Eli loves going to the library for Story Circle, but, one stormy day, the nearby river threatens to flood it. Eli and his dad must brave the storm to help save the books, and, when the storm is over, the whole town must come together to rebuild the library. Inspired by the residents of Lincoln, Vermont, who rebuilt their library on three separate occasions, Saving Eli's Library showcases one community's bigheartedness, and the power of water and nature.
The Borrowers meets Matilida in this funny, winning story of a girl who finds herself an unlikely hero when she stumbles upon a big secret about little creatures. The latest book from the National Book Award winning author of the Penderwicks series.
Gwen MacKinnon's parents are dreadful. Truly, deeply, almost impressively dreadful. So Gwen's not upset at all when she's foisted onto her never-before-seen Uncle Matthew for two weeks. Especially when it turns out he has a very opinionated dog named Pumpkin.
Things take a turn for the weird when Gwen makes a discovery in the local library. A discovery that involves tiny creatures with wings. And no, they're not birds. They're called Lanukan. But why can only Gwen and the youngest children, gathered for storytime, see them?
The Ladhukan insist that Gwen is destined to help them find a new home. But how can a girl as unwanted, uncourageous, and generally unheroic as Gwen possibly come to the rescue? Pumpkin has a few ideas...
This was lovely!! Some of my students totally related to the idea of wanting to read at recess, having a book club and wanting to read EVERY book in the library. Others may have never conceived of such lunacy. LOL I love the illustrations in this one too. I love the friendliness of the librarian. I loved the friendships and learning words from different languages. Overall, 5/5!
I really admire Stacey Abrams too.
Goodreads says:
The companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller and NAACP Image Award winner Stacey's Extraordinary Words, from political leader Stacey Abrams and artist Kitt Thomas.
Stacey's favorite day of the week is Thursday, when the whole class goes to the library and she gets to lose herself in her beloved books.
On one of these special days, Stacey discovers that a new student named Julie has trouble reading in English, so they begin sharing books and stories to practice. Soon, more students start to join them.
Books take the group on magical adventures and reveal other worlds and cultures--but best of all, they bring them together as friends.
This is another inspiring tale, based on a true story from Stacey Abrams's childhood, about the life-changing power of books.
The more I read this book, the more I loved it. It's amazing that it's all true...the pack horse librarians, the racism, the blue people. It's all really happened. The author's note really gave a sense of the importance of this story. She says it's the most important story she's ever told. It was a book I didn't want to rush through. I read it slowly and carefully, soaking up the story.
I love the idea of the librarians who packed books to the rural areas and up mountains so that people could have books to read. This book seems to reflect well the relationships that would grow out of experiences with books together. The story told is really similar to experiences I have had sharing books with my students. Also, the racism faced by the "blue people" (they were people who had a blood disorder and made their skin look blue) is an interesting experience compared to the racism we see today. Also, Cussy Mary is a woman who suffers not just because of racism, but also because of society's view on women. She is a strong character and she will stay in my heart for a long time.
Goodreads says:
In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.
The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.
Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.
Great stories have helped me through many difficult times. The librarian sitting on the bench telling stories amidst a war is a powerful symbol. I just read The Librarian of Basra to my class. This would be a great follow up - but right now. During covid, talk of war is a little too tough. I'll have to keep this one for another day.
Maybe this is why I enjoy scriptures so much as well - much of scripture is really simply stories.
At the back, the author writes:
I was inspired to write The Librarian's Stories after reading The Cellist of Sarajevo, a book based on the true story of a musician who played his cello for 22 days to mark the deaths of 22 innocent people killed after the bombing of a bakery during the Bosnian war.
As a writer, I believe in the power of stories to keep hope alive, to bring healing and light in the darkest of times. And who better to bring stories to families traumatized by war than a courageous librarian.
A second theme in The Librarian's Stories is the burning of libraries. Over centuries, thousands of them have been destroyed. One in particular stood out for me. During the Islamic Golden Age in the 13th century, an invading Mongol army set fire to all the libraries in Baghdad, and the books from the House of Wisdom were thrown into the Tigris River. There were so many of them that they created a bridge for the Mongol army to cross. Legend says that the paged bled ink into the river for seven days, draining them of their knowledge. When the books stopped bleeding, the courageous people of Bagdad started rebuilding their city.
Millions of books have been burned in the senseless violence of war. Many rulers in the past, and the present, feel threatened by stories and ideas and knowledge. They know that books can change people. They know that books can change the world. To them, this is dangerous. They don't want people to learn, to understand, to think for themselves. They don't want people to remember their history.
Goodreads says:
A village is left in ruins after the bombs fall. The beloved library is burned to ash. Food is scarce. Danger is abundant. Every aspect of daily life is changed. How will home ever feel as it once did?
But then one day, the Librarian emerges in the town square. Seated on a bench in front of the library's remains, she opens a book and begins to read aloud. The village children stop to listen. "Foolish woman," Papa says. "Too dangerous," Mama agrees, hurrying the children away. But day after day the librarian returns to her post, her voice carrying stories above the thunder of tanks and to the broken hearts of the people. Little by little, the persistent Librarian's stories seed hope in the people, and their village begins to mend.
Inspired by the bombing of the National Library of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, and bombing of the library at the University of Mosul in Iraq, The Librarian's Stories is a testament to the enduring connection between stories and hope.
Alia Muhammad Baker is a librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand books within it--will be destroyed forever.
In a war-stricken country where civilians--especially women--have little power, this true story about a librarian's struggle to save her community's priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries. Illustrated by Jeanette Winter in bright acrylic and ink.
