Sidekick Coffee & Books 1310 1/2 Melrose Ave.

Double shot of Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso, steamed milk, with many additional options.

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date. The School for Witches and Wizards Summer Camp 2025 Dates June 23rd-June 27th Time 9am-12pm Ages 8-12 $225 Minimum of 10 campers maximum of 15 Have your witch or wizard apprentice join us for five days of the mystic arts! Campers will attend five of the most important schools witchcraft has to offer: the School of Potions, the School of Creatures, the School of Books, the School of Herbology, and the School of Fun. During their time with each school, campers will learn to tie-dye, visit Kitty Corner Social Club and the Natural History Museum, visit the library and Sidekick to look at books, learn from a botanist on a hike about which plants are harmful vs. helpful, and enjoy a special visit from Glenda and Elphaba from Enchanted Crowns! Wand making lessons will also be provided. An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before event. Discounts do not apply.

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date so we can process your camp registration promptly! Swifties Unite Summer Camp 2025! Dates June 9th-13th Time 9am-12pm Ages 8-12 $225 Minimum of 10 campers maximum of 15 Have a Swiftie in your life? Avoid them having a “Cruel Summer” by signing them up for camp! We’ll do all things Swiftie like making friendship bracelets, journaling, making tie-dye creations, playing trivia, and hanging out at Kitty Corner Social Club (Taylor loves cats)! Kids will also have a chance to inspire their own creative process after a visit to the Stanley Art Museum and time to read, write, and reflect at the Pentacrest. All you have to do is stay (sign-up for camp)!! An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before event. Discounts do not apply.

12 oz of brewed coffee plus 4 oz of steamed milk After 11: pour over with room for 4 oz of steamed milk

Double shot of Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso

Double shot of Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso, steamed milk, with many additional options.

Base is double shot of Black Cat Espresso with water in a 10.5 oz cup.

Freshly brewed hot tea from Kilogram loose leaf tea.

Freshly brewed Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk.

John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease. Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it. In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.

Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train’s crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life.

A lottery ticket + donuts = love in this steamy new fake dating romance from beloved author Denise Williams. Sybil Sweet has always been lucky, but lately she can’t catch a break. After years of bouncing from job to job in search of something that feels right and from man to man in search of something special, Sybil is worried that she’s the directionless, floundering daughter her family thinks she is. All she really wants now is a little financial stability and carb comfort. Lucky for her, she’s got just enough in the bank to buy a lottery ticket, and the late-night donut store is open.

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry. Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

*Celebrate Pride Month!* Ashley Herring Blake does it again in a compelling story of growth, dreams, and life's trials. She explores the queer identity with her perfect balance between romance and plot. This is a second chance book, both in the romance and the development of the characters personalities and dreams

Available June 25th 2025. Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 1532. London, 1837. Boston, 2019. Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots. One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild. And all of them grow teeth.

Available June 3rd, 2025. Liv Olson has been drawn to Norse Mythology her entire life. After earning her degree and working as a curator at one of New York’s most prestigious museums, she gets an unexpected offer for her dream job in Norway - the same place her brother disappeared months ago – after a cryptic message about finding their long-lost father. Liv soon realizes that the small town of Vonn is nothing like it seems. Shops close before dark, and things she’s only read about seem to suddenly exist. To top it off , her new boss, Tristan, is insultingly mean and engagingly beautiful – and, as part of the job, she must live with him in his mansion. As her life quickly unravels into chaos, she’s left wondering who’s pulling the strings in this mysterious place where nothing makes sense, yet everything feels familiar. Her studies have always told her the gods are who you trust. But what happens when the man who’s destined to kill you – is your savior?

Available July 22nd, 2025. A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement to the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Available July 30th, 2025. Dante’s Inferno meets Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.

Available June 3rd, 2025.

Available September 11th, 2025 - Preorder from Sidekick and get 10% off! (Price shown reflects discount) Return to the magic of the Archipelago in the dazzling sequel to the runaway, #1 New York Times bestseller Impossible Creatures, hailed as “an instant classic” (Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan)! Katherine Rundell’s second thrilling installment in the Impossible Creatures series involves castles, dragons, and revenge—the things of which great stories are made. The splendors within are brought to life with more than fifty illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

Available May 27th, 2025! - Preorder from Sidekick and get 10% off! (Price reflects discount) Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him. It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life. When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her.

