Stone Soup Storytime & Waynesboro Community Read 2026: Bud Finds Her Gift

The community is invited to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover the power of story through Stories That Restore, a community read hosted by Waynesboro Public Library in partnership with Stone Soup Books. The program will run from May through July 2026 and invites readers of all ages to explore stories that celebrate reciprocity, gratitude, and our relationship with the natural world.

To kick things off, Stone Soup Books will be reading the children's book Bud Finds Her Gift by acclaimed author Robin Wall Kimmerer!

When young Bud sees people bustling around, intent on their chores and their screens, she is certain they must be doing important things—and she wants to be included. But wise Nokomis, her grandmother, shows her that there is a different way to find belonging, one that relies on stillness and observing the natural world. As Bud discovers the freely given gifts of the Earth, she wonders if she has something important to give back: What is her gift?

Infused with warmth, humor, and insight, and beautifully illustrated by Naoko Stoop, the first picture book by renowned author and Indigenous ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer inspires readers to treasure nature's generosity and the gifts each one of us can share with the Earth.

Other featured titles from Robin Wall Kimmerer include The Serviceberry and Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults. Together, these books invite readers to reflect on the gifts of the natural world and the ways stories can inspire care for our communities and environment. Limited copies of each title will be available for the public to pick up starting May 4 at both locations.

Stories That Restore highlights the power of reading together as a community and the importance of partnerships that strengthen local connections. By sharing these books and experiences, Waynesboro residents can celebrate stories that nurture connection, curiosity and care for each other and the world around us.