Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/15/2023 Riding her horse, Sand, librarian Anna Mary journeys day and night through rural Kentucky as those she regularly visits anticipate her arrival. At her first stop, Anna Mary (“rhymes with library”) spends time with young Adam, whose father is serving in the war; she gives him books featuring brave men. Next is Alice, who receives Millions of Cats and Alice in Wonderland (“her namesake book”). Then, at a small schoolhouse, students—and teacher—get selections from Anna Mary’s saddlebag. Lively, descriptive prose and vibrant illustrations, expressively portray Anna Mary’s experiences of enjoying meals, conversation, and a place to rest with people she's come to know, and sharing her “love of books, of words, of stories, and of poems.” Yolen’s endnote explains Anna Mary’s tale was inspired by the Depression-era Works Progress Administration’s Pack Horse Library project and its participants and provides some background. The topic and approach will engage and likely pique interests on many fronts while highlighting the joys and meaningfulness of connecting books with readers and listeners of all ages, wherever they may be. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.