Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson illustrated by Sally Deng

Subtitle: The woman who rescued a generation of children 

and founded the world's largest children's library

I am a member of IBBY Australia and so I am already familiar with the wonderful work of Jella Lepman but I learnt so much more from this new book. 

Dr Robin Morrow AM, past president of IBBY Australia said, in Magpies Volume 40, Sept 2025:

"... this comprehensive but accessible book (112 pages) is a must-have for public libraries and for upper primary and secondary collections, and an excellent resource for students researching influential women. ... The world has changed but the challenges for those who care about children, and good books and the possibilities for peace remain remarkably similar to those of eighty years ago."

The word that shines through most forcibly reading this book is determination. Jella Lepman acted on her vision that the children of Germany, who had lived through the most dreadful circumstances, children who had seen things no one, adult or child, should ever see, that these children needed to see different ways of living, and imagining and interacting and, she knew, that could come from children's books. But there were so many problems in Germany in 1945. She had to convince the authorities (men in the US army); she needed money; she needed books (lots of them hopefully for free); she needed helpers; she needed to maintain her strong voice and vision; she needed a space for her exhibition of books and children's drawings; and later she needed a space to set up a library. For all of this Jella Lepman used her determination. 

I loved the scene where she has to sneak in at night to use a typewriter and then has to invent 'a demanding high raking officer' who has ordered her to work late into the night. 

Because of her work and vision and fierce belief in the power of children's books as a force for good in the world today we have IBBY (The International Board on Books for Young People). Read more here.

I have read right through Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams twice. There are parts that made me cry. Jella sees a little child in a bombed out city holding a winter flower; Jella follows another little girl who had been begging for treats from US soldiers only to discover older children are using her and taking everything from her begging; Jella is given money for a book mobile but this never eventuates because bureaucrats raise issues of money and staffing; officious men tell her the children will steal the books (this does not happen) and others declare they should not be allowed to touch the books with their dirty hands. I loved the idea of children from all over the world sending paintings to the children in Germany and the way Jella insisted her library should have a space for children to create their own art projects. Imagine attending her conference in 1951:

"But onto her greatest achievement; Jella had been seeking to make peace through children's books since 1949. Perhaps she should gather people from around the world who also gave their lives to children and their books, who might also believe that books could be a bridge for peace. Jella made up a list of people she considered the who's who of children's literature and sent out 60 invitations. Very quickly the acceptances poured in, along with pleas from people who had not received an invitation but who wanted to come."

And did you know that today you can visit her library in Germany - it is in Munich and it is housed in a castle. It is my own dream to one day make a visit to see the now impressive collection of over 600,000 items.

When you pick up this book make sure you look really closely at the cover - there are some famous characters walking alongside the children and then take of the dust jacket (yes I love that this book has a dust jacket) and even better the case reveal shows children having fun with some of those characters from the cover. 

Publisher blurb: Jella Lepman was a woman who stood her ground, challenged convention, and worked fiercely to transform her biggest dreams into reality. In 1945, when Jella was tasked with what seemed like an insurmountable challenge―to create a haven of imagination and joy for the children of a Germany scarred by war—she turned to a steadfast companion: books. As a Jewish woman who had fled from the Nazis, Jella was determined to restore a sense of childhood to the young people who had only known conflict and violence. Despite constant obstacles, Jella persevered, and with the help of publishers and children from around the world, she amassed an extraordinary collection of 4,000 children’s books in pursuit of her mission to promote peace. The roving literary collection would eventually find a home as the International Youth Library in Munich ...

Anyone with a connection to IBBY will want to grab this book with both hands! It is a good price from this online book seller, or you could put in a request your local library might be able to source a copy. I did find this audio book version. You could also read this using Overdrive from your library. 

