Though I consider myself part of the Appalachian diaspora because my grandparents moved to Indiana from Appalachian Tennessee, I was born in a small Hoosier town. So, I’m technically a Midwesterner. I didn’t know that the Midwest had a culture because my whole life I’d understood us to be unimportant, some place that other folks passed through or flew over to get to the interesting places and people on the other side.
Thankfully, I have come to learn that where I am from and who I am from are beautiful and valuable and worth appreciating. So, this month’s list is close to my heart. Here’s some more on this month’s theme from Kendra.
ABOUT THIS MONTH’S THEME: MIDWEST RURAL BOOKS
Every now and then it’s nice to take a look beyond Appalachia to look at other kinds of regional American Literature. As someone from Appalachian Ohio, I grew up where the Midwest and Appalachia meet. So this time around, I thought we’d look closer to home. It’s time for some rural Midwestern books.
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
This month, I (Chea) selected books that capture the beauty and complexity of growing up and living in the rural Midwest. This includes the beauty of the natural landscape and the social landscape of small towns. No place, no culture, no person is perfect, but this here’s a good place to live, and I think these books really exemplify that.
Young Adult Recommendation: The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) or Carly Paulsen by Gary Eldon Peter
Written by the legacy of Minnesota dairy farmers, The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen takes place on such a farm. Fifteen-year-old Carl grapples with the loss of his mother; his crush on a recent “city boy” transplant, Andy Olnan; and the future of their struggling farm. His mother loved the farm and wouldn’t want to let it go, but how can they honor that dream while achieving financial security for the family? This is a tender and complex tale of resilience, unrequited love, father/son relationships, and farm life.
Middle Grade Recommendation: Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
Originally from a rural area of Ohio, Phil Stamper imagines young folks working to hold the first Pride festival in a similar small-town. Small Town Pride follows the story of Jake who is the first openly gay kid at his small school. His friends and parents show their love and acceptance of him. In his own enthusiastic show of support, Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard. When the mayor starts receiving complaints about it, Jake learns that not everyone is as loving and supportive as his dad is. Despite the hurdles and challenges, Jake and his friends – suspiciously including the mayor’s son, Brett – hold town council meetings and make plans for the first Barton Springs Pride Festival. This, too, is a tale of resilience and love and acceptance and progress.
Picture Book Recommendation: Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin and Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga
Another Midwesterner, Molly Beth Griffin tells the story of Lilly and her grandmother as they drive to Lilly’s new life living with Gran on her Iowa farm. The car ride from the city is long. To pass the time, Gram proposes a game – to find ten beautiful things along the way. At first, Lilly can find little beauty in their new surroundings. There is slush on the ground and lots of clouds in the sky. But as they drive and continue to play the game together, Lilly starts to find unexpected beauty in everything from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a falling-down barn. Ten Beautiful Things highlights the beauty of the Midwest in both story and gorgeous illustrations. It also provides opportunities for readers to think about how we cope with and navigate change.
Dr. Parton's Literacy In Place 