That Book Woman
That Book Woman

That Book Woman

Written by Heather Henson & illustrated by David Small
Hardcover
$18.99
$17.97
4 - 8
Reading age
40
Page count
23
Words per page
AD920L
Lexile measure
Oct 7, 2008
Publication date

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What's That Book Woman About

Publisher Summary

Offers the story of the Pack Horse Librarian who traveled to remote regions throughout the United States during the Depression to deliver books and a stubborn boy who refused to give reading a try. 50,000 first printing.

Reviews

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    4.75

    While to my understanding this is not based on one specific true story, it does honor the pack horse librarians as a special part of American history. David Small's illustrations are lovely and I love the emphasis on facial expressions, particularly the little boy's as his opinion of books changes from one of disgust and annoyance to true enjoyment as he witnesses the librarian's commitment to bringing new books to his family come what may. The story is definitely on the longer side and may be geared towards a bit of an older audience, but it is beautifully written and provides an accessible glimpse into one small piece of isolated Appalachian life.

Book Lists That Include That Book Woman

The Creatives Behind the Book

    Author
    Heather Henson

    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.

    Illustrator
    David Small

    David Small was born and raised in Detroit. In school he became known as “the kid who could draw good,” but David never considered a career in art because it was so easy for him. At 21, after many years of writing plays, David took the advice of a friend who informed him that the doodles he made on the telephone pad were better than anything he had ever written. He switched his major to Art and never looked back. After getting his MFA at the Yale Graduate School of Art, David taught art for many years on the college level, ran a film series, and made satirical sketches for campus newspapers. Approaching tenure, he wrote and illustrated a picture book, Eulalie and the Hopping Head, which he took to New York, pounding the pavements and collecting rejections for a month in the dead of winter. Eulalie was published in 1981. Although tenure at the college did not follow, many more picture books did, as well as extensive work for national magazines and newspapers. His drawings appeared regularly in The New Yorker and The New York Times. A learn-as-you-go illustrator, David’s books have been translated into several languages, made into animated films and musicals, and have won many of the top awards accorded to illustration, including the 1997 Caldecott Honor and The Christopher Medal for The Gardener written by his wife, Sarah Stewart, and the 2001 Caldecott Medal for So, You Want To Be President? by Judith St. George. “At the Caldecott ceremony in San Francisco,” said David, “facing that veritable sea of smiling faces — of librarians, of friends in publishing, of my family and other well-wishers — I was so overcome that I lost my voice and croaked my way through the speech. Having been turned from a frog into a prince by the American Library Association, before their eyes that night, I turned back into a frog.” (Bio via davidsmallbooks.com)

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Book Details

ISBN
9781416908128
Publication Date
October 7, 2008
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Original Publication Date
October 7, 2008
Page Count
40
Words Per Page
23
Audience
Picture
Reading Age
4 - 8 years
Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
2007018156
WorldCat Number (OCLC)
138339595
Lexile® Level
AD920L
Est. Fountas & Pinnell Level
~V
ATOS® Book Level
4.3
Accelerated Reader® Points
0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz
124697
Accelerated Reader Interest Level
LG

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