for teens 13-18 years old. The club features a YA (young adult) novel each month. Teens register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Wednesday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

April Book: The Case of the Phantom Cat by Holly Webb

Twelve-year-old Maisie lives in her grandmother’s big boarding house, but now she and her dog Eddie are invited to join Maisie’s friend Alice and her high-society family on a trip to the country. It’s lovely to get away from the London smog, but there is something strange about the manor where the girls are staying. Odd noises, horrid smells, and sightings of a spectral cat keep them up at night…

Has Alice's father rented a haunted house? There must be a logical explanation, and Maisie plans to use her detecting skills to find out what it is!

The Adventures in Bookland Book Club is for kids 6-8 years old. The club features an easy chapter book each month. Parents/kids register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Wednesday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

The Make & Share Cookbook Club is held on the first Thursday of the month from 5:15-6:30 pm at the Dowagiac District Library. Make a recipe from the monthly cookbook selection, then join us at the library for a recipe share & book discussion.

In May, it is Pick Your Own Cookbook.

To reserve your spot, call the library or email (Att: Erin) at dowagiaclibrarystaff@gmail.com

The Dowagiac District Library offers this weekly story time each Tuesday at 10:30 am. Preschool Story Time is geared toward children 3-5 years old and will focus on developing early literacy skills and fine motor skills through listening to one or two stories and participating in fun-filled age appropriate crafts and/or learning activities.

Little Beakers is a science program designed for kids ages 4-7 and will meet once a month to encourage scientific inquiry with the younger children.

Join us in The Pokagon Room at 11:00 on the second Saturday of the month. Please check the website’s calendar and/or Facebook page for additional Little Beakers information.

Space is limited, so please register by May 7 by calling (269) 782-3826 or email (att: Pam) at dowagiaclibrarystaff@gmail.com or fill out the form below.

Please complete to register for this event.

The Dowagiac District Library offers this weekly story time each Tuesday at 10:30 am. Preschool Story Time is geared toward children 3-5 years old and will focus on developing early literacy skills and fine motor skills through listening to one or two stories and participating in fun-filled age appropriate crafts and/or learning activities.

The Dowagiac District Library offers this weekly story time each Tuesday at 10:30 am. Preschool Story Time is geared toward children 3-5 years old and will focus on developing early literacy skills and fine motor skills through listening to one or two stories and participating in fun-filled age appropriate crafts and/or learning activities.

We are excited to welcome Michigan Notable Book 2025 Author Daniel J. Clark. He will discuss his book Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s.

Using interviews and archival research, Listening to Workers uncovers the personal and often overlooked lives of Detroit-area autoworkers in the 1950s. The book explores the complexities of their experiences, addressing issues like poverty, divorce, workplace dangers, and personal struggles, challenging the notion of the 1950s as a time of widespread prosperity. Offering a humanizing perspective, it presents workers as multidimensional individuals, with rich, personal stories that go beyond traditional labor history.

The Michigan Notable Books program is sponsored in part by the Library of Michigan Foundation, Michigan Center for the Book, and Michigan Humanities.

May Book: Fate by Amanda Hocking

Alice Bonham thinks she's finally found a balance in her life between the supernatural and real life with her brother Milo. Jack - her sorta vampire boyfriend - keeps her at arm's length to keep her safe. As for his brother Peter... she's not sure where he's at, or what he wants with her. Worse still, she's not even sure what she wants with Peter.

When tragedy happens, Alice finds herself struggling with a terrible choice. Her decision has consequences that reach farther than she'd ever imagined...

The TBR (Teen Book Review) Book Club is for teens 13-18 years old. The club features a YA (young adult) novel each month. Teens register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Wednesday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

May Book: Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon

Most things are easy-peasy, regular-pegular for Bibsy Cross. She loves her parents, her cat, her best friend, Natia. And she loves going to school. She might just love that most of all!

This year, Bibsy has Mrs. Stumper for a teacher, but Mrs. Stumper doesn't seem too keen on Bibsy. She thinks Bibsy talks too much.

But one day, when Bibsy talks a little too much, and goes a stone too far, Mrs. Stumper punishes her by punching a hole in her paper apple that hangs in the classroom. And Bibsy is devastated.

The Adventures in Bookland Book Club is for kids 6-8 years old. The club features an easy chapter book each month. Parents/kids register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Wednesday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

May Book: The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket

Dear Reader,

I can think of no single reason why anyone would want to open a book containing such unpleasant matters as migrating crows, an angry mob, a newspaper headline, the arrest of innocent people, the Deluxe Cell, and some very strange hats. It is my solemn and sacred occupation to research each detail of the Baudelaire children's lives and write them all down, but you may prefer to do some other solemn and sacred thing, such as reading another book instead.

Lemony Snicket

The Inkwell Explorers Book Club is for tweens 9-12 years old. The club features a middle-grade novel each month. Tweens register and pick up their copy of the month’s selection at the beginning of the month and then meet and discuss the book on the last Thursday of the month. For more information, stop by the Youth Services desk located on the second floor of the library.

The Make & Share Cookbook Club is held on the first Thursday of the month from 5:15-6:30 pm at the Dowagiac District Library. Make a recipe from the monthly cookbook selection, then join us at the library for a recipe share & book discussion.

In June, we are cooking from Big Night: Dinners, Parties, and Dinner Parties-A Cookbook by Katherine Lewin

To reserve your spot, call the library or email (Att: Erin) at dowagiaclibrarystaff@gmail.com