National Library Week

So last week was National Library Week and what better way to celebrate libraries than by spending some time reading books about books. Here are just a few exceptional stories in which libraries, librarians, books, and reading play a significant role.

I have been quite effusive in past posts about my Roald Dahl obsession and Matilda happens to be my favorite book by the splendiferous author. I was also a precocious reader as a child (even though I was not reading Dickens at age four) so I could relate to Matilda's weekly sojourns to the local library and her use of books as an escape mechanism.

Now that I am a children's librarian I cannot help but admire the kindly Mrs. Phelps who helps Matilda on her path to becoming a reader. One of my favorite lines is when Mrs. Phelps tells Matilda: "And don't worry about the parts you can't understand. Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music."

Well, it is not really surprising that a children's book about the most fantastic library ever imagined is written by an actual children's librarian. You already know that I adore Roald Dahl and Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library is like a zany trip through Willy Wonka's factory if it was filled with books rather than candy.

Part mystery, part comedy, part treasure hunt, and all fun every kid will want Mr. Lemoncello to build a library in their hometown.

There are oodles of picture books about libraries, but Bats at the Library is one of my favorites.  Using brilliantly detailed illustrations and a lively, rhyming text Brian Lies tells the story of a colony of bats that visit the library after closing time.

Readers young and old will get a kick out of identifying all of the literary references acted out by these bat bibliophiles. I particularly adore the bat as Blind Pew from Treasure Island.

What reader has not fantasized about a beloved character stepping off the page and into the real world? The Inkheart trilogy proves that fiction coming to life may not be as wonderful as imagined.  When Meggie was just a toddler her father, Mo, read aloud from a fantastical book called Inkheart and miraculously brought several of it's characters, including the story's diabolical villain and his henchman, into their living room. Simultaneously, Meggie's mother was sent into the fictional world of the book. Nearly ten years later, Meggie learns the truth of her mother's disappearance and also that she has inherited her father's strange talent.  Now it is up to Meggie to banish Capricorn from the real world and rescue her mother from the pages of Inkheart.

Seven-Day Magic is actually part of the Tales of Magic series written by Edward Eager during the 50's and 60's. In this seventh and final book of the classic series five children quickly discover that the tattered library book they checked out magically brings to life anything that they imagine.

Obviously, I included Seven-Day Magic on this list because it revolves around a magical library book.  However, I highly encourage everyone, young and old, to read the entire Tales of Magic series. First of all, the books in the series are very much intertwined with recurring characters and references to previous adventures in each one. Most importantly, though, Eager's books are timeless and delightful fantasies that you will want to read again and again.


6.The Neverending Storyby Michael Ende

Most of us have imagined ourselves as the main character of our favorite books, but young Bastian learns while reading that he really is the hero of The Neverending Story. Now if you have only seen the move let me tell you now that you are cheating yourself.  Don't get me wrong, I love the 80's classic and I had a huge crush on Atreyu as a kid but the movie only tells half the story.  The movie ends with Bastian riding Falkor, the luck dragon, after saving Fantasia from The Nothing. In the book, this is just the beginning of Bastian's adventures in Fantastica (which is what Fantasia is called in the book) as he uses wishes and imagination to restore the magical land.         

I debated including Fahrenheit 451 on this list just because Bradbury's bleak dystopian novel is a librarian's worst nightmare. Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953 as a direct response to the threat of book burning during the McCarthy Era.  In the future Bradbury creates society decided to do away with books because they contained too many dissenting ideas. Since books are outlawed anyone caught with one has their home and all of their possessions burned by "firemen". Years of banning books has resulted in a society where the people do not read, write, converse, or even think.  Rather, their attention spans have shrunk to the point that they do nothing but watch wall-sized television screens or listen to "seashell radios" that attach directly to their ears.

There is no denying that the message of Fahrenheit 451 is still relevant.  Today we have computers, video games, cell phones, televisions, tablets, etc. all vying for our attention and as Bradbury stated: "You do not have to burn books to destroy a culture, just get people to stop reading them." Even though people are spending less and less time reading, I choose to be optimistic that books will always hold a place of reverence in our world.

Aahhh, more book burning! The Book Thief takes place in Germany during World War II when books were harshly censored and, yes, even burned. The story, which is narrated by death (yep, you read that right), revolves around a young foster girl, Leisel Meminger, sent to live with an older couple outside of Munich.  Leisel finds herself irresistibly drawn to books, sensing in them an intrinsic magic that can dispel even the worst of her nightmares.

There have been countless books written about World War II and specifically the Holocaust, but The Book Thief is exceptional. Oh, it will rip your heart out and make you cry buckets, but do not let that deter you from reading it. There is also hope, beauty, and compassion that will make The Book Thief an enduring classic.

10.All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness
Sometimes you just need to read something that is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I must confess that I enjoyed every page of this paranormal romance. When history professor and witch, Diana Bishop, discovers an antiquated alchemical text it attracts the attention of other creatures including vampire, Matthew Clairmont. The two fall in love despite relationships between vampires and witches being forbidden by an ancient covenant. Yes, there are parts of the story that are a tad hokey (like when Diana and Matthew go to yoga class together), but there is plenty of action, steamy romance, and intriguing characters.  Not only do the two main characters meet in a library, there are oodles of historical and literary references throughout the entire trilogy. In fact, book two of the All Souls Trilogy, Shadow of Night, takes place entirely in Elizabethan England and there are appearances by Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, and Mary Sidney just to name a few.

There you have it. Ten books about libraries, librarians, books, and/or reading to make you realize just how important libraries are. I know that I could add more, but my posts tend to get long winded. Keep reading and don't forget to support your local library!