That Book Woman [Hardcover]

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 Womanis 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.Heather Henson lives on a farm in Kentucky with her husband and three children, and is the author of several critically acclaimed picture books and novels, including the Christopher Award–winning That Book Woman and Dream of Night.

David Small is the Caldecott Award–winning illustrator ofSo You Want to Be President?by Judith St. George. He also received Caldecott Honors forThe Gardenerby Sarah Stewart andOne Cool Friendby Toni Buzzeo. He’s illustrated dozens of other award-winning books, includingThat Book Womanby Heather Henson andThe Underneathby Kathi Appelt, and lives in Michigan with his wife, Sarah Stewart.THAT BOOK WOMAN
By Heather Henson
Illustrated by David Small
ABOUT THIS BOOK
High up on a mountain, right near the tippy-top, Cal and his family squeak out a living with their farm. There's no time for visiting or reading or learning, and that suits Cal just fine. But then a woman starts coming around with loads of books for borrowing, and Cal has to wonder if there's something to this reading after all.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What does Cal thinl-