Bookmobiles

The other day I came across a notice that our local library has an outreach service to deliver books to the homebound. This reminded me of a previous post from 2018 about other librarians going to great lengths to ensure their neighbors have books to read. 

Way back in September, this story caught my ear. It was about a group of librarians who ventured into the mountains of Kentucky to deliver books to families on horseback during the 1930s.  

Wanting to read more, I went to my local library (by car) and found three informative picture books, not only about those librarians in Kentucky, but about people all over the world dedicated to delivering books to those without easy access to a library.

My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs

From Australia to Zimbabwe, this 2005 book pairs photographs and maps with descriptions of books being delivered by boat, mail, bicycle, and elephant to remote areas.

That Book Woman by Heather Henson, pictures by David Small

Told from the perspective of an Appalachian teenager, this book shows how his attitude changes from cynical bemusement to gratitude for the passel of books the book lady brings.  

Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, illustrations by John Parra

Also based on a true story, this book magically captures one little girl’s excitement when she sees two burros carrying “so many cuentos!” to her isolated village.

A Push

For the life of me I can’t remember any cutesy names for classes we took in high school. English in college was Lit Trad and the science classes for non-science majors were called names like Baby Bio. So I think it’s quite charming when my junior refers to her AP US History class as “Apush.”

Of course, junior year is a push. A push to start thinking about college. So when I’m not perusing college websites and helicoptering my daughter to start coming up with “the list,” I’ve been reading books about the admissions process, both fictional and real.  

Admission by Julie Buxbaum

Chloe is a senior, excited about her admission to her dream school. Sure, she did miraculously better on the SAT than she would have thought. Yeah, her essay was kind of meh. And maybe she shouldn’t have used that picture where she was really tan. When the FBI arrives one morning, she realizes all wasn’t on the up and up. Her mom, a B-list celebrity, may be headed to jail, and now Chloe’s a pariah on social media and at school. The question driving the action - Was Chloe complicit?

Blind Sight by Meg Howrey

Luke spends the summer in California getting to know his biological father. When he’s not running or going to celebrity parties, (yes, his dad is also a Hollywood actor) he’s crafting the perfect college essay.

The Admissions by Meg Mitchell Moore

Angela, a high school senior, wants nothing more than to be accepted to her dad’s alma mater, Harvard. Her mother Nora loves the adrenaline rush of her high-end real estate job, but doesn’t have enough hours in the day to attend to the stress of her oldest, the orthodontia of her middle, and the reading problems of her youngest. But slowly the secrets the parents have been keeping are revealed and the perfect life is no longer sustainable – if it ever was.

Unacceptable by Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz

If the plot of Admission (see above) seems familiar, it’s because it comes straight from the true college admissions scandal promulgated by Rick Singer. Korn and Levitz explain how the parents, coaches, and teens themselves all play a role in exploiting the system. Following how the individual strands get woven together is almost as fascinating as watching how they unravel.

"peaches eaten over the sink"

 

As Labor Day approaches, you may have time to get one last beach read in. 

Like all good beach reads, these feature a fabulous summer home by the water, delicious meals procured from the farmer’s market, witty romantic banter (and, um, encounters), and at least one surly teenager that merits opening up another bottle of wine on the deck.

Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin

The High Season by Judy Blundell

What's the best beach read you discovered this summer?