Library Girl
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Narrated by:
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Rebecca Auerbach
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Written by:
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Polly Horvath
About this listen
After secretly living in the public library for the last eleven years, Essie must learn to adapt to a world that's not as perfect as the stories she's grown up with in this heartfelt middle-grade novel from Newbery Honor author Polly Horvath.
Essie has grown up in the public library, raised in secret by the four librarians who found her abandoned as a baby in the children's department. With four mothers and miles of books to read, Essie has always been very happy living there.
But now that she is eleven, Essie longs for a little more freedom . . . and maybe a friend her own age. She seems to get her wish when her moms let her go by herself to the mall and then on her second trip there, she meets G.E., a mysterious boy who looks so much like her she can't help but think they may be twins. Maybe he was raised by four dads in the department store. Maybe his story is intertwined with hers, and their happy ending is as one big family. But as she gets to know him better, she learns that nothing is as simple as it seems in her stories — not even her own past.
What the critics say
"[A] lovely daydream for readers who think that E.L. Konigsburg's Claudia Kincaid had the right idea (but should have run away to the library instead of the Met)." —Kirkus Reviews
"Essie's earnest longing for siblings and an expanded support network—rendered in a chatty, deadpan tone by Horvath (Pine Island Visitors)—impart relatable emotional depth to this laboriously quirky tale." —Publishers Weekly
"This whimsical story is rich with quirky, lovable characters, the warmth of found family and an unexpected twist." —The Washington Post
"This improbable romp is fast paced, richly imaginative, and written with abundant humor. An engaging choice for reading aloud." —Booklist
"The plot has enough twists to keep readers guessing until the end. . . . A love letter to books and the dreamers who read them." —Shelf Awareness
"Give this one to a quiet kid who loves the throwbacks but wants one with a very slightly more modern perspective." —The Bulletin
"[A]n original, outlandish romp of a tale. . . . [A]s always, Horvath's storytelling abilities are top-notch." —The Horn Book
"Library Girl is almost endlessly charming, evoking the warmth and kookiness of The Wind in the Willows or Pippi Longstocking." —The British Columbia Review
"Admittedly a somewhat far-fetched idea, the story told by Polly Horvath manages nevertheless to be believable and takes readers on some lively plot twists . . . Horvath, an award-winning author of numerous children’s books, creates a series of wonderful characters who give Essie a rich, albeit occasionally poignant life. [A] novel bound to engage any book-loving youngster." —The Montreal Gazette
"Essie's earnest longing for siblings and an expanded support network—rendered in a chatty, deadpan tone by Horvath (Pine Island Visitors)—impart relatable emotional depth to this laboriously quirky tale." —Publishers Weekly
"This whimsical story is rich with quirky, lovable characters, the warmth of found family and an unexpected twist." —The Washington Post
"This improbable romp is fast paced, richly imaginative, and written with abundant humor. An engaging choice for reading aloud." —Booklist
"The plot has enough twists to keep readers guessing until the end. . . . A love letter to books and the dreamers who read them." —Shelf Awareness
"Give this one to a quiet kid who loves the throwbacks but wants one with a very slightly more modern perspective." —The Bulletin
"[A]n original, outlandish romp of a tale. . . . [A]s always, Horvath's storytelling abilities are top-notch." —The Horn Book
"Library Girl is almost endlessly charming, evoking the warmth and kookiness of The Wind in the Willows or Pippi Longstocking." —The British Columbia Review
"Admittedly a somewhat far-fetched idea, the story told by Polly Horvath manages nevertheless to be believable and takes readers on some lively plot twists . . . Horvath, an award-winning author of numerous children’s books, creates a series of wonderful characters who give Essie a rich, albeit occasionally poignant life. [A] novel bound to engage any book-loving youngster." —The Montreal Gazette
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