Books and Exhibits

Below are a few links to VFC publications and digital exhibits to explore with students:

Malian’s Song

In the words of a young Abenaki girl, Malian’s Song tells the true story of the deliberate English attack by British Major Robert Rogers on the St. Francis Abenaki community near Montréal in 1759. Jeanne Brink, a descendant of Malian living in Vermont, told the little-known Abenaki version of the brutal attack--which stands in direct contrast to Rogers’ surviving journal records--to the Vermont Folklife Center. The only picture book to present this key piece of North American history from the Native American perspective, Malian’s Song underscores the Abenaki people’s strength and fortitude in the face of unspeakable loss.

Alec’s Primer

As a young boy born into slavery in Virginia, Alec Turner was forbidden to learn to read. Naturally he was frightened when Zephie, his owner’s granddaughter, first offered to teach him, but she told him that if he learned to read, he could become a free man. Mastering the alphabet from a small primer marked the first steps that would eventually lead Alec to freedom on a Vermont farm.

John and Tom

On a crisp November day, work for the logger, John, and his trusty horse, Tom, goes smoothly, until suddenly disaster strikes. As John cuts through the trunk of a big pine tree, the tree falls unexpectedly, pinning John’s foot to the ground. He’s stuck, and night is falling. Tom is tied nearby, but can the faithful horse unhitch himself and help?

For more children’s titles, check out our bookshop

Family Traits (2017)

Family Traits: Art, Humor, Living explores the creative world of Stanley Lyndes—examining how a family builds identity and makes meaning. Stanley channeled his noticing into the making of things, and over time these objects became touchstones for the generations of his family that have followed him, revered as both treasured artifact and the creative expression of a common past.

The Golden Cage (2008)

Migrant Mexican farm workers began arriving on Vermont dairy farms almost seventeen years ago and continue to work here living hidden lives. Through intimate photographs and interviews, this exhibit strives to create a revealing portrait of dairy farmers and their Mexican employees and offer a glimpse into their interdependent lives—exploring who they are and what they hope for.

In Their Own Words (2007)

In Their Own Words is a collection of personal histories from refugees who are living in Vermont. These narratives offer a glimpse into the remarkable diversity of life experiences that refugees bring to our community.

For a full list, visit VFC Exhibits