Since I last wrote, I had two fun Library visits in late July with Charlie on the M.T.A. Did He Ever Return? . The first one was at Norway (Maine) Memorial Library for the summer reading program. The audience was about twenty five eager readers who had lots of questions and comments about the book. I began with talking about my inspiration for writing the book, which is Nora Guthrie’s tribute to her father in her published book This Land is Your Land. We warmed up our voices singing Woody Guthrie’s song, which most of the kids knew. Then when I finished reading Charlie, we gave a rousing version of the M.T.A. song.
The following summer day, I visited Patten Free Library in Bath for a Story Hour. The audience was a combination of four and five-year olds with their parents and several sixty-somethings who have known the song all of their lives. I just love to hear the stories people have about the song, with most people being totally surprised and intrigued by the back-story and wanting to share the book with their friends and family from one to ninety-nine!
Both of the librarians from Norway and Bath invited me because of their love of the song from early ages. Thank you to Anika Black and Carol McFadden for sharing your enthusiasm with your library patrons. I give a special shout out to the importance of libraries with another tid-bit of my wonderful father’s late-in-life career as a librarian at the Lewiston Public Library, the University of Southern Maine Library, and finally as the Librarian at Westbrook (Maine) High School.