My Librarian is a Camel

August 1, 2005
Gr 3-5 -Ruurs visits 13 countries and explores the manner in which librarians provide services to patrons using everything from boats and wheelbarrows to elephants. Many of the full-color photographs were actually taken by the librarians themselves. A boxed section also provides a map and basic facts about the featured country. While this is an attractive browsing item, the amount of text on each page and the textbook style of writing may discourage students from reading it cover to cover. However, with little information available about libraries of the world, this title offers a glimpse into the world of books, which several countries consider as -important as air or water. - This might be an interesting revelation to many students who consider reading a laborious task and to those who take an abundance of books very much for granted." -Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2005
Gr. 3-5. Bookmobiles are only the beginning. For less-accessible locales think donkey cart, bicycle, camel back, elephant, even wheelbarrow. In a series of compelling case studies, Ruurs presents examples from 13 countries--Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe--of children and books being brought together thanks to dedication, hard work, and ingenuity. Specific details are sometimes scant, and readers eager to know more about or wanting to support these grassroots efforts will be disappointed by the incomplete contact information. Still, this inspirational survey, with lots of color photographs of children with books in their hands, adds a worldwide perspective to Kathi Appelt's " Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky " (2001). For readers a little hazy on the location of the 13 countries, a tiny map and a capsule description are included on each spread. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)