The Boy who was Raised by Librarians

Melvin spent so much time at the library as a young boy, that you might say it was his second home, and he interacted with the three librarians - Marge, Betty, and Leeola - so often, that they became surrogate mothers to him. Always ready to help him with his projects, from identifying various insect species to practicing for his role in a school play, the three indefatigable lovers of learning imparted many important lessons to their young patron, inspiring in him a love of books, and of knowledge, and leading him to his eventual choice of profession...

One of our March selections, over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is the "Library," The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians is a glowing paean to that show more noble profession - something that is not all that surprising, given that Carla Morris is a librarian herself. Although I wouldn't classify it as a new favorite, I did enjoy Melvin's story, despite (perhaps partly because?) I saw the conclusion coming from the beginning. The artwork, done by Brad Sneed - whose illustrations for Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina favorably impressed me - didn't really move me here, but I can see young children finding it engaging. All in all, I found this a pleasant, though by no means outstanding picture-book. I recommend it, although perhaps not as strongly as some other library-centric titles, like Library Lion and Tell Me Some More... show less

If your child does not yet know the wonders that can be found in the local public library, this book will erase all doubts! It’s the story of a boy named Melvin, who spends a great deal of time in the library as he grows up. Through the years, no matter what he comes up with, the librarians are there to answer his questions, applaud his efforts, and help broaden his horizons.

As the book ends, Melvin is off in college, but writing letters to his librarian friends to keep them up to date about what he is reading and what he is learning. Back home, a little boy named Sterling comes to the library…..

The pictures by Brad Sneed help convey a sense of fun.

Evaluation: How can you not like a love letter to librarians? The episodes are fun show more too, with Melvin’s curiousity constantly getting into trouble, and the librarians turning these would-be-disasters into learning experiences. Every library should have a team on board like this one! show less

Melvin spends tons of time in his town's library. He is filled with curiosity and the librarians keep up with him, no problem. As this trio of information whizzes watches him grow up, their expressions of pride and eagerness to help him learn practically brought tears to my eyes.

I loved the illustrations in this one more than the story; however, it's a great book that demonstrates an appreciation for reading and libraries.

The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians is sweet, humorous (sometimes bordering on silly), albeit also rather predictable. Carla Morris paints an engaging and fun portrait of a curious boy who loves books and who practically lives at his local public library, as well as the librarians of said library, who not only continuously inspire and re-inspire Melvin's curiosity, but also help the boy with research, help him rehearse for a play, and even attend his high school graduation (that Melvin then studies to become a librarian is not only natural and a bit of a given, it is a fitting tribute to librarians everywhere).

I have to admit that some of Melvin's antics and the amount of research guidance he is constantly being given by the librarians show more seem a bit far-fetched and unbelievable to me. I don't think that I have ever met librarians who were that patient and that committed to their patrons (I find it sweet that the librarians seem genuinely interested in Melvin, but I find their unending, unwavering helpfulness somewhat exaggerated). I also know that the librarians at my local branch (even those who work primarily with children) would not be all that pleased if they had to collect a bunch of creepy, crawly bugs from the carpet (Melvin spilling the jar of collected bugs on the floor is funny, but I just don't think that the reaction of the librarians to this mishap is even remotely realistic).

As to Brad Sneed's illustrations, I have to say that I did not and do not find them all that enjoyable. The bright colours, as well as the depictions of books, buildings and the like are appealing enough, but the human figures (and especially the facial expressions of said human figures) seem very overdone (to the point of being almost creepily distorted, somewhat akin to cartoon caricatures). Now my personal lack of enthusiasm for the illustrations notwithstanding, I do think that they work well enough with the narrative; the illustrations certainly mirror the fun, the sense of humour, the sense of discovery portrayed in and by the text. show less

Little Melvin likes how everything has its place in the library and he spends a lot of time there. The three female librarians assist him over the years, identifying bugs, preserving his baseball cards in archive-quality boxes, and glorying in his academic contest victories "because that's how librarians are." Melvin goes on to college but he still keeps in touch, and at story's end, we see he has become a librarian at his childhood library. Melvin is drawn as a blond Harry Potter...intentional or not?

Once I got past my disappointment that there wasn't the extra drama that there would have been if the title had been literally true, I liked this sweet, light story.

Now, I've never known a librarian quite as dedicated as any of these, or a children's room as well designed, but I'm sure they're out there. I just hope I find one, one of these days.

A sweet, light story.

The only issue I have with the book is that all too often the characters' noses are turned up just enough to make it look like they're smelling something nasty. Sorry for sharing, but it was annoying me.