Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Module 10 - Here Lies the Librarian


Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

Summary - Here Lies the Librarian is a funny and engaging book that shows children an era and society, and the characters within, which they may not be familiar with, but which they will definitely understand. Beginning with a "twister" and descriptions of a most unusual collection of people, the book follows the (graveyard-free for the most part) adventures of Peewee McGrath and her older brother Jake, as they, and their town, welcome some big city librarian students, prepare for the Ten-Mile Stock Auto Event, thwart the machinations of the malicious Kirbys, and discover what family is all about.

Impressions - This book was not at all what I expected it to be, either from description or from the set up in the first few chapters. I will admit that the 'reveal' of Peewee as Jake's younger sister (purposefully and successfully concealed until that moment in the text) was a bit of a, pleasant, shock, as was the interweaving of the story lines of both the arrival of the librarian students and the auto racing event and its repercussions in the extended McGrath family. It was an unusual mix of themes and characters, almost haphazardly assembled, that should not have worked well together on the surface, but in reality complimented each other brilliantly creating a complex and realistic portrayal of a early 20th century society. Peewee (Eleanor) was endearing in her stubborn refusal to change, Jake in his quiet competence, Grace and Irene in their bubbling enthusiasm, the Colonel in his dottiness, and Aunt Hat in her subtle strength. Because of these characters, the text, and its meandering from the town hiring a librarian to auto car racing, made sense and drew the reader along with it, and showed the reader an experience and era which they otherwise may have been unfamiliar with.

Reviews - In a customer review on Amazon.com (1), Norman Stevens extolls Richard Peck's ability to depict "what life was like for children in a different era" but does a poor job of describing the book in a manner that would either enlighten or elicit new readers. Mainly concentrating on the differences expressed in the librarians described in the book, Stevens completely ignores any discussion of the main character(s) or the auto racing theme which takes up the majority of the book. Stevens is very positive about Here Lies the Librarian, he gave it all 5 stars on the review scale, but I don't think new readers will understand the connection between his review and the book after reading it, nor will they be drawn in by the manner in which he describes it.

Use - This book is a good example of a transition book for children moving from elementary reading to middle school aged books and themes. The old fashioned nature of the descriptions and events within the text and the characters involved may seem confusing or boring to some readers, but the 'action' of the auto racing and the Kirby family's sabotage will keep those who are hooked entranced, and the share of male and female characters in the book should make it accessible to both genders fairly equally, even with a female protagonist.

(1) Stevens, N. D. (2006, June 7). Newfangled librarians. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Here-Lies-Librarian-Richard-Peck/dp/0803730802

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