The Midnight Library

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Author(s)

Kazuno Kohara

Publisher

Roaring Brook Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

June 17, 2014

ISBN

9781596439856

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Once there was a library which opened only at night . . . When we are fast asleep in bed, the Midnight Library opens its doors to all the night-time animals. Inside the library the little librarian and her three assistant owls help each and every animal to find the perfect book. But with a noisy squirrel band, an upset wolf and a slow-reading tortoise to help, they could all be in for a very busy night . . . A beautiful, big-hearted book about the joy of reading.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Delightfully unique

August 03, 2014

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

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Characters

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Writing Style

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Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

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Kohara delivers another delightful and unique story for kids, complemented with simple yet magical print-style illustrations.

Starting off with a variation on "Once Upon a Time," THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY is the story of a library that is anything but what you would expect. Run by a little girl and 3 owl assistants, The Midnight Library is a place where you can find the perfect book, hold band rehearsal, listen to stories, and discover the joys of taking books home to read all day.

As a librarian, I absolutely love the messages that this book sends. Are the squirrels being too noisy? Show them to the activity room, where they can be as loud as they want! A wolf is crying because she hates the sad parts in her book? Teach her how to stick with a book all the way through to the happy ending! A turtle is angry because he will not leave the library until he's finished reading a book? Get him a library card so he can take that book home and finish it there! In addition, there are pages and pages of happy animals browsing, reading, napping, chatting, and helping each other. This is what a library is: a community space where people can enjoy books, storytelling, activities, and more!

I love the 3 color illustrations. It is a deceptively simple style that allows young readers to really focus on the content, and not on the (not really) colorful pictures. The animal designs are simple black outlines, and they are adorable. The little girl running the library is also very cute, and I expect she will inspire many future librarians.