That Book Woman

Gr 2—4—Heather Henson's award-wining book (Atheneum, 2008), inspired by the Pack Horse Librarians of the 1930s who brought books to rural residents of the Appalachian Mountains, is presented here in grand style. Walker Harrison reads the story in a boy's voice as it is told in the first person by Cal, a young man who is, at first, unimpressed by both books and the woman who brings them. As time goes by, however, he begins to wonder what his sister, Lark, sees in all that chicken scratch. What could be so important about it to make a woman ride up into the hills every two weeks through rain, heat, and bitter cold? When Cal asks for Lark's help in learning to read, he turns an important corner that will open the world to him. Background music with an Appalachian air accompanies this reading in a fine regional accent. The text is lyrical, and occasional homespun language brings it to life. David Small's warm ink-and-watercolor illustrations are scanned iconographically with minor animation added. In interviews, the author and the illustrator discuss the research process, their childhoods, and the joy they find in the written word. This exceptional title can easily be paired with Barbara Cooney's Miss Rumphius (Viking, 1982) and My Great-Aunt Arizona (HarperCollins, 1992) by Gloria Houston to inspire children with a vision of what is possible.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA