Ramsey, Calvin Alexander. Library in the Woods, The. R. Gregory Christie, Illus. Lerner /Carolrhoda, 08/2025. [32]pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-5415-9912-3. GRADES 2–5. OUTSTANDING.
When a poor Black farmer gives up his rural farm in 1959 and moves into the town of Roxbury, North Carolina, his young son Junior is overjoyed to discover a small library that is not segregated. Junior’s love of the library opens new worlds for him and leads him in turn to share those worlds with his father, who is illiterate. Inspired by the real library where he spent much of his childhood, Calvin Alexander Ramsey delivers a powerful story about the importance of libraries as places of belonging, inclusion, and, above all, potential. Told through Junior’s recollections, the quiet simplicity of his words is deeply impactful without being heavy-handed or overly sentimental. With their bold pops of color, R. Gregory Christie’s acrylic illustrations likewise serve to portray the sparse reality of Junior’s world as a place that is, to him, still full of beauty and potential. Readers with a sharp eye may appreciate that the grainy wooden planks of Christie’s library building are depicted in far greater detail than are any of the other buildings in his artwork, denoting the importance of this special place. An author’s note details Ramsey’s inspiration for the story and shares information about the real library, including a photograph. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor.
Jennifer Taylor—Palo Alto City Library