The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians

Melvin lived in the Livingston Public Library. Well… he didn’t really live there. He just spent lots and lots of time there.

Everything has its place in the library and Melvin ikes it that way. His favorite people—Marge, Betty, and Leeola—are always in their places behind the reference desk. When something interests Melvin, the librarians help him find the very best information on the subject. When he collects creepy bugs in a jar, they help him identify, classify, and catalog them. When he is cast as the Enormous Eggplant in the school play, they help him find his motivation. Melvin can always find the answers to his questions—and a lot of fun—in the library. Then one day he goes off to college to learn new things and read new books. Will he leave the library and his friends behind forever?

Kirkus- A curious boy discovers the library is the best place to be and librarians are the best people to know in this lighthearted homage. At an early age, Melvin becomes a regular at the Livingston Public Library. He especially likes the reference librarians, Marge, Betty and Leeola, who are interested in everything he is interested in and always able to find answers to his endless questions. They help Melvin with his school projects and he admires their natural talent for creating order out of chaos. A library groupie, Melvin attends every library program and even gets a part-time library job when he’s in high school. But as Melvin eventually heads off to college, how will he manage without his library family? Morris clearly gets what makes librarians tick, and Sneed’s humorous watercolor illustrations capture the soul of “how librarians are” in his perfect renditions of the mission-driven Marge, Betty and Leeola in action. Kids should get a kick out of the geeky Melvin, his supportive clan of nurturing bibliophiles and his so-very-logical career choice.