The Iowa Center for the Book is pleased to announce the two books that will represent Iowa’s rich, literary heritage at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, on September 6, 2025.  

The Center for the Book (www.read.gov/cfb) in the Library of Congress works with its 56 Affiliate Centers for the Book (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianas) to fulfill each Center’s mission of promoting literacy and the literary arts, supporting libraries and lifelong learning, and celebrating our nation’s diverse literary heritage, at home and nationwide.  

Every year, each Affiliate Centers for the Book chooses a book for young readers and a book for adults that in some way represents the state’s or territory’s literary heritage. These selections are featured at the annual National Book Festival in Washington D.C., as well as local events. 

The Iowa Center for the Book’s 2025 selection for young readers is "Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution" by Charlotte Gunnufson, Illustrated by Brian Biggs. Hard Hat Hank and his hardworking crew are ready to build in this rollicking, rhyming celebration of teamwork, and the ways we can live in harmony with the natural world. This book is part of the Disney Planet Possible Books program, aiming to inspire and empower young readers to take care of planet Earth.   

Author Charlotte Gunnufson is a former teacher who frequently visits schools and libraries to entertain, encourage curiosity and get kids excited about science, nature and reading. She lives in Cedar Rapids. 

This year’s Iowa Center for the Book selection for adult readers is “América del Norte” by Nicolás Medina Mora. This kaleidoscopic story moves between Mexico and Iowa City as Sebastián navigates conflicting identities, both seen as “too white” as a member of the wealthy elite in Mexico and as an otherized person of color in the United States. While incorporating Mexican literary and colonial history, the novel is also a timely reflection on relationships and political systems, told with humor and sharp insight. 

Nicolás Medina Mora’s work in English has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Reuters, Buzzfeed News, and other publications. He holds a BA in Humanities from Yale and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa. Nicolás lives in Mexico. 

The Iowa Center for the Book will host author visits with Charlotte Gunnufson (in-person) and Nicolás Medina Mora (online), a book discussion of “América del Norte,” and a live-stream viewing of the National Book Festival this fall. Watch www.amespubliclibrary.org/IowaCenterForTheBook for details. 

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and X.