Jella Lepman established IBBY and the International Youth Library. Here is a quote from her biography:

We are looking for ways to introduce children in Germany to the children's books of other nations. German children have almost no books left after the children's and youth literature of the Hitler era was eliminated. Educators and publishers also need books from the free world for their orientation. Children are not to blame for this war, so let your books be the first messengers of peace! They are to be compiled into an exhibition that will first travel to Germany, and later perhaps to other countries. To overcome foreign language difficulties, we ask above all for picture books and illustrated books. But good narrative literature should also be made accessible to the children in group work. We hope that German publishers will be able to acquire the translation rights to many of these books. We also ask your country for children's drawings and children's paintings. These pictures speak an international language and will delight the children. (Lepman 1964, 51 f.) Read more here - the IBBY Congress in Trieste

One bookseller said this book is perfect for:

• Librarians, educators, and parents seeking engaging history and nonfiction books for kids
• Fans of true stories, biographies, and fascinating facts
• Anyone interested in learning about children’s literature and children's book libraries
• Special occasion or thank you gift for teachers and librarians
• Fans of Katherine Paterson and her award-winning books, including Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, and The Great Gilly Hopkins

White Rabbit books said:

WORLD HISTORY FOR KIDS: This book reflects on the aftermath of WWII and its effect on children in Germany. By Jella Lepman’s inspiring example, readers will learn how working together and being part of a community can help bring peace after war, displacement, and loss.

FASCINATING TRUE STORY: This picture book biography introduces a little-known historical figure who changed the world through children’s books. Anyone who loves history, biographies, or children’s literature will find themselves inspired by the life and work of Jella Lepman.

IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS & LIBRARIES: Featuring inspiring illustrations of global cooperation, crates of international books being shipped to the library, and children in the harshest of conditions finding solace in reading, this book is perfect for celebrating librarians and their positive impact on young lives. It also highlights the ongoing work of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organization that represents an international network of people who are committed to bringing books and children together.

A stirring, singular tribute to a woman well aware of the importance of children’s books in times of trauma and recovery. Kirkus Star review

Dr Robin Morrow mentioned Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams could benefit from an index - but for my reading I wish there was a timeline - this would be an excellent way to gain an overview of Jella's work. I love these words from the Kirkus review I just quoted: The subject’s dedication, candor, and sheer chutzpah burst off the page.

Companion books:

The Lady with the Books

Katherine Paterson, as a supporter of IBBY and a HCAA winner, is the perfect person to take on creating this wonderful book so that children and adults can have a glimpse into the life and work of this incredible woman. I imagine she would have spent many years completing her research. You can see a list of all the awards given to Katherine Paterson. She is a Life Member of IBBY and a past winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Here are all the US winners of the HCAA:

• 1962 - Meindert DeJong (Author Medal)
• 1970 - Maurice Sendak (Illustrator Medal)
• 1972 - Scott O'Dell (Author Medal)
• 1978 - Paula Fox (Author Medal)
• 1992 - Virginia Hamilton (Author Medal)
• 1998 - Katherine Paterson (Author Medal)
• ​2020 - Jacqueline Woodson (Author Medal)

​

The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks by Katherine Paterson illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

The cruel lord captures the beautiful Mandarin Drake. His mate is back on the nest guarding their eggs. The drake is placed in a cage but over time his plumage fades as he is desperately missing his mate. The lord has no interest in the drake and so the bird is placed in a far corner of the grounds. A young servant girl cannot see this bird suffer and so late at night she sets him free. Another employee of the lord is accused of the crime but when they are discovered together, both are condemned to death. Luckily two mysterious strangers arrive with an edict from the Emperor that it now illegal to execute any prisoners. The pair begin the long march to see the Emperor in the city but who are these mysterious strangers? 

A beautiful fable about kindness and that expression 'one good turn deserves another'. 

This story contains such a rich vocabulary - brocade; brag; lustre; delicacies; radiantly; retainers; and plumage. 

Blurb from the author webpage: Brilliant watercolor and pastel paintings in the style of eighteenth-century Japanese woodcuts illuminate this engaging retelling of a popular Japanese folktale. Coveting a mandarin duck for his magnificent plumage, a greedy lord captures and cages him for all to admire. But the wild creature pines for his mate. When Yasuko, the kitchen maid, releases the bird against the lord’s command, she and the one-eyed servant, Shozo, are sentenced to death. How the grateful drake and his mate return the loving couple’s kindness and outsmart the capricious lord makes for a wondrous outcome.

