Library Happenings

Henning School

Our featured book this week is Fearless by Kristin F. Johnson.  

The back of the book jacket states “Ever since the letters from Mom stopped coming, Jessie Nelson has been afraid-afraid that something terrible has happened in the war where her mom is fighting. And afraid that her mom might never come back. Thinking a change of scenery might be a helpful distraction, Jessie’s dad moves them to a small town in southern Minnesota.  There, Jessie meets two friends: Oscar, a thoughtful boy whose brother just returned from fighting in Afghanistan; and Nicky, a goofy theater kid who constantly cracks jokes.

Together, the three kids stumble upon an old barn with the sound of terrified dogs coming from inside.  Wanting to be brave like her mom, Jessie breaks into the barn and discovers a puppy mill where dozens of dogs are being neglected.  While she can’t save all the dogs, she can save one.  She carts the dog home in a rickety red wheelbarrow.  But hiding a stolen dog from Dad and Grandpa causes more problems than Jessie anticipated.  As more time passes, keeping the dog hidden becomes increasingly difficult.  In the end, Jessie learns what it means to be brave and that sometimes helping others is the best way to heal yourself.

Minneapolis, Minnesota is where Kristin F. Johnson calls home.  She lives there with her dog and her family and is a college professor.  

The State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society has awarded the Henning Public School Library a grant in the amount of $9,325.00  This grant will provide over 449 books to the Henning Public School Library.

This  grant helps provide a quality learning experience for our local Minnesotans by providing exemplary library bound (as much as possible) books that feature depictions of various aspects of the State of Minnesota.  

Students will develop knowledge, skills, and understanding about many areas of Minnesota by reading about Minnesota, its geography, heritage, culture, people, landforms, arts, sports, and more.  Books will be purchased for all ages of people who frequent the library.  This grant will help represent diverse ethnicities and people as we are purchasing books that feature a wide variety of people who have contributed to Minnesota.  In addition, because Minnesota history is a vital component of our middle school curriculum, we want a strong selection of books that depict Minnesota history, industries, contemporary Minnesotans, immigration, the contributions of indigenous people, Minnesota authors/illustrators, and state bird/fish/foods, etc