Melissa Koch | STONE BY STONE | Book Launch!

Who: Melissa Koch What: an evening celebrating her new children’s book, Stone by Stone Where: Pulpit Rock Brewing When: Tuesday, 8/4 at 7pm Local author Melissa Koch will give an author presentation and Q&A session followed by a book signing on Tuesday, August 4th at 7pm at Pulpit Rock Brewing at 207 College Dr., Decorah.  Everyone is invited to this free event sponsored by the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation, with support from Pulpit Rock Brewing and Dragonfly Books. Changed by billions of years  and shaped by human hands,  the stones that make up our homes, roadways, buildings,  and bridges are a part of  our story. Earth’s story. From ancient cairns to castles, from  the Great Wall of China to Maya  cities, the stone structures we build tell us who we are, what we value,  what we fear, and who we want to be. The story begins deep below the Earth’s surface. All those stones start with a rock. Stone by Stone invites readers to consider how geology, engineering, and human history connect. The book opens with a striking and dramatic description of the rock cycle before delving into the many ways humans have used stones across history to rebuild, reconnect, and reimagine our place on Earth. Melissa Koch’s lyrical language takes readers on a journey through the world’s stone structures, highlighting the human side of science. Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s art vibrates with energy, capturing the fire of the earth and the spirit of invention that lives inside all of us. Robust back matter includes more information on the rock cycle, engineering, and stone usage throughout history, as well as a timeline, bibliography, and list of resources. Melissa Koch writes nonfiction children’s books that focus on making science and social justice personal and valuable to kids. In addition to her debut picture book, Stone by Stone (Holiday House, 2026), recent publications for the young adult audience include Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate; 3D Printing: The Revolution in Personalized Manufacturing; Teachers, Schools, and Society: A Brief Introduction to Education, 6th edition. Prior to her focus on writing, she lived in Silicon Valley for 27 years where she designed award-winning learning technologies and learning experiences that encourage women and youth from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams in STEM. She lives with her family in the Driftless Region. This event is part of Dragonfly Books and the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation’s robust author event series, which brings top-notch writers of all genres to Northeast Iowa to lead in conversations about literature and writing. To learn more about this event and other events with Dragonfly Books, visit www.dragonflybooks.com. If you find that you can’t make it to the event but would still like to purchase any books from this author talk, give Dragonfly Books a call at 563-382-4275. Our staff will be glad to reserve a book, have it autographed for you, and shipped out as needed.