Paterson tells (this story) with subtlety, grace, and her characteristic sensitivity to such troths as that "trouble can always be borne when it is shared." The Dillons, who have twice won the Caldecott Medal, have outdone themselves in these elegant, deftly limned illustrations in a Japanese style. In mellow, grayed hues and crisp black, each double spread appears in two borderless panels that allow the eye to make them one without catching in the gutter; the blocks of text are expertly incorporated in the handsome design. An outstanding contribution. Kirkus Star review

Image source

If you do have a copy of this book it would be good to share it with a group of Grade 3-5 students and then take some time to discuss the role of folktales to impart important wisdom. This video is not perfect but it is a way for you to hear the whole story and see the very special art by Leo and Diane Dillon. I think this book might still be available and in paperback for a good price. You can see more books by Katherine Paterson here. 

I think this book may have come from a charity book sale. I found it on the processing shelves of a library where I am working as a volunteer. Unfortunately, someone has torn out the front-end paper. I guess I will place this copy in a local street library rather than add it to my own bulging shelves. 

The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson

“It means a lot to me,” she said, “you showing me the stars.” 

“It means a lot to me,” he said, “you wanting to see them.”

Before you read this book it is essential to read the introduction but I do need to say it made me cry. Katherine Paterson visited a jail many years ago and talked to a group of inmates about her book The Great Gilly Hopkins. Here is part of her introduction:

I do know that no child makes it without at least one caring adult in his or her life. ... “What’s your name?” I asked a young man handing me his book. “Oh, it’s not for me,” he said. “It’s for my daughter. Her name is Angel.” ... I wrote this book for the many Angels in our world. I hope they find it. And I hope those of us who are more fortunate will take a wiser, more empathetic look at the Angels in our midst and remember that we all are made from the same stuff, the stuff of stars.

Angel and her brother Bernie have very difficult lives. They keep moving house, dad is in jail, and mum seems to have no idea how to care for her kids so all of that responsibility falls onto the shoulders of eleven year old Angel. In the opening scene they go to the jail to visit her dad but then we learn that this will be the last visit - not because he is being released but because Verna has decided to move on again. This time, after a long drive to a remote farm house, they end up with an elderly relative Angel vaguely remembers - this is her great grandmother and things are about to become even more difficult for Angel. 

Things that I loved about the way Katherine Paterson has written this book:

• Little Bernie always repeats important words three times - he is so used to no one listening properly to what he has to say.
• I could almost taste all the food in this book - from the disgusting to the delicious. And I desperately wanted Angel to fill a glass with milk - she shouldn't have to keep worrying that there won't be enough for her brother. Luckily they do eat some delicious popsicles. 
• The Star man is a very special character who shows his love through his kind actions even though he knows his mother has decided he does not exist. Thank goodness he leaves food and milk on her doorstep each week. Spoiler alert - his funeral will leave make you cry.
• The town library (and the school library) are so important in this story as is the beautiful librarian Miss Liza. I would love to hug her tiny, damaged body. 
• Angel should not have to take on such enormous responsibilities of care for her young brother, but it is just so special the way she is always trying to keep him safe and happy - she truly loves him.
• Angels' huge toy bear named Grizzle is almost another character in the story. I loved the way he bought comfort to the kids, but I did want someone to give him a bath. 
• Even though there are really heavy themes in this book every now and then Katherine Paterson gives her read a tiny smile moment such as when Bernie says to Angel “How come you get to choose?” “Because I’m the biggest.” “You’re always the biggest.”
• There is a reference in this story to making Maple Syrup which took me right back to another book I read this year Just Like Jackie.
• I also find an old book series called The Stupids by Harry Allard illustrated by James Marshall (1974) - I didn't realise this was a real book! Well done to Miss Liza for sharing this book with Bernie - the right book at the right time!
• Miss Liza also gives Angel a perfect book - Know the Stars by AH Ray (1962). She left the library with three books and a heart too full to speak.

