“Madison County’s Most Wanted” Community-Wide Book Club
Books: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach & How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery.
A collaboration of Madison County organizations is proud to announce the awarding of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read program. This year’s theme is nature, and we have chosen the acclaimed book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach.
The program will feature writers’ workshops, book discussions, community art projects, and more—all exploring the fascinating and sometimes humorous world of human-wildlife conflict, as portrayed in Fuzz. Themes from the book will be localized to highlight animals encountered in Madison County, including rattlesnakes, foxes, coyotes, and bats…as well as an exotic perspective all the way from the island of Madagascar!
As part of the initiative, organizers will provide at least 75 free copies of Fuzz for adult readers and 50 copies of Becoming a Good Creature for children, ensuring that participants of all ages can engage with the themes of wildlife, stewardship, and storytelling.
All books and events are completely free, thanks to the generous support of the NEA and Arts Midwest. Community members are encouraged to reserve their spot and receive a free copy of the book.
Click here to reserve your copy of FUZZ and/or Becoming a Good Creature!
Join the Madison County’s Most Wanted Book Club Group for more information on upcoming events!
Events
Join us for a community event each month!
- Book Distribution/Kick-off w/ Dr. Edward Louis of Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership – 11/8/25
- Creative Writing Workshop w/ Marianne Fons – 12/13/25, Winterset Public Library
- Guest Speaker- Susie Louis of Conservation Fusion – 1/13/26
- Media Writing Workshop w/ Vicki Minor – 2/7/26, Winterset Public Library
- Panel Discussion w/ Wildlife Experts – 2/17/26
- Theatrical Writing Workshop w/ Winterset Stage – 3/7/26, The Iowa Theater
- Game Night w/ American Idol contestant Sam Moss- 3/31/26
- Meet the Author, Mary Roach (virtual) – 4/7/26
- Most Wanted Showcase – 4/25/26
- USA’s 250th Anniversary Event – 5/7/26
Events are held at the Madison County Conservation Center in Pammel Park unless otherwise noted.
