2019 marks the 60th anniversary of Jean Craighead George’s classic novel, My Side of the Mountain. The novel was awarded as a Newberry honor book in 1960. The Cannon Free Library and its fictional librarian, Miss Turner, play important roles in the story, and the library often welcomes families visiting the area on self-made “My Side of the Mountain Tours.”

In 2005, the Library of Congress awarded My Side of the Mountain one of their “Great Reads about Great Places” and in 2016, the Empire State Center for the Book selected Jean Craighead George for the New York State Writers’ Hall of Fame. This brought Delhi, New York, to the attention of the Center for the Book’s director, Rocco Staino, who urged, and then assisted, Cannon’s youth services librarian Mary Pelletier in going through the steps to have the library named as a Literary Landmark.

The Board of Trustees and the staff of the Cannon Free Library invite everyone in the community to join them at a celebratory reception at 6pm on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 (incidentally, the 100th birthday of the late Ms. George!) to witness the unveiling of the cast bronze plaque in honor of the library’s Literary Landmark status. Light refreshment will be served and various materials relating to Jean Craighead George and My Side of the Mountain will also be on display for examination.

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