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Reviewed by: Taylor Coonelly, Elementary School Librarian Title: The Horseback Librarians
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Alexandra Badiu
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: PK-4 Genre/Type of Book: Picture book
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: N/A
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book:
Intrigued by the cover and the fact that it is based on true events
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
Inspired by the true stories of Southern librarians in the early 1900s comes the story of a librarian making dreams come true.
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Review:
Anna Mary, 'rhymes with library' spends her days riding her horse Sand across remote areas of Kentucky to visit families and schools with books she gathers. She meets several different families, each more excited than the last to receive a new book from Anna, and offering her food and shelter. Anna Mary herself loves books, and shares that love with the people in her community who would otherwise not have access to books. I had never heard of the Pack Horse Library Project, or traveling librarians during the Great Depression, before picking up this picture book solely because I liked the title and the cover. The back of the book contains an author's note that talks about how the US government created this program in 1935 to bring books to remote regions in the country, employing over 200 people in 30 different libraries. While Anna Mary is not a real person, her character is meant to bring awareness to the real women who worked for this program and brought books to families around the country. The cover and illustrations in this story are very vibrant and evoke the vibes of the fall time and rural areas. This book reads a little bit more nonfiction than picture book, but not in a way that makes it inaccessible or fun for elementary readers. I could see this book being used for a read aloud, or even as a source document when learning about history during the Great Depression and American work history.
Number of party hats:
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