My Librarian is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World - Hardcover

Ruurs, Margriet

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1590780930 ISBN 13: 9781590780930

Publisher: Astra Young Readers, 2005

Synopsis

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLICATION!

"With little information available about libraries of the world, this title offers a glimpse into the world of books, which several countries consider as important as air or water. This might be an interesting revelation to many students who consider reading a laborious task and to those who take an abundance of books very much for granted." — School Library Journal

Do you get books from a public library in your town or even in your school library? In many remote areas of the world, there are no library buildings. In many countries, books are delivered in unusual way: by bus, boat, elephant, donkey, train, even by wheelbarrow. Why would librarians go to the trouble of packing books on the backs of elephants or driving miles to deliver books by bus? Because, as one librarian in Azerbaijan says, "Books are as important to us as air or water!" This is the intriguing photo essay, a celebration of books, readers, and libraries.

About this title

About the Author

Margriet Ruurs loves to visit her local library. She writes children's books and educational materials and conducts author visits in schools across the United States and Canada. She lives in Shedd, Oregon.

Reviews

Grade 3-5–Ruurs visits 13 countries and explores the manner in which librarians provide services to patrons using everything from boats and wheelbarrows to elephants. Many of the full-color photographs were actually taken by the librarians themselves. A boxed section also provides a map and basic facts about the featured country. While this is an attractive browsing item, the amount of text on each page and the textbook style of writing may discourage students from reading it cover to cover. However, with little information available about libraries of the world, this title offers a glimpse into the world of books, which several countries consider as important as air or water. This might be an interesting revelation to many students who consider reading a laborious task and to those who take an abundance of books very much for granted.–Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 3-5. Bookmobiles are only the beginning. For less-accessible locales think donkey cart, bicycle, camel back, elephant, even wheelbarrow. In a series of compelling case studies, Ruurs presents examples from 13 countries--Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe--of children and books being brought together thanks to dedication, hard work, and ingenuity. Specific details are sometimes scant, and readers eager to know more about or wanting to support these grassroots efforts will be disappointed by the incomplete contact information. Still, this inspirational survey, with lots of color photographs of children with books in their hands, adds a worldwide perspective to Kathi Appelt's Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky (2001). For readers a little hazy on the location of the 13 countries, a tiny map and a capsule description are included on each spread. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Astra Young Readers
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1590780930
• ISBN 13: 9781590780930
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32