Reviewed by Christina J. 

You have to read it to believe it. Then you have to see the photos in the historical note at the back of the book to really believe the incredible story of William ‘Doc’ Key and his intelligent horse Beautiful Jim Key. Even people who witnessed it firsthand, including scholars from Harvard University, couldn’t understand how Doc Key managed to teach his horse how to read, spell, cipher, and more on command. This is a stunning and inspiring story of how kindness and love has the potential to unleash the intelligence and capacity in animals, during a time when most people believed animals had no feelings.

William ‘Doc’ Key lived an extraordinary life in rural Tennessee during the time of the Civil War. Born into slavery, Key learned healing arts from his mother and became known in the area as a highly talented animal doctor, earning him the nickname, ‘Doc.’ After an eventful tour in the Civil War, Doc built a thriving business as a newly free man. That’s when he nursed a sickly colt to life and made him a household name. Doc Key used his fame and influence to shine a light on racial inequity by refusing to have segregated seating at his shows and performing in traditionally white venues. Along with his stance on social justice, Doc also crusaded for the humane treatment of animals. Truly, Doc Key’s story is an inspiration to us all.

*This book was an honoree for the Carter G. Woodson Book Awards for the most distinguished books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States. Adjudicated by members of the National Council for the Social Studies (a professional teaching organization) this award is intended to “encourage the writing, publishing, and dissemination of outstanding social studies books for young readers that treat topics related to ethnic minorities and race relations sensitively and accurately.”

Reviewed by Ginny H. 

Mark has been sick for a long time and after receiving bad news from the doctors, he's had enough. He's angry, scared, and just wants to disappear. So he does.

Mark sets out with his dog, Beau, to climb Mount Rainier. He encounters all kinds of people and obstacles along the way, all the while documenting his travels with his camera and writing haikus. While he misses his mom and dad and his best friend, Jess, he keeps going, even when he starts getting sicker.

This book was a really intense adventure novel. I found myself relating to the character in huge ways. The bond between Mark and his dog, Beau, was so relatable and real. When they got into some of the more dramatic parts, I was literally holding my breath!

If you like adventure and action, you'll love this book by Dan Gemeinhart.

Reviewed by Aubrey D. 

What is wet, white, cold, and soft? Snow of course! For squirrel and his friends snow is a new adventure that they can't wait to experience. Meschenmoser's sketchy illustrations are charming and his characters are endearing, a great book for sharing one on one!

Find it in the Children's Picture Book Collection!

For the first of an ongoing series of conversations with our volunteers and learners, we asked VITAL volunteer LuAnne to chat with tutor Dennis Davoren and learner Adam Garmon about what makes their partnership successful. 

Adam has worked in construction and other hands-on trades, although these days he is on medical leave awaiting open-heart surgery. "I can make just about anything," he says. "I could build you a house." Dennis is retired, and while he has spent only a year as a VITAL tutor in literacy, prior to moving to Bloomington from Louisiana, he was a math tutor for more than a decade. Adam and Dennis have been meeting for weekly sessions since July 2018.

Adam, what motivated you to join VITAL, and what keeps you in the program?

I had to read a lot of paperwork at my job delivering kitchen cabinets for installation. That paperwork makes me nervous, and I could have been a supervisor by now if I'd been able to do it. I've had trouble reading and writing for a long time, and tried getting help at other places. Nothing really stuck until I came to VITAL, and I have my sister to thank for that. She knew about the program and told me that I had to try it.

What learning tools have you found useful?

Lexia [an interactive online literacy program that learners can access through VITAL] has been great. Just this week, I spent 256 minutes on Lexia. I look at that number and I can say, "I did it. I did this today." It's helping me get better at reading and sending text messages on my smart phone, too.

Dennis, in your opinion, what is the most important work that VITAL does?

The adult literacy work can alter the course of someone's life, and VITAL has the resources, and provides the support, to make this work possible. 

The Lexia Core 5 program defines a pathway for learning in a structured and logical way. It's cleverly done; it's work, but with the aspect of a game. English is very idiosyncratic, and Lexia provides a way to navigate idiosyncrasies.

Adam is able to do things now that he couldn't do six months ago. Initially, he was texting solely by dictating. Now, he'll dictate and then check the language, and he'll try to read incoming texts before turning to the translator app to help him out.

Adam's appetite for learning is matched by Dennis's patience and commitment: that match-up is essential for a successful VITAL tutoring partnership. What's ahead for Adam? "Continuing to work on reading and writing. I'm hands on. That's how I learn."