Product Description

Cal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow. She comes right up the side of the mountain, and Cal knows that's not easy riding. And all just to lend his sister some books. Why, that woman must be plain foolish -- or is she braver than he ever thought?

That Book Woman is a rare and moving tale that honors a special part of American history -- the Pack Horse Librarians, who helped untold numbers of children see the stories amid the chicken scratch, and thus made them into lifetime readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74276 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416908128
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 2–5—A simple and heartfelt paean to the Pack Horse Librarians of the 1930s who were part of a WPA program founded to take books to remote areas. Cal and his family live high in the Appalachian hills. He's proud to be a hard worker and scorns his sister, who'd read all day if allowed. When a stranger appears on horseback to deliver books, Cal wants nothing to do with her until one winter evening when she braves the snowy mountain to deliver her goods. Her courage and strong will make him realize that her job must be very important, so he asks his sister to teach him to read. Henson's free-verse narrative is peppered with colloquialisms and authentic-sounding language that might be tricky for some readers, but lend immediacy and atmosphere to the story. Done in pale browns and greens, Small's signature ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict an austere mountain home and the hardscrabble lives of family members who have little to spare. Cal's expressions of resentment and anger, and then his acceptance and enjoyment of reading, are shown with simple yet effective lines. Pair this poignant book with Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer's Down Cut Shin Creek (HarperCollins, 2001) for an excellent unit on these dedicated women and for a great discussion starter on the importance of books.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Cal describes his way-up mountain home—“So high / we hardly sight / a soul”—but that changes when the Book Woman, a traveling librarian, rides up to the house. The Book Woman is a boon for Cal’s sister, Lark, “the readenest child you ever did see,” but no use to Cal, who is not “born / to sit so stoney-still / a-starin at some chicken scratch.” However, he is impressed by the librarian, who rides in all weather; finally, he asks Lark to teach him to read. This tribute to the Pack Horse Librarians of Appalachia has a lyric, simple style that lends itself to reading aloud. Henson, a Kentucky native, creates a reliable narrator in Cal, whose journey to reading is gentle and believable. There are a couple of stereotypes here (Mother is pregnant and barefoot), but overall, the mixed-media illustrations (ink, watercolor, pastel) support the text’s genial flow. Mountains and sky achieve a lofty spaciousness that makes the Book Woman’s ride even more impressive. An author’s note gives background on the WPA’s Pack Horse Librarian program. Grades 2-4. --Janice Del Negro

About the Author
Heather Henson grew up in Kentucky and recently returned to her home state after spending many years in Brooklyn, New York, where she worked as an editor of children's books and a freelance writer. She now lives on a farm with her husband, Tim and three children, and is the author of several picture books and novels, including That Book Woman.

David Small is the Caldecott Award-winning illustrator of So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George. He received a Caldecott Honor medal for The Gardener by Sarah Stewart. He has also illustrated many other beloved picture books, which include The Library and The Journey, both by Sarah Stewart, and Imogene's Antlers, which he also wrote. He lives in Michigan with his wife, Sarah Stewart.

Customer Reviews

Warm Fuzzy Alert!
One of the things I look for in a children's book, besides a good storyline itself, is good illustrations. Before buying a book, I ask myself two questions:

1) "Could I read this book to my daughter over and over and over again without getting sick of it?" and

2) "Could I look at these illustrations over and over and over again without getting sick of them?"

Since my daughter can't read yet, only well illustrated books (combined with my attempts at multiple character voices) will hold her interest. This book has passed that test.

The storyline itself deals with the Pack Horse Librarians who used to deliver books to the people living in the Appalachian mountains and it is written from the first person point of view. Cal, our narrator, talks about "that woman" who comes every two weeks like clockwork to deliver books to them. In the beginning, Cal has no use for this woman or her books, ("...it would not bother me at all if she forgot the way back to our door.") but by the end of the story, he admits that he wishes he had a gift to give this stubborn woman whose resilience and devotion to her job turned him into a lifelong reader.

Cal speaks in an Appalachian dialect which, in the beginning, was a turn off for me. Trying to read things like, "Lark would keep her nose a-twixt the pages of a book...." was a bit irritating to me, until my daughter started laughing. Hearing Mommy speak these funny words in this funny voice was a real treat for her and anything that makes my daughter laugh is a keeper as far as I'm concerned.

I feel compelled to write a line or two about the illustrations. A lot of the illustrations are drawn in a sort of "3-D-ish" kind of way, meaning that the narrator, Cal, is drawn up close while his family members and surrounding areas are drawn much smaller in the background. To me, this made me feel like I was actually standing right next to Cal, peeking in on his family. One of the winter scenes made me want to crawl right inside their window and snuggle up in front of the fire with this family! You really do get a warm and cozy feeling when observing this family through the illustrations and the final lines of the story will definitely give you warm fuzzies.

Love it
This book was very interesting for both my 8 yr old granddaughter as well as myself. I read it first & upon re-reading it to her, tried to read it as the characters were supposed to be speaking (in a mountain slang). Some parts I had to read twice but she was able to follow the story easily looking at the illustrations, which are excellent & tell the story.

This book is inspired by the true and courageous work of the Pack Horse Librarians, who were known as "Book Women". The women would travel on horseback to difficult to reach rural areas in the Appalachian Mountains during the Depression loaning books to families. The Pack Horse Library Project was set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt's Work Projects in the 1930's.

The Book Woman is a must read

Wonderful book to read to a reluctant child
I ordered this book because I teach 2nd grade and I thought the students might like it. I was wrong. They loved it. As I read it to them they remained fascinated throughout the entire book. It is about the Pack Horse Librarians who used to travel the Appalachian Mountains and deliver books to children who lived to far away to attend school. The characters in this story are a little girl, Lark, who loves to read, and her brother, Cal, who thinks the "chicken scratch" is a waste of time. During one long, isolated winter the libraian continues to come to their house. She even shows up during a blizzard. Cal is so impressed by her bravery he becomes curious about what she is delivering. As he learns to read his relationship with his sister, the librarian, and the world changes. This is a very good story to read to children because it not only teaches them the importance of books, but also to be open to new ideas in general. The students loved the story and the illistrations. I was greeted with the one phrase teachers love to hear, "Read it to us again!"