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of this story:

Bernie was watching entirely too much television. Angel knew about the evils of too much TV for kids. It was like getting only sugar in your mental diet—like not eating all the five major food groups. Ms. Hallingford, Angel’s fifth-grade teacher, was big on the major food groups. She’d also said TV could be a really serious hindrance in a child’s mental development, in the same way not eating right could stunt your physical growth. Angel grabbed the remote and punched the red button.

“Hurry up, and I mean both of you. I swear, sometimes you kids act like snails on Valium. . . . Get a move on, will you?” How could Angel hurry? She stared dumbly into the closet. Verna had said she could take only what fit into the green plastic suitcase that Welfare had given her last year so she wouldn’t have to carry her stuff around in a garbage bag.

It was one thing to leave your kids in an all-night diner by mistake. It was something else to leave them in the country on purpose. That would be too much like Hansel and Gretel.

Everything was going to be all right. ... She knew it, sitting on those steps eating a cherry Popsicle, a real backpack on her back with books inside waiting to be read, and groceries in all five major food groups waiting to be bought. She didn’t have anything to worry about today, and she wasn’t going to get all stressed out about tomorrow. Not while she had the chill syrupy taste of a cherry Popsicle in her mouth.

But now she knew it was true. At least in her head she knew it was a fact. All the things that had happened to her and Bernie hadn’t been their fault. She was sick and tired of thinking it was her fault when they got left at cold apartments and all-night diners and grandmas ... 

Word placement is everything - and Katherine Paterson is a master of this. Look at the highlighted words in this sentence which reveals so much about young Angel and her circumstances. She is getting ready for bed - which is the lounge room couch. She does not turn on the light because that will mean trouble from Verna, her mother: She yanked hard and lifted up the couch seat, turning it into her bed. ... Then she fumbled in the top drawer of the dresser for her nightshirt, really just one of Verna’s old T-shirts, and slipped it over her narrow shoulders.

Look at this sentence too - Angel is thinking about her responsibilities and also about the time when she first held Bernie. Katherine Paterson weaves in a reference which echoes Angels new found interest in astronomy: The thrill was long gone, but the duty had become like the sun in the solar system, the center around which all the other parts of her life revolved. Without it, she would likely fly to pieces.

The heartbreaking abandonment of Angel and her brother is sure to remind you of The Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.

I am not very good at reading chapter headings especially in a book as good as this one where I just wanted to keep 'turning the page' so anxious for the outcome. But here are some of the chapter headings so you can see they are important and have been carefully worded by Katherine Patterson: A Is for Astronomy; The Swan; Miss Liza of the Library; Know the Stars; To School We Go; Draco the Dragon; Polaris; Consider the Heavens; Galileo Galilei; Falling Stars; Stardust to Stardust; Take Something Like a Star; Shining Stars.

A gently written tale of family caught in the most corrosive of situations, this is a story of guilt and reconciliation. Kirkus Star review

Publisher blurb (from author webpage): Angel Morgan needs help. Her daddy is in jail, and her mother has abandoned Angel and her little brother, Bernie, at their great-grandmother’s crumbling Vermont farmhouse. Grandma, aged and poor, spends most of her time wrapped in a blanket by the woodstove and can’t care for the children. That’s left up to Angel, even though she is not yet twelve. In this dreary world of canned beans and peaches, of adult worries and loneliness, there is only one bright spot—a mysterious stranger who appears on clear nights and teaches Angel all about the stars and planets and constellations. Angel’s quest to carve out a new life for herself and Bernie makes for a powerful, moving story that could arise only from the keen sensitivity, penetrating sense of drama, and honed skill of master storyteller Katherine Paterson.

I follow Katherine Paterson on Facebook and a few days ago she posted an article from a US Newspaper called The Mountaineer. In their religion section the reported talked about this book - The Same Stuff as Stars - by Katherine Paterson (2002). I have read lots of her books but not this one. I shared this with my friend and she hadn't read it either so we have both decided to find and read The Same Stuff as Stars. I added it to my Kindle library and read the whole book in one day - yes, it is that good - a completely engrossing story filled with heartbreak and deep honesty.

