Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Affecting picture book about value of libraries, literacy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Junior, a Black boy living in the American South, has recently moved from the country to the city with his parents. When friends see that he likes books, they take him to THE LIBRARY IN THE WOODS, where a Black librarian welcomes the Black community to borrow books and build literacy in their racially segregated town. Junior is in awe of all the books, especially all the books by Black authors. He checks out a book for himself, one for his mother, and one for his father. He excitedly shares his borrowed books with his parents, only to notice that his dad isn't reading his book. His mom explains that his father can't read. He never learned because he was the oldest child in his family, and his parents needed his help with their farm so that his younger siblings could go to school. Junior and his mother find a way to help his father enjoy the book anyway.
Is It Any Good?
This affecting tribute to the rich legacy of a library built in 1933 in Roxboro, North Carolina, for the Black community unfolds in a powerful story about a boy discovering the joy of reading. The Library in the Woods is also a gentle introduction to the impact of legal racial segregation (illiteracy and segregated public libraries, in particular) that's perfectly suited for upper elementary school-age kids.
Calvin Alexander Ramsey's words are plentiful on each page, but the first-person narrative and Junior's distinct voice keep the tale compelling. R. Gregory Christie's smudgy-lined illustrations full of midcentury details and emotional depth help carry readers along, too. The author's note that concludes the book is well worth the read, as it provides touching personal details (the author grew up going to the real library in the woods), as well as facts about Jim Crow segregation, adult illiteracy, and the different ways that people are intelligent.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Junior and his friends are only able to visit The Library in the Woods and not the library in town, which is for White people. What have you heard about the history of legal racial segregation in the United States? Where can you learn more?
Junior is amazed at all the books at the log cabin library and is curious about what's in them. What are you curious about learning from books? What else do you want to know about the history behind this story?
Junior's dad didn't know how to read. What are some possible reasons adults never learn to read? What can be done to help eliminate adult illiteracy?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : R. Gregory Christie
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Animals ( Dogs ) , Family Stories ( Dads ) , Friendship , History
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Gratitude , Humility
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Carolrhoda Books
- Publication date : August 5, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 11
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Common Sense Selection , Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
- Last updated : March 17, 2026
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