Title: Miss Moore Thought Otherwise
Author: Jan Pinborough
Illustrator: Debby Atwell
Age Group: 4-8
Synopsis: Miss Moore didn’t adhere to the same ideas as everyone else. Thank goodness, because libraries wouldn’t be the same without her.
The Lowdown:
When I was younger, my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer was a librarian, so that I could wave to her when she came to check out books. It’s amazing to me that at that young age I’d already fallen in love with the library. It hasn’t faded and when I go to volunteer on a weekly basis I still get a kick out of walking through the staff entrance. It wasn’t until I read this book about Anne Carroll Moore that I realized how much of an influence she had on libraries and importance of childhood reading.
Miss Moore is initially introduced to us as Annie. Even as a young girl she was more inclined to enjoying herself versus listening to what people thought she should be doing as a girl in the 1870s. While she loved stories and books from an early age, no children were allowed in the library at that time. When she grew older, she decided to go to New York, when she heard that women were being hired as librarians. She got a job at a library that not only allowed children inside but had a special room just for them. Due to her dedication to the children’s department, she was asked to be in charge of all the children’s departments of the New York Public Libraries. She instituted rules that allowed children to check books out. She took down signs that encouraged silence, wrote book reviews, found new and exciting books for children, and encouraged the publication of better children’s literature. She was instrumental in the design and creation of the children’s book room at the new New York Public Library which hosted reading times, meet & greets, puppet shows, and even hosted royalty. And when she retired she spent her time traveling across the United States teaching others how to make their libraries more kid friendly.
The illustrations in Miss Moore Thought Otherwise are a bit reminiscent of Barbara Cooney for me. They don’t have her same color scheme and style but there’s something about the technique that reminds me of her. The colors are bright and vaguely impressionistic, substituting a sharp clarity of details for an invitation to imagine. They hint at the vibrancy and energy that lives not only in the city of New York but within the pages of a book.
It’s kind of magical to stop and think about the effect these people held on our lives. How the ideas of one woman were able to shape and change libraries not only across the USA but the world. Obviously we have a great love of reading in our home and the library is instrumental in supporting that. Bug already loves going to the library but it’s because of Miss Anne Moore that there is an area that is dedicated to encouraging his love of reading and therefore his thirst for learning. What an amazing legacy.
Story Tips:
- After reading this check out you local library. Talk to your kids about what differences there might be without Miss Moore.
I need more!
I was hard pressed to find more information about Jan Pinborough and as far as I know this is her one and only children’s book.
This is Debby Atwell’s most recent book but she has others that she’s illustrated. I recognized Sleeping Moon off the bat but am unfamiliar with her other stories. For more info check out Google or Amazon.