Here is part of the newspaper article (in case the link requires a subscription):

Newbery and National Book Award honored writer Katherine Paterson (“Bridge to Terabithia,” “Jacob Have I Loved”) illustrates this in her powerful, yet bittersweet, young adult novel “The Same Stuff as Stars.” I encourage you to find a copy and enter a story that broadens your understanding of what it’s like to live in childhood poverty and to wish for words of approval — to know you are beloved when you are abandoned and feel worthless. We all need to be needed. The story also captures the vastness of the universe in which we live. ...

Now that I hope I have convinced you to read this book you will have to visit a library or read the ebook version as it is now sadly out of print (published 2002) and I couldn't find any suppliers but here is the paperback ISBN [9780544540309] just in case you have another way of searching. 

After reading this book you need to find this title by Peter Sis:

Read more here

You might also want to read the full poem: “Take Something Like a Star” from The Poetry of Robert Frost.

Companion books:

Ruby on the Outside

Alternate title The Faraway Truth

Something like home

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

"We need a place ... just for us. It would be so secret we would never tell anyone in the whole world about it ... It might be a whole secret country ... 

and you and I would be rules of it."

"Sometimes it seemed to him that his life was delicate as a dandelion. One little puff from any direction, and it was blown to bits."

You are probably familiar with this famous book so I thought I would share a few text quotes:

"It was May Belle who came to tell him in the bean patch that people were moving into the old Perkins place down on the next farm. Jess wiped the hair out of his eyes and squinted. Sure enough. A U-Haul was parked right by the door. One of those big jointed ones. These people had a lot of junk. But they wouldn't last."

"Miss Edmunds, the music teacher. She was the only one he dared to show anything to, and she'd only been at school one year, and then only on Fridays. Miss Edmunds was one of his secrets. He was in love with her. Not the kind of silly stuff Ellie and Brenda giggled about on the telephone. This was too real and too deep to talk about, even to think about very much. Her long swishy black hair, blue eyes ... Lord, she was gorgeous. And she liked him too."

'We just moved in,' ... 'I thought we might as well be friends ... There's no one else close by.'

Girl he decided. definitely a girl, but he couldn't have said why he was suddenly sure. She was about his height - not quite though, he was pleased to realise as she came nearer. 

'My name's Leslie Burke.'

She even had one of those dumb names that could go either way ...

"Jess drew the way some people drink whisky. The peace would start at the top of his muddled brain, and seep down through his tired and tensed-up body. Lord, he loved to draw."

'We've been away for many years ... How do you suppose the kingdom has fared in our absence?' 

'Where've we been?'

'Conquering the hostile savages on our northern borders ... But the lines of communication have been broken, and thus we do not have tiding of our beloved homeland for many a full moon.'

How was that for regular queen talk? Jess wished he could match it."

"They took turns swinging across the gully on the rope. It was a glorious autumn day, and if you looked up as you swung, it gave you the feeling of floating. Jess leaned back, and drank in the rich, clear colour of the sky. He was drifting, drifting like a fat white lazy cloud back and forth across the blue."

"Somehow this year May Belle needed something special. She was always moping around. He and Leslie couldn't include her in their activities, but that was hard to explain to someone like May Belle."

"Later that afternoon Leslie gave Jess is present. It was a box of watercolours with twenty-four tubes of colour and three brushes and a pad of heavy art paper. ...'It's not a great present like yours,' she said humbly, 'but I hope you'll like it."

"They smiled at each other trying to ignore May Bell's anxious little voice, 'But Leslie,' she insisted. 'What if you die? What's going to happen to your if you die?"

Awards:

• 1977 ALA Notable Children’s Books
• 1977 School Library Journal Best Book of the year
• 1978 Newbery Medal
• 1978 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
• 1981 Janusz Korczak Medal (Poland)
• 1981 Silver Pencil Award (Netherlands)
• 1986 Le Grand Prix des Jeunes Lecturs (France)
• 1986 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

I have begun reading children's classic books - I picked up a few at a recent charity book sale. These are mostly books I have read previously - in most cases decades ago. Bridge to Terabithia was published in 1977 so I did not read this when I was in Primary school. I think perhaps I read it some time in the early 1980s. Re-reading this over the last day I had forgotten most of the plot details and even though I did remember the tragedy of this story I did cry on the train yesterday when I reached the final chapters. I had totally forgotten the relationship between Jess and his little sister May Beth and in my memory there was a funeral but I think I mixed this book up with another tragic story - A Taste of Blackberries.

