The Library in the Woods

Gr 2-5–After Junior’s family’s farm is devastated for the second year in a row in 1959, his parents move them all to Roxboro, NC, with the hope of a more stable living in the city. Junior, who loved the country, struggles to adjust to the particulars of his new home, until some school friends introduce him to a gem: a library in the woods, for Black residents. This special place, featuring many books by Black authors, enchants Junior, who proudly brings home a book for himself and one book each for his mother and father. Through them, Junior learns more about his father’s relationship with reading and makes an important bond. A generous author’s note reveals to readers that this fictional story has roots in reality, including Ramsey’s time as a child spent at the library in the book. Christie’s striking and contemplative acrylic paintings, drifting effortlessly from spare but glowing landscapes to focused moments of emotion, are a perfect pairing for the slow-paced but affecting prose.