Show your teacher appreciation! Lila Greer is full of worries. Even the smallest things—from cabbages to cardboard—fill her with dread and what-ifs. So when her family makes a big change—moving to a new town—the worry and what-ifs only grow. What if things go wrong? What if no one likes her? At first, Lila feels right to be worried. In her new home, everything is strange. The new kids, the new smells. Lila feels alone and invisible. But there’s one person who sees her: Lila’s teacher, Ms. Kern. Through some creativity, blackboard erasers, and—most of all—kindness, Ms. Kern finds a way to make Lila feel welcome and open to new experiences. A lesson that will resonate with Lila long after second grade.

Show your teacher appreciation! If you've had a special teacher in your life who has helped you get through, even if it wasn't math class, this is for them. When Very's student teacher steps in and meets her where she is at her year changes for the better. She’s student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist. She can even do more push-ups than anyone at her school. You could say she’s pretty much the best at everything…Well, almost everything. Everything except math. And it’s not like she doesn’t try. Math just doesn’t make sense in her brain. But it better start soon, or else she can kiss her presidency—and her campaign promises—goodbye. Soon she finds herself enrolled in a remedial math class, where, despite her best efforts, failure persists. All seems lost until a teacher helps her discover the truth: Verity has dyscalculia, a learning disability that causes her to mix up numbers.

Show your teacher appreciation! "All the Books" by Hayley Rocco and John Rocco is a comprehensive guide exploring a wide variety of literature across genres. It offers insights and summaries to help readers choose their next great read.

Celebrate Mother's Day! Book celebrates the joys of having — and being! — a baby: A world of being new is waiting for little ones and the grown-ups who love them in this warm and funny book. From napping to crying to cuddling to playing, this book introduces the world to newborns (and new parents) with humor, honesty, and unmitigated sweetness. You are New is a timeless celebration of new beginnings and the transformative power of love.

Celebrate Mother's Day! Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.

Celebrate Mother's Day! "There’s no better writer at chronicling the highs and lows of familial love. In Mothers and Sons, Haslett shows a family both torn by past trauma and battered by the social turmoil of the present…The chronicle of this complex mother and son pair satisfies one of the best reasons to read fiction: to understand others and their impossible burdens, to mourn when they stumble and celebrate when they survive."—Los Angeles Times At forty, Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York City, is overworked and isolated. He spends his days immersed in the struggles of immigrants only to return to an empty apartment and occasional hook-ups with a man who wants more than Peter can give. But when the asylum case of a young gay man pierces Peter's numbness, the event that he has avoided for twenty years returns to haunt him.

Celebrate the grads in your life! "Inspired by a true story, this whimsical watercolor picture book uses an unlikely vessel to guide children through the anxiety of moving." - Foreword Reviews Inspired by the real-life story of moving a 139-year-old, 133-ton Victorian house six blocks, this picture book from a house’s perspective is a charming twist on a common childhood experience. It’s moving day and this Victorian house can’t imagine what it will be like to live in a different San Francisco neighborhood. She feels a lug and a tug as she’s lifted onto a flatbed behind a truck. A police car leads the way, a crowd begins to form on the sidewalks, children follow behind ringing the bells on their bicycles—it’s just like a parade! She teeters and totters as she slowly, slowly begins her journey.

Celebrate the grads in your life! All the trout at the Fishtastic Theater School can breathe out of water—except for Etta, the school’s costume designer. No matter how hard she tries, Etta can’t unlock her Fishtastic magic. When the theater troupe swims down the Iowa River to perform at Iowa City’s Hancher Auditorium, Etta discovers something very important that they’ve left behind. Can Etta save the show even though she’s not magical?

Celebrate the grads in your life! This powerful memoir highlights Columbus during a golden era of basketball. The novel discusses the struggles of black men, tributes basketball greats, and considers what it means to rise to success. Perfect for basketball lovers or anyone who loves dreamy prose!

Available September 11th, 2025 - Preorder from Sidekick and get 10% off! (Price shown reflects discount) Return to the magic of the Archipelago in the dazzling sequel to the runaway, #1 New York Times bestseller Impossible Creatures, hailed as “an instant classic” (Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan)! Katherine Rundell’s second thrilling installment in the Impossible Creatures series involves castles, dragons, and revenge—the things of which great stories are made. The splendors within are brought to life with more than fifty illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

Available May 27th, 2025! - Preorder from Sidekick and get 10% off! (Price reflects discount) Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life. Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him. It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life. When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life.

A rhyming illustrated humor book for moms who feel they're not doing a good job (and that's all moms, right?). Packed with scientifically true examples of terrible parents in the animal kingdom, to remind and reassure any mother that there are way worse moms out there. A hilarious and reassuring gift for every mom: because we’re all doing the best we can, and the natural world is filled with moms worse than you!

