The Library Card

Four tales of youths redeemed through the intervention of a magic library card. The tales would have benefited from a clearer depiction of precisely the enchantment represented by the card: sometimes it seems tied to knowing librarians, but other times not. Usually it leads them to the saving power of reading, but not always. A pleasant and uplifting read, but not deeply satisfying to the imagination.

This wasn't exactly what I expected...through no fault of the book....hindsight, the synopsis is accurate. My expectations were probably skewed by the fact that I found this on a shelf with Goosebumps...I assumed it was a youth horror read. There is a supernatural element....but, not scary.

That said, it was petty good. Being such an avid reader, I deeply appreciated the merit given to the power of literature ....as well as the encouragement for children to read.

Included are four touching stories about youths finding help through literature.

A must read for anyone who believes in the power of books to transform lives.

One part fantasy, one part character study, this book follows the lives of four seperate teenagers, each one touched in some strange way by a simple, mysterious blue library card that finds its way to each one.

Mongoose is a juvenile deliquent, goaded along by his friend into spray painting walls and ditching school. But when Mongoose finds a book of amazing facts about the world around him at the library, he realizes there's much more to life than he thought.

Brenda is a compulsive eater and a TV addict, not understanding that there could be anything better than her favorite teen comedies and soap operas. But when she finds a book in the library that seems to show more have somehow recorded her life, she has a startling revelation.

Sonseray is rude and arrogant, a typical jerk teenager. Until the day he enters the library, and hears the children's librarian reading aloud from a book that strikes a chord of memory deep within his heart.

April has just moved to a lonely farm in the country, with the smell of manure all around and the library far away. But then she meets the area's traveling bookmobile and its prickly, layered attendant...and she realizes making a new friend in a new place may not be as she'd thought.

Humorous and heart-breaking in turns, this will reaffirm the idea that just a single encounter with books can change a life. show less

Mongoose, Brenda, Sonseray, and April have nothing in common...until a mysterious blue card appears as if by magic and begins to change each of their lives. None of them guesses it at first, but that strange blue card will be their ticket to the past--and to a future that they never imagined. In stories that range from humorous to heartbreaking, Newbery-award-winner Jerry Spinelli reveals the amazing possibilities lurking behind library doors.

loved the four stories about the four conflicted individuals. When Mongoose, Brenda, Sonseray, and then April find the blue library card, it affects each of them in a different way. Perhaps somewhat unbelievable, but so too, was what happened in real life: the class wanted access to more Jerry show more Spinelli books! show less

Well, *I* liked it. Of course the anti-TV one is dated, as even parents get far too much screen time nowadays. And all four stories are a little too optimistic. But they still hit me in the heart, and give me hope.

Mongoose, Brenda, Sonseray, and April have nothing in common...until a mysterious blue card appears as if by magic and begins to change each of their lives. None of them guesses it at first, but that strange blue card will be their ticket to the past--and to a future that they never imagined. In stories that range from humorous to heartbreaking, Newbery-award-winner Jerry Spinelli reveals the amazing possibilities lurking behind library doors.

The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli is a book reminded me a little bit of the 1983 movie, Nightmares, which starred a young Emilio Estevez, mainly because of the collection of short stories that were present in both The Library Card and Nightmares. They both had a Sci-Fi element to them, following characters in what seemed like a normal, every day life, before being swept away in a science fiction realm.

I enjoy reading short stories. I also prefer sit-coms over movies. I like stories that gets to the point. I dislike long books. When I read long books, I find myself having read 10 pages, yet not remembering what I read because I was bored. The collection of four stories in The Library Card are short, entertaining, and most importantly, show more once it gets to the point, it is over. Bam! On to the next one. Just the way I like it.

I will most definitely recommend this book to my future students. I foresee myself as a middle school teacher, and in my opinion, The Library Card is great for this age group because it is short, to the point, and most importantly it is relatable and entertaining. In the book, reading becomes an escape for the main characters, almost a relief from the realities of life. What is ironic, The Library Card does the same exact thing. I pictured myself standing next to the main characters as they experienced their adventures. I pictured the surroundings, the characters, the situations, the smells, etc, all the while finding enjoyment in escaping my own realities of life.

The Library Card is an entertaining book that will most certainly reach students at the middle school, or even high school level. The characters are relatable, and so are the situations that they find themselves in. We have all had friends like Weasel that wanted to drop out of school. Most of us have found ourselves going stir crazy when we were forced to live life without television, not unlike Brenda in the second short story. And unfortunately, some of us have had to deal with the loss of a mother, something that Sonseray copes with in the third short story.

I enjoyed reading The Library Card, and I am certain I will have it available for my future students. show less