Product Description
"An evocative remembrance of the simple pleasures in country living; splashing in the swimming hole, taking baths in the kitchen, sharing family times, each is eloquently portrayed here in both the misty-hued scenes and in the poetic text."--Association for Childhood Education International. Caldecott Honor Book. Full-color illustrations.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 19 reviews)

Wonderfully nostalgic

This is one of the most beautiful books I've read (that has pictures). Maybe I just have a thing for the outdoors, but this packs a punch of warmth and nostalgia that will heat up a chill mountain night. The story is simple and heartfelt, and the illustrations are gorgeous. In a world where everyone is so obsessed with the metro, this has a beautiful flavor that keeps us focused on those down-home wonders of life.
October 07, 2008

When I Was Young in the Mountains

This is an excellent book to use to teach students to write their biographies no matter what their age!
September 07, 2008

LOVE THIS LITTLE BOOK.

This work is rather realistic. For anyone who grew up in similiar surroundings, it brings on waves of nostalgia. Growing up in the Ozark Mountains was quite similar to the setting of this story. These were simpler times, for good and bad, and it is good that we have something like this to pass on to our children. The illustrations in this book are soft and wonderful. The text is quite to the point and quite readable and understandable. The book leaves much room for open discussion, although it helps a lot if you actually grew up in these conditions, when discussing it with the young ones. I find that the simple fact there there was no electricity, no T.V., no radios, no running water, etc. quite difficult for children to understand and grasp. This book helps a lot. Recommend this one highly.
November 25, 2006

A way to connect

I read When I was young in the mountains, then took it to my father, who read it. Rylant is slightly older than me, but she grew up near where my dad was born and raised. My father said after reading that he'd pretty much grown up the same way. He left the poverty of Appalachia as a teenager via the poor man's college-- the service. I was born and raised in Utah. Books such as When I was young in the Mountains were a way for me to connect with a way of life I knew very little about, and I am very thankful for Rylant's work, especially since Dad died recently.
August 27, 2006

West Virginia

Growing up in West Virginia myself, I relate to to this book. Although I'm now 20 and currently attending college, I still love to read it. It is something I plan to read to my children.
June 23, 2006

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