Join Sidekick in ringing in Pride month by purchasing "Cinderelliot" by Mark Ceilley and Rachel Smoka-Richardson and receiving a rainbow cupcake decorating kit at the author event! When: June 28th @ 10:00am Where: Sidekick Coffee and Books Cinderelliot loves to bake, but finds no joy in churning out treats for his horrible stepsister and stepbrother. A chance to enter the Royal Baking Competition brings a glimmer of hope, until his siblings force him to bake their entries instead. A fairy godfather helps save the day by granting Cinderelliot a wish with a chocolate cake that wins a place as palace baker and in the heart of the prince. All orders need to be placed before June 21st to allow our own royal baker to prepare the sweets!

*Celebrate Pride Month!* Ashley Herring Blake does it again in a compelling story of growth, dreams, and life's trials. She explores the queer identity with her perfect balance between romance and plot. This is a second chance book, both in the romance and the development of the characters personalities and dreams

*Celebrate Pride Month!* A graphic novel illustrating the history behind trans identifying people. From historical figures chronically their identity in centuries old writing to the life changing events of Stonewall, this book explores the rich history of being trans. Collaborators of this novel delve into transphobia throughout time and the importance behind empowering trans identities.

*Celebrate Pride Month!* This novel in verse explores love and loss while growing up. While completing the secret list her sister left behind, Nina discovers new layers of herself and the world around her. How do we deal with grief while opening ourselves up to love? In the three years since she lost her sister, Nina has completed Lily’s secret Before Birthday lists to continue in her footsteps. But now Nina is catching up. When Nina flies to Paris, France, and completes tasks that Lily never finished, Nina finds herself magically transported inside of her own memories, face-to-face with the ghosts of her past. With her birthday looming and the last list running out, Nina is torn between visiting her sister in her memories and adventuring in the present, including crushing hard on her art classmate, Sylvie. Should she follow Lily’s instructions or try something new? And what happens when she finishes the list?

Looking for an adventure story that also offers meaningful learning for your middle-grade reader? We've found just the one! This gripping tale follows a family's daring journey westward to claim new land—but from a perspective that’s rarely told: that of a young Black boy traveling with his father.

From Lynda Mullaly Hunt, the acclaimed author of A Wish in the Tree, comes a poignant and powerful picture book celebrating neurodivergent thinkers. This story does what only the best picture books can—it fosters empathy, creates meaningful connections, and offers comfort to those who may feel alone or misunderstood.

Our Lake, written and illustrated by Angie Kang, is one of the most heartfelt and thoughtful books I’ve read for children coping with the loss of a parent—especially a father. Rather than centering on the overwhelming grief that often follows such a loss, the story gently highlights the quiet strength and resilience children can draw from the memories and love they shared with their dad.

A collection of interviews with President Jimmy Carter, this book is the perfect gift for the father figures in your life. From the life messages President Carter shared to the moving interviews he did, this book provides insight into the mind of one of our most impactful presidents.

A classic story on the little things that dads do to make everyday special! The perfect gift to read with your little one to celebrate father's day!

For fans of Under the Whispering Door and the classic tv show "Ghost Whisperer", this book hits romance, comedy, and adventure in emotional writing and storytelling. This debut novel connects readers to its main character, a man who can communicate with lost souls through food, and explores layers of love, life, and grief in a way that makes you hunger for more.

Romance meets thriller in this novel about a woman who falls in love with a serial killer on trial. Hannah is a true-crime junkie and when William is found not guilty, she can't help but continue falling for him while she secretly investigates him. Fast paced and a perfect blend of genres, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

A story of mothers and daughters that spans decades centering on a Puerto Rican family. When tragedy strikes, the family questions where they belong and what their love for one another means. With beautiful storytelling and wonderful characterization, this book is perfect for anyone.

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating women’s sports! Award-winning sports columnist, commentator, and author Christine Brennan will be in conversation with Iowa Women’s Basketball Coaches Jan Jensen and Lisa Bluder to mark the release of her inspiring new book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution of Women’s Sports. Location: University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, 2425 Prairie Dr., Iowa City, IA Date & Time: Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 PM Tickets are required. Each ticket includes: - A copy of On Her Game - Delicious appetizers and desserts - Access to a book signing with Christine Brennan after the event Drinks will be available for purchase. Book Pickup: Choose to pick up your book on July 8 at Sidekick Coffee & Books (1310 ½ Melrose Ave., Iowa City), or at the event on July 16. Seating is general admission. Important: Be sure to select today’s date when checking out to reserve your spot. Tickets are non-refundable.

