Library Books
Emily Apuzzo Hopkins | April 11, 2021
I have always enjoyed the library - this wonderfully magical place where you can get lost in a million different worlds at once for free. It’s a true gift in our society that a place like this has been able to thrive for centuries.
Since I have taken up writing children’s books, I have also taken up reading more children’s books. Of course, we have our classics here in the house, but there is a wealth of new material constantly coming out, and (spoiler!) it’s really good. A recent favorite that I highly recommend is Swashby and the Sea by Juana Martinez-Neal. This was one of those gems for me that stopped me in my tracks, made me read it a second time, then a third time so that I could map out a book study. The word choices, the cleverness, and the emotional arc were all just so complete for me. I absolutely loved it.
Two other books that I grabbed this past week were Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham and The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora. When I think of how these books and I found each other, it brings me joy. The first was completely new to me - I saw it mentioned in a ReFoReMo (Reading for Research Month) email. I did not know what to expect from the story - I simply searched the title on my library’s website and placed a hold. I suppose secretly I wanted to be surprised by it completely and I was when I sat down to read it. I started to see clues as to where Pham was taking us - my daughter by my side - and I was charmed by the beautiful and simple way she described a time in our lives when things were ugly and incredibly complicated. I asked my daughter to pay attention to the pictures. When we finished we revisited some of those illustrations to have a discussion about what we saw. It was truly lovely and Pham’s author’s note at the end made the book even more heartwarming to me. It is an incredible time capsule of this time.
I discovered Hubbard and Mora’s work in a slightly different way. I had read Oge Mora’s Saturday - another ReFoReMo suggestion - and found myself captivated by her art. The story was also so sweet and reminded me of the time I get to spend with my own little one and how all of the extra stuff is just extra… and stuff. What really matters is the time we get to spend with each other. This got me to wondering what other Mora works could I get my hands on - which brought me to The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read. Walker’s life story was completely unknown to me - I had no idea about this incredible woman who had experienced SO much in her life. From slavery to sharecropping, Civil War to Civil Rights - this woman had been through so much. I won’t give it away but will say it is an incredibly inspiring story. You are never too old to learn something new.
What’s next on my list? I don’t know! But I am excited to discover another world, make friends with a few new fictional (and non-fictional!) folks, and learn something new. What’s next on your reading list?
