Reach For a Sweet Read

Published on March 04, 2025

By Leah T.

When I was young, I had quite the sweet tooth—doesn’t every child? One of my fondest memories is collecting coins to visit the Park Store, a little corner shop next to Central Park in my small town. To me, it had everything I could ever want—Laffy Taffy, every variety of sucker, and my personal favorite: the one-cent Tootsie Rolls. The Park Store is no longer open, but I can always find a spot in Sioux Falls to satisfy my sweet tooth.

All summer long, my friend and I hoarded our coins, waiting for the perfect moment to cash in on something sweet. One day, we counted out exactly 100 pennies, determined to buy 100 Tootsie Rolls. Sitting cross-legged on the store floor, we double-checked our count before bringing them to the cashier, who didn’t bother verifying our stash. That afternoon, we gleefully indulged in our hard-earned jackpot.

This month, I’ll be reaching for sweet reads to help us hit our goal of 350,000 books by the end of March. Siouxland Libraries is partnering with the Sioux Falls School District, Tri-Valley, Augustana University, the University of Sioux Falls, and REACH Literacy to inspire reading in our communities with Everybody Reads. If we can reach—pun intended—our goal, a monetary donation will be made to REACH Literacy.

All Siouxland Libraries locations will feature a gumball machine display. Each time you finish a book, you can add a gumball and watch our progress grow! Keep an eye on our online tracker to see how close we are.

Can’t make it to the library? No problem! Track the number of books you read in March and give us a call at 605-367-8700—we’ll add your gumballs to the display for you.

This program is for ALL ages. Need help getting started? Here are my recommended sweet reads:

Adult 

The Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Craving a sweet escape? The Sweet Life follows Dawn Dixon as she unexpectedly takes over a charming ice cream shop on Cape Cod, discovering that sometimes the best recipes for happiness come from life’s unexpected twists.

Delish Insane Sweets: Bake Yourself a Little Crazy by Joanna Saltz

This cookbook is packed with over-the-top, drool-worthy treats that will take your baking to the next level. Consider your craving satisfied.

Teen

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love & Gelato whisks you away to Italy, where Lina uncovers family secrets, finds romance, and discovers that gelato makes everything better.

Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill

Love from Scratch serves up a delightful mix of workplace rivalry, flirty banter, and mouthwatering food as two interns compete for a spot at a popular cooking channel.

Children

Oliver’s Lollipop by Allison Wortche

When Oliver gets a special treat at the zoo, he’s so focused on his lollipop that he almost misses the real magic around him. A delightful story about enjoying the moment.

Frank and Bean Food Truck Fiasco by Jamie Michalak

Can a hot dog and a bean run a food truck together? Frank prefers simple recipes, while Bean loves bold flavors—so when they enter a food truck contest, their clashing tastes lead to a hilarious kitchen disaster.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

You can’t make a list of sweet reads without including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie Bucket wins the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s magical candy factory, where chocolate rivers, fantastic inventions, and unexpected surprises await.