Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So I’ve been a librarian for like 8 years or so and I have always walked by this book on the shelf. The title always intrigued me – especially being a librarian and all. But for some reason I just was never interested enough to read it. Maybe it was the cover. Maybe I figured a book about a librarian was going to be boring….I know, sort of a bad thing to think. But a few days ago I found myself without a book on CD to listen to in the car and I grabbed this one off the shelf so I would have something. I was very pleasantly surprised as I started listening (and the voice was good, so that always helps) and I was really into it by the time it ended. A great story involving librarians in 1914 (who knew you could get an MLS that early in history??? Well, I guess I should have known.) and the first automobiles/racing. Quite a combination and one that seems not to go together at all. But it does and the story is great. The opening scene with the “disturbed” graves is a big help to get into the book and stay there.
The narrator/main character is a 14-year-old girl, but I would start the reading level at age 11, if not younger, due to the time period.