The Horseback Librarians

by Jane Yolen, Alexandra Badiu (Illustrator)

Overview

Anna Mary brings books to children and adults in Appalachia during the Great Depression.

There were no libraries in the backwoods of Kentucky in the 1930s. Librarians there and throughout the South delivered books to families by horseback and mule, sleeping outdoors or sheltering in barns when they could, going from farm to farm in remote areas. In this story, a woman named Anna Mary stands in for all the real-life horseback librarians who helped keep the love of books alive in Appalachia during the Great Depression.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807562918
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	06/22/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,096,797
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the author of more than 400 books, including How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Her works, which range from picture books to novels for adults, have won an assortment of awards, among them the Golden Kite and the National Jewish Book Award. She lives in Massachusetts in the winter and Scotland in the summer. She writes every day.

Alexandra Badiu is a Romanian illustrator currently living in Izmir, Turkey. She earned a BFA in animation in Turkey and an MFA in illustration from SCAD Atlanta. She has been recognized by 3x3, Communication Arts, and similar publications.

Editorial Reviews

06/05/2023

Yolen presents a slice of American library history with this day-in-the-life tale of an Appalachian horseback librarian. Traveling with her book-carting steed, pale-skinned Anna Mary—“rhymes with library”—crisscrosses “the backwoods of Kentucky” delivering volumes including Alice in Wonderland and Millions of Cats. While making the rounds, she chats with adults, reads to children shown with varied skin tones, and accepts hospitality from all—receiving hard-boiled eggs from one family and spending the night in another’s barn. Yolen’s detailed narration paints a picture of Anna Mary’s travels: one morning, she “eats a quick meal of cornbread and has a cup of tea she has heated on a small fire.” Badiu’s static renderings mix depictions of paper-doll-like figures going about their days and relishing reading. An author’s note discusses the WPA’s Pack Horse Library Project. Ages 4–8. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Educators will love reading it aloud to groups, and young readers will be fascinated to learn more."—Kirkus Reviews

"The topic and approach will engage and likely pique interests on many fronts while highlighting the joys and meaningfulness of connecting books with readers and listeners of all ages."—Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-12-24
Literacy by any means possible!

As soon as the sun rises, a young, White-presenting woman is off on horseback to fulfill her mission: getting books into the hands of readers in the Kentucky backwoods. The rider, Anna Mary (“rhymes with library”), travels long distances with her horse, Sand, sleeping under the stars on fair nights and (hopefully) in a barn or spare room on wet ones. For Adam, a light-skinned boy whose father is away at war, she brings books about brave men. For Alice, a light-skinned girl recovering from measles, Anna Mary brings Millions of Cats and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. And for a small, diverse school, a book for everyone, including the teacher. An author’s note explains that although Anna Mary is fictional, her work was not. The Pack Horse Library Project began in 1935 as part of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression and provided work for the unemployed. Yolen knows her way around a picture book, and here she has penned a story that’s both approachable and inspiring, accompanied by Badiu’s bright illustrations. Educators will love reading it aloud to groups, and young readers will be fascinated to learn more. If there are any quibbles to be had, it’s the lack of citations for further explanation, but this is a small issue in an otherwise strong work. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An inviting peek into a fascinating chapter of U.S. history. (Picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews