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 so...
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Jan 19, 2009
Toby
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I picked up That Book Woman, by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small, reluctantly, thinking that it was undoubtedly a useful book for the beginning of the school year, when we librarians always choose books about books, but I was not expecting a Caldecott-quality picture book.
I decided to look at the book in the way that Kay Vandergrift suggested in her article on Picture Book Analysis, that is, to ‘read’ the pictures first without the text and then go back and see how well More...
I decided to look at the book in the way that Kay Vandergrift suggested in her article on Picture Book Analysis, that is, to ‘read’ the pictures first without the text and then go back and see how well More...
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(9 people liked it)
Dec 29, 2008
Erin
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This is a soft, gentle story about a boy who doesn't understand his sister's love of reading until the "book woman" start delivering books every 2 weeks. After watching her go out in horrible weather and risking life to deliver the books he starts to realize that there must be something pretty amazing in books to make someone do what the book woman does. He asks his sister to teach him to read and offers the book woman the ultimate gift - he reads aloud to her. With historical note
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Feb 27, 2009
Missy
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This is a beautiful children's book about learning to love books. It highlights those who sacrificed to make them available (pack-horse librarians)--and reminded me of the bookmobile that would park at the end of my street every few weeks when I was a kid. It's written like a poem and I had to stop and explain a few words/phrases to my 5-year old, but we both enjoyed it.
Jan 26, 2012
Emily
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That Book Woman is based on a true story. The narrator is a young boy, Cal, that lives in the Applachian mountains of Kentucky. His family and he live high on a mountain where there is no school close by. His sister, Lark, loves to read. Cal does not understand the point of reading when he can work. He is a hardworker and enjoys chores. A woman riding horse back comes up the mountain. His family is intrigued to see what she is selling. Cal is disappointed to find out it is books. Lar
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Sep 18, 2011
Barrett
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Heather Henson's "That Book Woman" is an very heartfelt and interesting tale about a boy named Cal who lives in the mountains of Appalachia. The story goes on about a woman on horseback who visits Cal and the rest of his family and how she delivers books to them weekly. As the story begins, Cal does not care for reading and sees books as nothing more than a nuisance, but when Cal sees when the woman on horseback delivers to them in harsh winter conditions, he realizes that her job is v
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Sep 18, 2011
Sarah
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In Heather Henson’s "That Book Woman," Henson tells the story of a young boy, Cal, growing up in the Appalachian Mountains. Cal detests reading and refers to books as nothing more than “chicken scratch.” However, his sister, Lark, loves reading and is delighted when a woman who travels the mountains brings books to their doorstep one day. “That Book Woman,” as she comes to be known, braves all types of weather conditions to exchange the books Lark has already read for new books. T
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Sep 18, 2011
Catherine
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Heather Henson's "That Book Woman" is an interesting and heart-warming story about Cal, a boy living in Appalachia at a time when there were no roads or cars to aid in travel in the mountains. The story tells of a woman who came by horse to bring his family books as a sort of traveling library. In the beginning of the story, Cal is not a fan of reading and sees books as nothing more than "chicken scratch", but after seeing that the book woman is dedicated to her job even duri
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Sep 13, 2011
Curtis
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That Book Woman is a predictable but enjoyable tale about a boy, Cal, that would rather help his Pap plow or fetch sheep than read a book. He even looks down on his sister, Lark, who "would keep her nose a-twixt the pages of a book daybreak to dusky dark if Mama would allow." Books are hard to come by living high up in the Appalachian Mountains, so every two weeks a "Book Woman" makes the treacherous ride up the mountain to deliver and swap books for no charge at all. She con
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Sep 12, 2010
Ann
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While this book isn't an account of any specific real-life person, it does explain the wonderful Appalachian Mountain women who would travel to remote places to get books into the hands of children and those unable to come to town often enough.
Every two weeks "That Book Woman" would show up at the doorstep of Cal and his family, to give a book to Cal's sister (for free, and to swap with a new book in two weeks).
The heart of the story sits with Cal, who doesn't u More...
Every two weeks "That Book Woman" would show up at the doorstep of Cal and his family, to give a book to Cal's sister (for free, and to swap with a new book in two weeks).
The heart of the story sits with Cal, who doesn't u More...
