Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today at Perogies & Gyoza
and joins It's Monday!

What are you reading?

at Teacher Mentor Texts

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

(pub. 3.5.2013) 40 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Jan Pinborough

     and Illustrator: Debby Atwell

C haracter: Anne Carroll Moore

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "Once upon a time in America, children could not take books home from the library. They could not even walk into many libraries. They were not allowed. Back then, adults thought that ....
      * Children would ruin the library books with their dirty hands.
      * Children would never remember to bring library books back.
      * Reading wasn't very important for children, especially not for girls.
     But Miss Moore thought otherwise. In fact, Miss Moore thought that children deserved a room of their own - a bright, warm room with chairs their size, cozy window seats, story hours, and, most important of all, borrowing privileges to hundreds and hundreds of the best children's books in many different languages."

T antalizing taste: 

       "But many libraries still kept children's books locked in cabinets or tucked away in corners. They did not have enough books for children or enough shelves to put them on.
     So when it was announced that a grand new library would be built on Fifth Avenue and Forth-Second Street, Miss Moore was determined to make its new Central Children's Room the best it could be for all the children of New York."

                       

and something more: Even though I grew up on the West Coast, the main New York Public Library always represented the epitome of libraries in my mind. Perhaps it was those magnificent lions that I remember seeing when we visited, and the enormity of the building and reading rooms. I clearly remember the glorious Spring day a few years ago when I eagerly climbed the stairs of the main New York Public Library, and nodded hello to Patience and Fortitude. I was on a mission. I headed straight to the Children's Library, and I found what I was hoping to find. Copies of the two picture books I'd written were happily tucked in the bookshelves. In the words of Lewis Carroll, "Oh, frabjous day!"
        I was recently inspired to interview the wonderful children's librarian, April Hayley, at my local public library because she was chosen as the town's Person of the Year. I think the name of the American Library Association publication that included the interview is perfect ... ILoveLibraries.org.  
             Here's to all children's librarians, beginning with Miss Moore Who Thought Otherwise, and including all school librarians. You are my heroes!