Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

This month’s children’s program featured Peter and the Wolf, on Feb. 17. This is a classic tale of a boy who captures a hungry wolf with the help of a small bird.

The Russian composer Sergei Prokoviev first wrote the story, along with a musical accompaniment, in 1936. In it, Prokoviev used different instruments in the orchestra to depict the characters in the story. Children that came to the program first heard a short musical introduction to the story, then a reading of a picture book version adapted and illustrated by Ian Beck. Afterwards, everyone made paper wolf marionettes to take home.

The second book club meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m. Last month, members presented a variety of books, from the true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing exploration of the Amazon River to Charles Dana’s two-year voyage on a merchant ship in the 1830’s. Fiction included stories about the Dust Bowl, Asian Americans in 1940s Seattle, prejudice in modern Singapore, and much more. The book club even did a review of a Mexican cookbook. In this kind of book club, members can talk about anything that's currently being read or have read in the past. New members are encouraged and welcome with open arms, so if interested, bring a book, and join in on Feb. 26.

February is Black History Month, a good time to read about well-known, and lesser-known African Americans. Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom tells the fascinating true story of how two married slaves, Ellen and William Craft, escaped to freedom in unique fashion. The light-complexioned Ellen disguised herself as a convalescing young white man by wearing loose-fitting men’s clothing, while covering part of her face with bandages.

To further prevent detection, she put her arm in a sling so that she would have an excuse for not being able to sign documents. Thus attired, she and William, who pretended to be her slave, traveled by coach, train, and steamship from Macon, Ga. to Philadelphia, Pa. Although the couple tried to avoid contact with white passengers, they endured several close calls.

Once a white gentleman offered advice to Ellen, saying that she(he) was not treating her slave firmly enough, and should never, for instance, thank the slave for services rendered.Author Ilyon Woo does a masterful job of weaving other historical characters and events into the story, so that the reader comes aways with a fuller knowledge of the horrors of slavery and of those who fought against it.