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May 05, 2010
Kathryn
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Loved it!!! The beauty of this touching story just crept upon me and I was surprised by how touched I was in the end--perfectly matching the way a love of reading gently but assuredly enveloped the boy in this story! I love the way the story is told, using Appalachian-style phrasing without sounding cliche, and the boy is just such a vivid character from his initial lack of interest (even dislike) of the chicken scratchings in books (which his sister loves) to his growing curiosity as he begi
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(8 people liked it)
Feb 25, 2010
Logan
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For me, this was a 5-star, but Logan is most interested in books that are more about adventure. Or kitties. If both, then even better! This is neither, but he found it compelling enough to listen and he seemed to enjoy it. The watercolor illustrations have beautiful almost Japanese-inspired backgrounds and the faces and postures of the charaters are expressive. The text is rhythmic and has a rural Kentucky flavor. It's a story of one of the "book women" of the 1930's, part of the WPA,
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Nov 07, 2009
(NS) Mary
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Kirkus Reviews
Young Cal lives high in Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains. Sister Lark keeps her nose in a book nearly from daybreak to dusty dark. Cal's a mite suspicious-and more than a mite resentful-of this, as he spends most of his time helping Pap with chores. One day, he spies a sorrel mare clippity-clopping slowly up the mountain; the rider's not a man neither, but a lady wearing britches! She carries a passel of books in her saddle packs; all the family (exceptin' Cal) welcomes her w More...
Young Cal lives high in Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains. Sister Lark keeps her nose in a book nearly from daybreak to dusty dark. Cal's a mite suspicious-and more than a mite resentful-of this, as he spends most of his time helping Pap with chores. One day, he spies a sorrel mare clippity-clopping slowly up the mountain; the rider's not a man neither, but a lady wearing britches! She carries a passel of books in her saddle packs; all the family (exceptin' Cal) welcomes her w More...
Nov 10, 2010
Sherry
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A fantastically illustrated book - Small's long, line-drawn figures and watercolor capture perfectly the slow pace of life and sparse landscape of Appalachian Kentucky. Doubt and scorn, then wonder, gratefulness and contentment are conveyed in the teenage boy protagonist's eyes and physical stance. Small is a humble man and very much in touch with people - getting to the heart of the matter instantaneously and directly through illustrations and music (I experienced him in front of a live audie
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Feb 01, 2012
Julianne
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This story is about a boy named Cal who lives high up in the Appalachian Mountains. He is the oldest boy in his family, and he loves to help his father with the physical labor around the house. His sister, Lark, loves to read, and would "keep her nose a-twixt the pages of a book daybreak to dusky dark if Mama would allow." At first, Cal says that he was not born to sit still and stare at books, or "chicken scratch" as he calls it. Then one day, a lady on horseback comes to vi
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Nov 26, 2008
John
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That Book Woman rekindled the memories of stories told by my grandmother and others, speaks nobly of my profession, but contains some generalizations that should bother many mountaineers.
The story is tender and evokes great emotion. The colors of Small's illustrations also contribute greatly to the imagery, but sometimes in an unintended fashion.
Most mountaineers and hill people had more pride than to let chickens scratch around inside the house. That is illustrated more than once in More...
The story is tender and evokes great emotion. The colors of Small's illustrations also contribute greatly to the imagery, but sometimes in an unintended fashion.
Most mountaineers and hill people had more pride than to let chickens scratch around inside the house. That is illustrated more than once in More...
Dec 11, 2008
Mimo
rated it:
This book ranks right up there with "Tomas and the Library Lady" as a great inspirational librarian story.
Cal is a boy growing up in Appalachia. His sister Lark loves to read, but Cal could care less about "book learning". Then one day the "book woman" comes by. She won't accept a trade for her books, but instead says that she will come back later to swap them for more books. And she does return, even though the weather is bitter, prompting Cal to want to fin More...
Cal is a boy growing up in Appalachia. His sister Lark loves to read, but Cal could care less about "book learning". Then one day the "book woman" comes by. She won't accept a trade for her books, but instead says that she will come back later to swap them for more books. And she does return, even though the weather is bitter, prompting Cal to want to fin More...
May 29, 2009
Bonnie
rated it:
This was a gift from the teacher I have worked with for the last three years. She knows me well--it made me cry.
I love the story and the colloquial language it uses, and I am fascinated by the idea of the Pack Horse Librarians in much the same way I admire Luis Soriano's Biblioburro of Colombia.
Interestingly, another children's book (chapter book, I think) was written about the Pack Horse Librarians by Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, a 2009 Newbery Honor book which More...
I love the story and the colloquial language it uses, and I am fascinated by the idea of the Pack Horse Librarians in much the same way I admire Luis Soriano's Biblioburro of Colombia.
Interestingly, another children's book (chapter book, I think) was written about the Pack Horse Librarians by Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, a 2009 Newbery Honor book which More...
Sep 19, 2011
Kelsey
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I felt that "That Book Woman" by Heather Henson is a very interesting, useful, and well-illustrated book for any classroom to demonstrate how non-readers can become readers, and the overall importance of reading. The story focuses on a young character named Cal, who has a negative attitude towards reading, until his teacher, referred to as "that book woman", starts trading books with Cal's family for berries, pies, etc. Cal then asks his sister Lark to help him begin to read
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Jan 27, 2012
Ruth
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It is about a boy named Cal who does not understand why his sister loves reading or why the book woman always comes. He does not discover that books are like treasure until he sees what his parents were willing to trade the woman for just one. By the end of the story he discovers the joy of reading and why the book woman is so determined to bring books to children like him.
