APPLESEEDS

Cybulski’s historical fiction book for children chronicles the adventures of Johnny Chapman, the little boy who would grow up to become the legendary Johnny Appleseed.

It’s 1783 and 9-year-old Johnny Chapman is living a quiet life with his father, stepmother, and siblings in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. After Johnny is repeatedly disciplined for daydreaming in school by the stern Master Loomis, his father pulls him out, maintaining that “dreamers like Johnny are exactly what this new nation needs.” But now the time has come for him to return to formal schooling with a different (and hopefully more lenient) teacher. While he’s initially nervous, Johnny turns out to have many exciting adventures during the school year, like performing in the Incorporation Day presentation to celebrate Longmeadow officially getting its name put on the map. A natural friend to all animals, Johnny has many exploits involving them—from assisting his neighbor corralling escaped sheep and attempting to help his classmate overcome her fear of bees after being stung to checking on the stable animals after a lightning strike burns down a neighbor’s barn. By year’s end, his stepmother praises Johnny for learning valuable lessons and overcoming his fear of school: “You are quietly brave. You had a fear and a shame that made you want to hide away at home…but you didn’t. You went and faced the thing that made you scared.” Lak’s rough black-and-white sketches, including a charming map of Longmeadow, help to contextualize the events of this early-reader chapter book. With clear prose and dialogue, Cybulski sprinkles in many real facts about Johnny’s life and home. The choice to focus on Johnny’s childhood, as opposed to the better-known stories of who he eventually becomes, is a fruitful one that pays off by lending a humanity and realness to a story that could easily have slipped into tall-tale embellishment.

A sweet and inspiring children’s tale that encourages young readers to stay true to themselves.