Reviews

Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt

danchibnall's review

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4.0

This is a children's/young adult book about a WPA program that existed in Kentucky during the Depression. It follows the story of a hardy group of women (and a few men) who rode horses into the Appalachian hills and mountains to bring books to the people there.

It's an incredibly inspiring story with some great photographs. It's a short read. You can read it in about half an hour, but it's still a neat story. Plus there are some great references in the bibliography.

jennyp0208's review

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4.0

Short and not a ton of detail. What it does have though is lots of photos of the librarians, their libraries, and their clients. I appreciated that visual after reading 2 novels set in this context. Although the novels have just as much information woven into their plots, I love the photography this book adds to round out my reading.

littlelovelybooks's review against another edition

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5.0

My very favorite reader, Mr. Ned, had this one on his read shelf. As soon as I saw the topic and saw that he rated it a 5, I knew that I had to read it myself. I had never heard of the pack horse librarians before this. Interesting look at the women who helped the rural communities get books. makes me realize how wonderful we have it...downloading books to a device in an instant. Loved all the pictures throughout the book as well. Great, short read about a super interesting time in our history.

bookmarked_north734's review against another edition

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4.0

Great informational book. Being a children's book, I was able to read it in one sitting, but I was still happy with the amount of information that was given.

mikaylay's review against another edition

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adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

The study was thorough and informative. The authenticity brings to life the first library and the future revival of numerous libraries. Even in 2023, the writing was approachable and contemporary. Personal influence refers to the various ways in which books, people, and librarians can have a significant impact on communities. Recommended for anybody interested in the history of Kentucky's pack horse librarians and their impact on libraries and communities.

alissabar's review against another edition

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4.0

After recently reading [b:The Giver of Stars|43925876|The Giver of Stars|Jojo Moyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572879113l/43925876._SX50_.jpg|68351635] which is a novel dealing with the pack horse librarians in Kentucky, I wanted to read some non-ficiton about them. I was unable to find a lot out there accessible to me, but came across this children's non-fiction by Ms. Appelt. One of the great things about this book is the pictures. They capture the difficult times in the mountains of Kentucky. This book gives a great brief history of the pack horse librarians and their challenges. I love that they were making a difference in people's lives.

small_town_librarian's review against another edition

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4.0

Junior nonfiction

abigailbat's review

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5.0

This photo-filled book will appeal to any lover of books. The pack horse librarians are truly inspiring with their dedication to improving the lives of people in their community. I certainly take my wonderful library for granted. When I do an outreach program, it entails getting into my car, driving to a school or preschool and bringing a bag of books from our abundant collection. These librarians who rode and walked 20 miles to bring a meager selection of tattered books to a one-room schoolhouse... well, they're an inspiration.

This should be required reading for all librarians and anyone who loves their library.

Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-review-down-cut-shin-creek.html

nadoislandgirl's review against another edition

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5.0

Short and sweet story of the packhorse librarians. Some nice photographs.

libraryrobin's review against another edition

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3.0

Photos and history of the WPA project that employed women and brought books to thousands in eastern Kentucky.

It's amazing what is accomplished when resourceful people are allowed to solve problems in their community.