A Girl, a Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon

With a tinsy-tiny touch of fantasy, this is a lovely tale about community, friendship and a wonderful library.

Pearl's world rotates around the library. She's a shy girl, who loves living between books and the library world. But not everything is bright ink and shiny pages. The library isn't doing well, and when the head of the almost never visited statue goes missing, no one but Pearl really seems to care. Determined to save the library and figure out what happened to her beloved statue's head, she enters the sidewalks and streets. Soon, she discovers a few friends and more.

There's a touch of whimsical to the writing, which immediately draws in and creates the atmosphere of an endearing read. Pearl is easy to connect with right away. show more Although socially awkward...or maybe because...her heart of gold shines bright and makes her someone to cheer for from the very first pages. Not only library lovers will enjoy the scene, but the idea of her centering herself on only a library adds the right touch for the dusting of fantasy which comes later on with the raccoons. It's a fun read with enough energy to keep it interesting.

The entire book is sprinkled with illustrations, something I always love t see in middle grade books. These help spice of the story and give something for the reader to look forward to. There are also side-bar notes which explain an entire slew of facts and information in a serious, but not without humor, way. While I found these interesting, my own children weren't as taken in and skipped many f them. There are also footnotes to help point out books where quotes and such come from.

I really enjoyed the way Pearl discovers such wonderful, and even if odd, friends. The community around her warms the heart as well and shows that there is support if a person looks. It's a warming tale and awakens the love for libraries as well. Unfortunately, it was a bit slow in spots and simply a little long. But I enjoyed reading it and am sure there are middle graders out there who will enjoy Pearls adventure quite a bit.

I received an ARC and found the title fun. The tale also grabbed me enough to make me want to leave my honest thoughts. show less

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published January 7, 2020
Pearl Moran is 10 years old and starting 5th grade. She was actually born at the library! Her mom is the circulation desk librarian and dating the library manager Bruce. Bruce used to be a park ranger, and has costume of Ranger Rick the Raccoon. Pearl’s father has never been in the picture. The library is her home, and the library staff her family. But her library is not doing well, there is poor circulation and some developers want to turn it into apartments. And to top it off the statute of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (known as Vincent), get her head stolen one night. Things are not looking good for the future of the show more Lancaster Branch of New York City library at all.
I really liked this book. There was nothing in the book that I said, OH I wouldn’t want my kid reading this, there were a few discussions about reproduction in the animal kingdom, and a few cuss words like piss, and damn and hell, but it was mild in mind. This was a great story about perseverance and social issues. It was about friendship and change, and how small actions can lead to great things. Peal and Francine and Oleg and all the library workers, really brought the library back to life. Pearl found her place in her world, and friends. And she didn’t sacrifice important things, like the raccoons, to achieve it. She showed integrity and commitment and inclusion. I don’t know that kids will get all the concepts, but the seeds of them could be planted with this book. Once I figure out how to get it to be readable on my kindle (netgalley sent a pdf, not a kindle file), or when it comes out, whichever happens first, I will absolutely have my son read it.

#AgirlAraccoonAndTheMidnightMoon #NetGalley

For additional reviews please see my blog at ‪www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com‬‬‬‬‬ show less

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published January 7, 2020
Pearl Moran is 10 years old and starting 5th grade. She was actually born at the library! Her mom is the circulation desk librarian and dating the library manager Bruce. Bruce used to be a park ranger, and has costume of Ranger Rick the Raccoon. Pearl's father has never been in the picture. The library is her home, and the library staff her family. But her library is not doing well, there is poor circulation and some developers want to turn it into apartments. And to top it off the statute of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (known as Vincent), get her head stolen one night. Things are not looking good for the future of the show more Lancaster Branch of New York City library at all.
I really liked this book. There was nothing in the book that I said, OH I wouldn't want my kid reading this, there were a few discussions about reproduction in the animal kingdom, and a few cuss words like piss, and damn and hell, but it was mild in mind. This was a great story about perseverance and social issues. It was about friendship and change, and how small actions can lead to great things. Peal and Francine and Oleg and all the library workers, really brought the library back to life. Pearl found her place in her world, and friends. And she didn't sacrifice important things, like the raccoons, to achieve it. She showed integrity and commitment and inclusion. I don't know that kids will get all the concepts, but the seeds of them could be planted with this book. Once I figure out how to get it to be readable on my kindle (netgalley sent a pdf, not a kindle file), or when it comes out, whichever happens first, I will absolutely have my son read it.

#AgirlAraccoonAndTheMidnightMoon #NetGalley

For additional reviews please see my blog at ‪www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com‬‬‬‬‬ show less

A sweet and strong story that celebrates a love of literacy and libraries, while interweaving suspension of disbelief, stepping out of your comfort zone, and examining perceptions about others. The sidebars are full of interesting tidbits and this librarian enjoyed the many references to wonderful books. What does it take to save a library? Advocacy, storytelling, passion. . . and perhaps reading raccoons? A perfect addition to our grade 4/5 school library.

Multiple full page illustrations are often excluded from children’s chapter books once they reach a certain grade level/target age. Not only does this books have fun, detailed ones, but it also includes sidebars and footnotes telling the reader interesting facts and what they can find in real life or not! For example, multiple newspapers are mentioned and the footnotes tell you which ones are made up. It really aids the reader in recognizing references that they may not know or have been exposed to. All of the extra features the book has helps bring out the plot and the information that is important to the characters and the readers to know. For example, even though it was not extremely vital to the plot, one footnote noted the show more difference in titles for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which changes depending if you live in the United States or not. It’s just a fun little note that can make the book interesting for people who don’t like fiction or who are easily turned off from reading long passages of the same thing. show less