Public libraries play important roles in introducing children to worlds beyond their own. Whether urban and well established, or rural and small, libraries provide children with a place where they can experience the power and pleasure of reading. This collection of nine diverse stories proves that the influence of libraries and books is very much alive. In “Dear Mr. Winston” by Ken Roberts, Cara learns the hard way what happens when you accidentally let a snake loose in a library run by someone who is terrified of snakes. In Tim Wynne-Jones’s “The Mystery of the Cuddly Wuddly Bunny,” a boy who befriends a stranger in the library finds himself plunged into a mystery that changes his view of the world forever. Marc Talbert’s “Books Don’t Cry” shows how libraries and books provide an unexpected source of comfort for Tad, a boy who senses death is near for his grandmother. Paul Yee creates a world in which books provide an unearthly escape for Mei-ping, a young Chinese woman who has moved to a remote town in Canada.

Ages 9-12.