Book seller blurb: Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.

Read the Kirkus Star review from 1977. It is interesting reading this 2013 review from Kids' Book Review which is an Australian site - the reviewer had never read this classic book prior to her review. I am not sure Bridge to Terabithia should be used as a class novel (I do know this happens in lots of schools) but if you have some time to think more deeply about this book take a look at these notes and questions. 

Eight Memorable Facts About ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ (source Mental Floss)

• Before writing Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson wanted to be a missionary in China.
• Bridge to Terabithia was inspired by a real-life incident.

When Paterson’s son David was just 8 years old, he had a best friend named Lisa Hill. The two frequently hung out near a creek bed in Takoma Park, Maryland. Tragically, Lisa died after being struck by lightning.

• The name Terabithia came from another book.

“I realized when the book was nearly done, that there is an island in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis called ‘Terebinthia.’ I’m sure I borrowed that unconsciously, but, then, so would Leslie who loved the Chronicles of Narnia. And, by the way, Lewis got Terebinthia from the biblical terebinth tree, so it wasn’t original with him either.”

• Paterson thought Bridge to Terabithia would be “too personal” to succeed ...
• ... And her son found it hard to read.
• Bridge to Terabithia is a highly controversial book.

The book often lands on the American Library Association’s list of banned library books

• There won’t be a sequel.
• Bridge to Terabithia has been adapted twice as a movie 1985 and 2007

I have added some other books by Katherine Paterson to my 'to re-read' list - The Great Gilly Hopkins, Flip Flop Girl, The Same Stuff as Stars and The Field of Dogs. 

The imaginative play in their world of Terabithia and the life tragedy also made me think of this old Australian book Swashbuckler.

Here are some books by Katherine Paterson that I have explored on this blog:

Bread and Roses too

My Brigadista Year

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson

Reading this book you will quickly fall into the gentle rhythm of the writing. The story, told here by Katherine Paterson, is easy to read but it also offers an amazing insight into a piece of history, especially the history of Cuba, that I knew absolutely nothing about.

Based on the true experiences of those involved in Fidel Castro’s universal literacy programme, which aimed to bring literacy to all of Cuba in just 12 months, this is a fascinating look at a period of recent world history seen through the eyes of an idealistic young woman. A vivid portrayal of the value of education in empowering even the poorest people. Book Trust

750,000 volunteers signed up to teach people in remote areas of Cuba how to read and write. In just one year the United Nations declared Cuba to be an "illiteracy-free" nation.

Lora aged only 13, travels to a remote farming area where she meets a wonderful family - all of whom are determined to learn to read and write even though at the beginning none can even write their own name. Lora is patient and also very keen to learn farm chores so she can assist the family. The materials supplied for teaching do contain propaganda about Castro but Katherine Paterson does not dwell on this. For myself, I was curious to see these primers used by the young teachers. As a reader I was totally caught up in watching Lora work and live with this family. Some learn quickly others have to work very hard and the whole time Lora shows a quiet wisdom well beyond her years. Katherine Paterson also creates just the right amount of tension in her story when we read that a year ago another young volunteer eighteen year old Conrado Benitez was murdered by insurgents. Lora's team are named after this young man. "Conrado Benitez Brigadistas—100,000 young volunteers (ages 10–19) who left school to live and work with students in the countryside." All of the young teachers are on edge throughout the year knowing these insurgents are still very active. 

Here are some text quotes:

"Even if they didn't like me, they had asked for a teacher and volunteered to take one into their home - so they must want to learn - they must want to be able to read and write. ... But was I up to the task of teaching them?"

"Step by step, students would move from learning vowels and consonants to learning words, short phrases, then sentences. At the same time the lessons would help our students understand about our country after the revolution - about land reform, cooperative stories, the conversion of buildings that once belonged to the rich into homes and schools for the poor."