This book would be good to use with a forth grade class who is learning about Kentucky History. I feel it is for More...
This book would be good to use with a forth grade class who is learning about Kentucky History. I feel it is for More...
Jan 26, 2012
Heather
rated it: 
This book is about a boy named Cal who did not like to read. He talked about other things he would rather do. His sister liked to read. One day a book lady came to his house and left his family books. She would not let them pay her for the books; she said she would trade them books later. Cal thought a lot about the book lady. He then learned to read, which the book lady said that if Cal read her a story that would be payment.
I did not really like this book. I did not think i More...
I did not really like this book. I did not think i More...
Dec 24, 2008
Roxanne Hsu
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Even though I knew from page 2 that this is a little story on the power of books and libraries, and that this young boy narrator will become a reader in the end, I did not feel disappointed when all the prediction came true. This is due to the artistry of both the author and the illustrator. Henson's text is folksy and true, with a wonderful lilting pace, while Small's illustrations are gentle but at the same time with a quiet but majestic integrity. Of course, being a librarian, I am complet
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Jul 24, 2010
Lindsey
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In an effort to get books to people out in the sticks, Franklin D. Roosevelt began a program where "book women" would ride out on their horses bringing books to families that would not otherwise get a chance to borrow books from libraries. A nice story about a non-reader who becomes a reader because of the efforts of a book woman who comes with her satchel of books in sun, rain, and snow all year long. It also gives readers a glimpse into the poverty of the depression. This program was
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Jul 26, 2011
Robin
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The story of a young boy who lives on a mountain farm, who doesn't like to read, but whose sister does. "That book woman" is a pack horse librarian, traveling a remote rural route every two weeks to distribute books. Her diligence, even in the wintry snow, impresses Cal, who eventually decides there must be something to the "chicken scratch" that so absorbs his sister. And so he becomes a reader. The language is that of rural Kentucky, speaking of "critters," "
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Dec 12, 2009
Luann
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 08, 2010
Chandra
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This book has me all tongue tied. It *got* me! I love books about books. And I really love books about unlikely people discovering the magic of books. This is one of those books.
It's a fictional account of one boy's experience with the real life pack-horse librarians women who distributed books in the Appalachians (a WPA program). The story is told in a spare and authentic feeling free verse - very appealing! The best part is Cal's epiphany:
And all at once
I y More...
It's a fictional account of one boy's experience with the real life pack-horse librarians women who distributed books in the Appalachians (a WPA program). The story is told in a spare and authentic feeling free verse - very appealing! The best part is Cal's epiphany:
And all at once
I y More...
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Jan 26, 2012
Connie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 10, 2011
Hannah
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I really enjoyed the picture book "That Book Woman," by Heather Henson. The book describes an appalachian family, where one son Cal, is unable to read. He thinks that all of the words in books are, "Chicken Scratch." Every so often a lady comes around to deliver books for the children in the family to read. Cal doesn't ever pay attention to the lady because he doesn't like, nor know how to read a book. The lady continues to come through rain, snow, hail, and bad weather. Ever
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Sep 19, 2011
Betsie
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I enjoyed reading this book. It would be great to read aloud to students, especially when the right accent is used. Some of the words used in the story are native to Appalachia, and flow much better when spoken accurately. You could have a discussion before reading how things would be different if they had never read a book, and give the students some historical perspective. In the back of the book, there is an interesting author's note about the Pack Horse Librarians in the Appalachian Mountai
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Dec 14, 2009
Mary Drew
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4) Henson, H. (2008). That Book Woman. New York: Atheneum.
(Ages 4 -6) Inspired by the women who were hired during the depression to bring books to homes in the Appalachians, That Book Woman tells the story of one boy who cannot read. His disdain of “that book woman’s” efforts to bring books to the family is written poetically in dialect. The reader follows the boy as he witnesses the courage of the Book Woman persisting in spite of bad weather. “And all at once I yearn to know what More...
(Ages 4 -6) Inspired by the women who were hired during the depression to bring books to homes in the Appalachians, That Book Woman tells the story of one boy who cannot read. His disdain of “that book woman’s” efforts to bring books to the family is written poetically in dialect. The reader follows the boy as he witnesses the courage of the Book Woman persisting in spite of bad weather. “And all at once I yearn to know what More...
Oct 31, 2008
Sue
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Yes I cried. What a terrific, greatly told tale. The stark emotions and feelings and hardship are exemplified in both text and illustrations.
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