When I Was Young in the Mountains

Based on author Cynthia Rylant's own life, this wonderful book tells the story of her Grandfather who would come home in the evenings covered with the black dust of a coal mine. Only his lips were clean, and he used them to kiss the top of her head. Growing up in the mountains was special. Grandmother made hot corn bread and fried okra. There were trips to the swimming hole and Crawford's store. Each pleasure was one to share - and remember. And each is part of a gentle story, illuminated with perceptively happy paintings, that evokes the love of a way of life, of a family, and most of all, of a place. "Rylant delights in the simple joys of living with her grandparents in the Appalachian Mountains: fresh cornbread, the swimming hole, bathing in the tin tub, snakes, and the community church. Surrounding all of these memories is the loving relationship with her grandparents. Warmly rendered illustrations complement the lyrical text."—School Library Journal