We’re pleased to announce our next program, Trends in Children’s Literature, on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.

A light lunch will be available for in-person attendees beginning at 11:30 a.m. Please RSVP by October 31, 2025 at https://uira.org.uiowa.edu/rsvp/childrens-literature. If you select Zoom attendance, you’ll receive the link by email. If you misplace it, please contact Evalyn Van Allen-Shalash at van-allen-shalash@uiowa.edu.

The event will be held in 2520-D University Capitol Center (UCC), 200 South Capitol Street, Iowa City, IA 52240, and also available via Zoom.

As the holidays approach, many UIRA members may be searching for the perfect book for the children on their gift lists. Join Angela Pilkington of the Iowa City Public Library and Molly Roberts of Prairie Lights Books for a lively discussion about what’s new, popular, and delightful in children’s literature today.

Angela Pilkington has served as the Children’s Services Coordinator at the Iowa City Public Library since 2015, overseeing the Children’s Room and outreach to local schools and daycares. She holds a BA in Elementary Education from North Central College and a master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois. Molly Roberts earned BA degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa and has been the Children’s Bookseller at Prairie Lights since 2023. A lifelong fan of children’s books, she believes they can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Her favorite is Matilda by Roald Dahl. She is also a short fiction writer who received Honorable Mention in the Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize this year.