- Title: The Library in the Woods
- Author: Calvin Alexander Ramsey
- Reviewed at Nativity by: Mari Borstelmann
In 1959 a boy named Junior moved with his family to Roxboro, North Carolina. Their farm was failing and they hoped for a better life in the city, but Junior’s family was black, and this was the era of Jim Crow when public spaces were segregated. Although Junior missed life on the farm, his new school friends introduced him to a small library in the woods for black residents. After checking out books for himself and his parents, Junior learned for the first time that his father couldn’t read. The story continues with Junior opening new worlds to his father through books checked out of the library. Reading together also strengthened the bonds between them.
The Library in the Woods is a fictionalized account of author Calvin Alexander Ramsey’s own experiences growing up in Roxboro, NC, where he went to the library described in the story and became an avid reader. The author’s detailed note at the end of the book discusses the issue of adult illiteracy in the black community during Jim Crow, and successful efforts to raise funds to build schools. The story is brought to life through acrylic illustrations by R. Gregory Christie.
Suggested Activities: The importance of libraries as places to learn, gather and explore is one of the fundamental messages of The Library in the Woods.
Why did Junior’s family leave their farm? Why did Junior love going to the library?
Do you have a library card? What kinds of books do you like to read? What are some of your favorite books and why? Do you like to read to yourself or out loud to others? Do you ever ask friends about the books they’re reading?
Asking older family members about some of the books they read as a child and why they remember them can strengthen bonds between family members.