Hippie Librarian Seeks Reluctant Reader

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don’t)
by Barbara Bottner
illustrated by Michael Emberley

Miss Brooks came to my library and was immediately passed around amongst the youth center staff. I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this book before now!

Summary
The title pretty much sums up the main plot. Miss Brooks, the school librarian, loves books, while our young protagonist narrator does not. Our narrator doesn’t understand why Miss Brooks gets so excited about books. Miss Brooks dresses up for reading circle, reads books for every season, even asks the class to bring in their favorite poems to read on Halloween.

When Book Week is announced, our narrator doesn’t know what to do. Miss Brooks asks everyone to share their favorite book with the class. Obviously,our narrator doesn’t have a favorite book, and even asks her mother if they can move to a new town so she won’t have to find one. (“My mother says there’s a librarian in every town.”) But Miss Brooks is not discouraged. She sends her fickle young reader home with stacks of books, hoping to find just the right fit. While many get dismissed for reasons ranging from “too kissy” to “too silly,” a comment from mom plants an idea about a book that might be just the right fit ...

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Wooooo! Yes! This book is awesome for so many reasons. Picky reader plus diligent librarian makes a great combination, and shows that it’s not bad if you don’t like the books that everyone else enjoys. It just means you have to find what works for you. Also, the illustrations are fantastic, and really give a sense of each character’s personality. Parents and kids will enjoy this story, and will most likely find some aspect of it relatable to a personal experience with books and school library time.

Recommended for any age.