Clara and the Bookwagon (I Can Read Books (Harper Hardcover)) - Hardcover

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Grade 1-3 Clara, a young farm girl growing up in rural Maryland at the turn of the century, dreams of being able to read and to learn, but her hard working, no-nonsense father says, ``Books are for rich people. Farm people like us do not have time to read.'' During the summer, Clara meets a woman driving a large wagon filled with books. The woman gives Clara a ride back to the farm where, after much persuading, Clara's father agrees to let Clara learn to read and to borrow books from America's first ``bookmobile.'' This is a simple, straightforward fictionalized account of the country's first bookmobile, a horse-drawn book-filled wagon that serviced the country areas around Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1905, and of its librarian, Mary Lemist Titcomb. The story is concise and well-written, a fine early chapter book that can be used in library classes and as a good example of historical fiction for the very young. Colorful illustrations, also unadorned and straightforward, reinforce and complement the mood of the text. The only flaw is that the time period is not in the story, causing children to read the entire story without knowing when it takes place. (It is explained in a brief historical note on the last page.) However, this should not stand in the way of purchasing this fine work. Hayden E. Atwood, Cape Elizabeth Middle School, Maine
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.