Join Sidekick in ringing in Pride month by purchasing "Cinderelliot" by Mark Ceilley and Rachel Smoka-Richardson and receiving a rainbow cupcake decorating kit at the author event! When: June 28th @ 10:00am Where: Sidekick Coffee and Books Cinderelliot loves to bake, but finds no joy in churning out treats for his horrible stepsister and stepbrother. A chance to enter the Royal Baking Competition brings a glimmer of hope, until his siblings force him to bake their entries instead. A fairy godfather helps save the day by granting Cinderelliot a wish with a chocolate cake that wins a place as palace baker and in the heart of the prince. All orders need to be placed before June 21st to allow our own royal baker to prepare the sweets!

Calling all bookworms and trivia buffs! Think you’re well-read? Prove it! Gather your team of 2–4 players and join us for Sidekick’s Book Trivia Night (May 22nd, 7:00pm), where the best and the rest will battle it out in a fun-filled showdown of literary knowledge.Don’t miss the chance to win prizes, bragging rights, and bookish glory. The $20 registration fee covers your entire team (up to four people). Please indicate the number of players on your team at checkout—we’ll see you there! *refunds unavailable for event; for questions or concerns please call us!

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date so we can process your camp registration promptly! Swifties Unite Summer Camp 2025! Dates June 9th-13th Time 9am-12pm Ages 8-12 $225 Minimum of 10 campers maximum of 15 Have a Swiftie in your life? Avoid them having a “Cruel Summer” by signing them up for camp! We’ll do all things Swiftie like making friendship bracelets, journaling, making tie-dye creations, playing trivia, and hanging out at Kitty Corner Social Club (Taylor loves cats)! Kids will also have a chance to inspire their own creative process after a visit to the Stanley Art Museum and time to read, write, and reflect at the Pentacrest. All you have to do is stay (sign-up for camp)!! An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before event. Discounts do not apply.

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date so we can process your camp registration promptly! Supa Campers Summer Camp 2025 Dates June 16th-20th Time 9am-12pm Ages 6-11 $225 Minimum of 10 campers maximum of 15 Calling all Supas!! If you have a young one interested in solving crime, fighting fires, or working with K9s this camp is for you! Campers will be visited by the University Heights Police, Fire and EMT, tie-dye camp t-shirts, solve the bookstore mystery, run the dog agility training obstacle course, play Dog-Man Trivia, and visit the library and froyo (even heroes need days off). Send your kiddos to Sidekick to learn how our local superheroes roll! An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before event. Discounts do not apply.

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date. The School for Witches and Wizards Summer Camp 2025 Dates June 23rd-June 27th Time 9am-12pm Ages 8-12 $225 Minimum of 10 campers maximum of 15 Have your witch or wizard apprentice join us for five days of the mystic arts! Campers will attend five of the most important schools witchcraft has to offer: the School of Potions, the School of Creatures, the School of Books, the School of Herbology, and the School of Fun. During their time with each school, campers will learn to tie-dye, visit Kitty Corner Social Club and the Natural History Museum, visit the library and Sidekick to look at books, learn from a botanist on a hike about which plants are harmful vs. helpful, and enjoy a special visit from Glenda and Elphaba from Enchanted Crowns! Wand making lessons will also be provided. An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before event. Discounts do not apply.

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date so we can process your camp registration promptly! All Things Elephant & Piggie! Summer Camp 2025 Dates June 30th-July 3rd (this camp is only four days) Time 9am-12pm Ages 5-8 $185 Minimum of 10 campers maximum of 15 Join us for four action packed days with all things Elephant & Piggie! We will take the city bus to visit the Iowa City Public Library, walk to the Tower Court Splash Pad, have a reading campout in the book store, make crafts, and play games! Each day will be based on an Elephant & Piggie title. An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before event. Discounts do not apply.

Please set "Pickup Time" as todays date so we can process your camp registration promptly! Building Future Small Business Owners Summer Camp 2025 Dates: August 4th - 8th Ages 9-12 $250 Minimum of 10 campers, maximum of 15. Do you have an aspiring entrepreneur at home? This camp is for your kiddo! We will design a business plan, budget, and marketing plan! We will take the city bus to purchase materials and visit other Iowa City business owners to learn their tips! Most of the week will be spent preparing our booths for our Maker’s Market on Friday where all grown ups will be invited to shop and celebrate our new small business owners! An email with more details to follow will be sent upon camper registration. Refunds up to 30 days before the event. Discounts do not apply.