THE AMBIDEXTROUS LIBRARIAN

Blankets (Craig Thompson) What can I say about this graphic novel?!?!?! READ IT.  NOW. I was never a huge fan of the graphic novel until recently.  In fact, the moment I was converted was a quiet afternoon at work; my colleague and I were randomly browsing the Junior Fiction.  Enter Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt.  Suddenly I realised that graphic novels weren't all science fiction, fantasy and reluctant male readers.  The illustrations in Jane, the Fox and Me are beautiful, as is the story.  I have a colour photocopy of one of the illustrations on my fridge, which involves Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre caressing a swim-suited sausage.  Graphic novels, why had I forsaken you???? So fast-forward to Blankets.   It's a hefty read at 600+ pages.  But it's a graphic novel so it's not a dense or taxing read.  But it still takes time.  There were moments when I would stop and just gaze upon one certain picture, or ...

Zac & Mia (A.J. Betts) I am back on the rickety reading wagon, and it's trundling along slowly, and the path meanders all over the shop, but I am finally getting places! Next stop?   Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts.  Let me start by saying that I did NOT know this was another YA cancer story.  Should I really say "another"?  I am obviously referring to The Fault in Our Stars  which immediately springs to mind with thoughts of oxygen tubes and unrealistic teen dialogue (don't get me started on that novel!).  I found Zac & Mia to be, I dunno, a bit more down to earth than The Fault in Our Stars.   That novel had me eye-rolling frequently throughout the first few chapters.  I only read the first few chapters. But enough.  I digress. So, Zac & Mia .  Engaging story, nice use of statistics; as a Librarian I always approve of the use of well researched facts throughout a narrative.  Both Zac & Mia are likeable, enga...

The Strange Library (Haruki Murakami) It's been a while. And I gotta say, as a Librarian I seem to find little time to read books these days, which is sad and pathetic, but seems to be the lot of many of my Librarian friends!  It's a cycle of irony which we can't seem to escape.  What's worse is that I am constantly bombarded with books I want to read, and this just makes the whole situation even more depressing.  But enough excuses, I should make the time, and I am trying! One little book that popped up on my radar recently was Murakami's "The Strange Library".  Mainly because a) it is written by Murakami, who is one of my favourite authors, b) it had the word "Library" in the title, and c) the hard-cover was on special from Readings for $16.99.  SOLD! Little did I realise that this lovely wee tale is in fact a short story, bound in a beautifully illustrated (and lovely smelling - very important) pink hard-cover edition with a library ...

Millie and the Night Heron / Rain May and Captain Daniel (Catherine Bateson) Please remember I have only "officially" been a school librarian for a little over a year, so when it comes to getting to know children's authors, I am but a babe in the woods.  In my latest endeavour to chop back some of the forest I picked up two books, completely separately, and thought "I'll read those".  Turns out those two books were Millie and the Night Heron  and Rain May and Captain Daniel.   I didn't look at the author at all, and it wasn't until I started Rain May  I realised they were both by Catherine Bateson. An author who lives in my area of Melbourne.  Who, for all I know, may even live up the road from me. Anyways, turns out that any self-respecting children's librarian should immediately know of Catherine Bateson.  Well, now I do. I have only read these two examples of her work, and let me say, there are quite a few similarities between the two....

Cicada Summer (Kate Constable) I stumbled across Cicada Summer in a very "professional" attempt to increase my general knowledge of junior fiction. I had heard of Kate Constable, most recently through her acclaimed novel Crow Country , which won the 2012 CBCA Young Readers Book of the Year (haven't read it yet - should do soon!)   Cicada Summer  wasn't quite what I expected, mainly because I totally judged the book by it's cover and didn't read the blurb at all.  Regardless though, I found it to be quite an engaging story, and surprisingly atmospheric for a junior fiction novel. Eloise doesn't speak much.  Actually, she doesn't say anything at all, and hasn't really spoken since her mother passed on a wee while back.  Instead, Eloise speaks through her art, as she is quite a talented artist. Eloise's father, who is an "entrepreneur" and forever chasing his next big bucks breakthrough, has just been given a beautiful, but deca...

The Boy and the Toy (Sonya Hartnett / Lucia Masciullo) Those familiar with children's literature will be familiar with the name Sonya Hartnett.  With an impressive list of titles to her name, there is no doubt that Hartnett is an author of quality children's literature, and  The Boy and the Toy  is no exception. Once there was a boy whose father was a great inventor.  He had to go on many important trips, and so he invented the best toy in the world to keep his son company whilst he was away.  The boy and his toy passed the days having lots of fun together, but when the boy started to look for new things to keep him occupied, the toy has other plans... A fabulous tale about "real" friendship, that includes warm and beautifully detailed pictures of the boy and his toy, I found myself thinking on the message of this book long after I finished reading it. Highly recommended as a bedtime read for those aged 4-6.

Grandpa's Gate (Liliana Stafford/Susy Boyer) Grandpa's Gate was a random selection from the picture book shelves of my school library. It's a few years old now (2003), so not sure how easy it will be to find, but I loved the story so much I feel it deserves a review. Young Suzy has a very special relationship with her Grandfather.  They spend many hours together constructing all manner of wondrous inventions in his shed, including a beautiful wrought iron gate which remains almost complete (it could do with a coat of paint).  As Suzy grows older, the family situation requires Suzy to move away.  She is so upset she slowly drifts away from her Grandfather, but when he has to move back into the family home, Suzy is afraid of how much he seems to have changed - will they still be as close as they used to be? A sweet story which is an engaging tale of the bond that exists between Grandfather and Granddaughter.  Maybe I felt a resonance with the story becaus...

Mbobo Tree (Glenda Millard/Annie White) There is no denying that many picture books are beautiful to look at, but when you find one that is not only beautiful, but moves you with it's simple and strong story, you know you're onto a winner. Mbobo tree follows the life of a large, beautiful and bountiful tree within a small African village, and the life of a small baby girl who is found in the branches of the tree.  When the tree is threatened by an outsider to the village, the young girl goes to great lengths to protect the tree that gave her life. This story actually manages to be quite moving in it's few pages.  Definitely recommended as a read-a-long for those aged 4-6 (particularly as some of the African names will require help sounding out).