Hi! This is Rachel Malay, director at the Port Library in Beloit. Recently the library has received several 2014 Kansas Notable Book award winners through a grant from the State Library. This week’s review and last week’s selection features the two titles selected for younger readers. Library patrons may find these and the other 2014 Kansas Notable Books in the Kansas and Genealogy room in the coming months.
Navigating Early by Claire Vanderpool is not the author’s first book, or first book to win an award, or even the first book with ties to Kansas. If you pick this title up, I doubt it will be the first of this author you read too. Young Jack Baker has had quite a change in his life. World War II has just ended, and his Navy commander father is home from war. However, Jack’s mother has also just passed away, and Jack is sent from northeast Kansas to boarding school in rural Maine. Soon after arriving, Jack makes friends with Early Auden, the oddest boy at the school. Early is a whiz at math, and sees the number pi as a story. Early has also suffered loss as his older brother Fisher was killed at the beginning of the war. Finding themselves alone at the school, Early takes Jack on an adventure to find the legendary Great Appalachian Bear, and maybe his older brother, whom Early believes is still alive. Along the way the two discover more than they’re looking for, and while navigating the backwoods both find paths to answers for their own situations.
And a reminder to our younger readers & parents of younger readers: registrations for Story Port on Monday afternoons at 3:45 is still open. Call the library for details. You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
Navigating Early by Claire Vanderpool
ISBN: 9780385742092, 306 pages
Kansas Collection, fiction
Navigating Early by Claire Vanderpool is not the author’s first book, or first book to win an award, or even the first book with ties to Kansas. If you pick this title up, I doubt it will be the first of this author you read too. Young Jack Baker has had quite a change in his life. World War II has just ended, and his Navy commander father is home from war. However, Jack’s mother has also just passed away, and Jack is sent from northeast Kansas to boarding school in rural Maine. Soon after arriving, Jack makes friends with Early Auden, the oddest boy at the school. Early is a whiz at math, and sees the number pi as a story. Early has also suffered loss as his older brother Fisher was killed at the beginning of the war. Finding themselves alone at the school, Early takes Jack on an adventure to find the legendary Great Appalachian Bear, and maybe his older brother, whom Early believes is still alive. Along the way the two discover more than they’re looking for, and while navigating the backwoods both find paths to answers for their own situations.
And a reminder to our younger readers & parents of younger readers: registrations for Story Port on Monday afternoons at 3:45 is still open. Call the library for details. You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
Navigating Early by Claire Vanderpool
ISBN: 9780385742092, 306 pages
Kansas Collection, fiction
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