RAR #285: Becoming a Book Woman with Caroline Starr Rose

Books are so much more than just a collection of words. They are lanterns that illuminate our lives in so many incredible ways. Today, I want to share a story with you about a group of women who also believed in the power of books to transform lives. So much so, that they were willing to endure quite a lot of hardship to get books into the hands of people who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to them during a difficult period of American history. In this episode, I’m talking with Caroline Starr Rose, author of our newest Waxwing Books release, Books Up the Mountain: A Packhorse Librarian Story. Caroline is an author and editor of middle grade and picture books, and in our conversation she talks about the real-life program that inspired Books Up the Mountain, the scavenger hunt process of researching historical fiction, and writing stories that honor children and their experiences. In this episode, you’ll hear: About the Great Depression-era librarians whose work and communities inspired Caroline to create The Book Woman Why Caroline finds writing for children such lifegiving and compelling work The challenges presented by writing historical novels versus picture books, and what makes “picture book alchemy” Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/becoming-a-book-woman