Reading Appalachia: Voices From Children’s Literature

Coming February 2019! Reading Appalachia: Voices From Children’s Literature, a new special exhibit coming to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!

Walk through the pages of your favorite storybook in Reading Appalachia: Voices from Children’s Literature, a groundbreaking exhibit on Appalachian children’s books and stories.

Sporting life-size characters from Appalachian children’s books, this exhibit looks at the seminal titles from the late 1800s through the modern story of Appalachia – you’ll feel like you’re walking through the pages of a storybook. Children can stand eye-to-eye with characters from Journey Cake Ho, A Mountain Rose, When Otter Tricked the Rabbit, When I Was Young, and others.

The exhibit also includes representative clothes and toys from Appalachia, music, and hands-on activities that bring the subject to life for kids of all ages. Children are encouraged to try on masks of storybook characters and find themselves in a story. They can create their own story of childhood set in Appalachia and hear the voice of old-time storyteller Ray Hicks along with some of their favorite authors and illustrators. Each panel includes an interpretation of the text from a child’s perspective.

All are invited to walk into the pages of a story of childhood in Appalachia!

Reading Appalachia was organized by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Knox County Public Library; it is made possible through the generous support of Clayton Homes, the Jane L. Pettway Foundation, Friends of the Knox County Public Library, and the University of Tennessee’s Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.

The exhibit will be on display in the museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery from February 1 to June 30, 2019. It will be complemented by a variety of engaging public programs and can serve as a wonderful educational resource for school groups and educators.