"I learned a lot that day - how to fill the large cans with water from the river ... how to boil coffee, how to wash clothes on the rocks by the river, ... how to feed the chickens and the goats and the oxen, how to prepare a meal. I would even learn how to skilfully milk a goat, cut corn with a machete, ride a horse, and plow a field behind a team of oxen."

Publisher blurb: When thirteen-year-old Lora tells her parents that she wants to join Premier Castro’s army of young literacy teachers, her mother screeches to high heaven, and her father roars like a lion. Lora has barely been outside of Havana — why would she throw away her life in a remote shack with no electricity, sleeping on a hammock in somebody’s kitchen? But Lora is stubborn: didn’t her parents teach her to share what she has with someone in need? Surprisingly, Lora’s abuela takes her side, even as she makes Lora promise to come home if things get too hard. But how will Lora know for sure when that time has come? Shining light on a little-known moment in history, Katherine Paterson traces a young teen’s coming-of-age journey from a sheltered life to a singular mission: teaching fellow Cubans of all ages to read and write, while helping with the work of their daily lives and sharing the dangers posed by counterrevolutionaries hiding in the hills nearby.

Readers should not expect an action-packed tale, but the writing is straightforward and moves at a swift pace. ...  Paterson offers a glimpse of the daily life of a brigadista, redressing the cursory associations many have about Castro’s Cuba. Hers is a positive study of an amazing moment in history that nonetheless acknowledges the darker political machinations at play. Kirkus

Foremost this is an engaging story about a young girl asserting her independence at a time of change and following through with her convictions. A strong message to share with young girls, especially. Just Imagine

Here is an interview with Katherine Paterson where she talks about this book. The video is 40 minutes but it is well worth taking the time to listen.  You can read here why Katherine Paterson wrote this book. Read more about the literacy program in 1961 here. Five Questions plus one with Katherine Paterson. 

The endorsement on the back of this book is so wonderful - it is from an actual brigadista. Emilia says: "it was an experience of solidarity, in the very best sense of what each of us as a human being has to offer."

When I was helping a friend re-shelve her extensive book collection recently we discovered she had two copies of My Brigadista Year and so she offered this copy to me. This is the real joy of reading - walking for a few hours in the shoes of another person. Lora is a quiet hero and I am thrilled to have discovered her story. 

Here are some quotes from the book review by Dr Robin Morrow for Magpies Magazine (Paterson, Katherine (My Brigadista Year) Magpies Vol.33 No.1 March 2018 p.37):

The arresting cover accurately signals the content of this book. A bright-eyed girl strides purposefully forward, clad in khaki uniform, carrying not a gun but books and pencil, against a background of workers in the fields. 

With short sentences and plenty of dialogue, veteran storyteller Katherine Paterson uses Lora’s first-person narration to draw the reader into this tale of resilience and deep change ...

This late-career book from Katherine Paterson shows she has retained her courage, deft touch and depth of feeling.

Companion books set in Cuba:

Bread and roses, too by Katherine Paterson

I do enjoy Historical Fiction for children especially when the setting and experiences relate to Industrialisation. For this reason I loved Bread and Roses, too by Katherine Paterson.

Some of my Year 6 girls had read this one and were very surprised to discover I had let it slip by. Of course I purchased this book based on the author, Katherine Paterson. I have always loved her books – not just Bridge to Terabithia, more recently I read Same stuff as stars and remember enjoying Lyddie which is also a Historical novel set in a weaving factory. 

Bread and Roses, too is Katherine latest novel published in 2006. The Historical note at the end is so interesting as it explains the context of the 1912 Textile workers strike and the possible origin of the slogan ‘Bread and Roses, too’.

In this book we get a vivid picture of poverty, family life and friendship. The ending is really very satisfying as Jake finds his new family and Rosa returns to hers, full of hope for a better future.

You can read a more detailed review of this book in the New York Times.

The history is neatly woven into this story that explores the true meaning of community and family in hard times. A fine historical note provides additional background. Paterson at her best—and that’s saying a lot. Kirkus Star review

The timing for my reading of this book was perfect as I have just finished watching the television mini series North and South based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell which also involves textile mill workers, poverty, strikes and a very strong and feisty main female character!