L is for Library Love #atozchallenge

L is for Library Love

We are celebrating National Library Week and I am excited to announce the grand opening of my very own Little Free Library!

 

Thanks to the generosity of my fellow children’s authors, I was able to get a library. It is being installed in front of Casa Miramar, our beach home in Cayucos, California. I am in the process of getting the Casa Miramar Library registered and placed on the map and will add details soon. I hope you will stop by and take a book if you are traveling along the Central Coast of California. If you have a book you’d like to share with others, add it to the collection.

Are you familiar with Little Free Libraries? The first was built by in Hudson, Wisconsin by Todd Bol. He built it to honor his mother who loved books. Friends and neighbors loved it so he built more and gave them away. From these humble beginnings, a movement started. You can read more about Little Free Libraries here and perhaps be inspired to put one up where you live.

I think the best way to celebrate National Library Week is by reading books set in libraries. Here are some of my favorite library picture books:

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn (author) and Rosalind Beardshaw (illustrator)

Lola and her mother have a special place to go every Tuesday – the Library! This is a warm, well written story for very young children. I appreciate the diversity of the characters in the story. I really love this one because Thomas and I go to the library every Tuesday for story time, just like Lola.

 

Library Lion by Michelle Knudson (author) and Kevin Hawkes (illustrator)

Miss Merriweather, the librarian, is a stickler for rules. Don’t run. Keep quiet. But, one day a lion walks into the library. There are no rules about lions and this one is a perfect patron. This is a fun book which celebrates libraries where everyone is welcomed.

 

I.Q. Goes to the Library by Mary Ann Fraser (author and illustrator)

I.Q, the class pet mouse, is excited to learn that he will get to go to the library during Library Week. He listens to a story and learns all about the library but he worries that he won’t be able to check out a book because he doesn’t have a library card. I.Q. is the cutest mouse ever.

 

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hokins (author) and John Manders (illustrator)

In this retold tale, Goldie Socks wanders into the house of the three Librearians while they are out. Papa Bear is a public Librarian, Mam Bear is a school librarian, and Baby Bear is a librarian in training. The text is clever and kids will laugh out loud as they read about Goldi Socks finding the book that is “just right.”

 

The Mermaid’s Purse by Patricia Palacco (author and illustrator)

In this beautiful story, based on the author’s grandmother, we read about Estella who loves books so much that her father decides they need to build her a library. She names it “The Mermaid’s Purse” because the midwife said was was born in one. Stella fills the library with books and shares them with the local townsfolk. Everyone loves her library so much that when it is destroyed by a tornado and the books are scattered, they come together to build another one. This thoughtful book seems timeless and will be enjoyed by older children, parents, teachers, and, of course, librarians.

 

The Library by Sarah Stewart (author) and David Small (illustrator)

Elizabeth Brown was not like other girls. She didn’t want to skate or play with dolls. She wanted to read. She read with a flashlight under the sheets at night, walking home from school, and when older, she read instead of going out at night with friends. She didn’t want to buy anything but books and eventually took over her home. She donated them to the city which used then to create a library which Elizabeth visited every day. The Library is a love story to those who love books and reading.

 

B is for Bookworm A Library Alphabet by Anita C. Prieto (author) and Renee Graef (illustrator)

This book is perfect for the A to Z Blog Challenge as it is an ABC book that shows all the things that go on in a library and the different type of books that are shelved within. The illustrations are soft and expressive and show the library as a warm and welcoming place.

 

Library Lil by Suzanne Williams (author) and Steven Kellogg (illustrator)

In this tall tale, we meet Lil who always has her nose in a book. She also is brave with super-hero strength. She grows up to be a librarian in a town that has no use for books. When a book motorcycle gang shows up in town, they soon realize that they have met their match in Library Lil. The illustrations are hilarious and add humor and surprise to this book as they challenge all stereotypes of librarians. This is one that will be appreciated by anyone who loves books and libraries.

 

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp (author and illustrator)

Most books set in libraries have characters who love to read. Not this one. Madeline wants one to be a good reader but she struggles. She doesn’t want to read aloud because she is afraid of making mistakes. Everything changes when a big white dog named Bonnie arrives. Bonnie is more than happy to listen to Madeline read. With this patient dog at her side, Madeline takes her time to figure out words and learns to read. This is a sweet and encouraging book for those who love dog and reading and for those who struggle to learn.

 

 

The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara (author and illustrator)

This library, run by a pig-tailed girl and three owls, is only open at night. Animals are the patrons and they come to read and join in various activities. Slow turtle doesn’t want to leave at closing time because he’s not done with his book but, of course, he can get a library card and take the book home. The retro illustrations take the reader back to a simpler time. This is an excellent choice for a bedtime book.

Do you have any favorite books featuring libraries or librarians?