M. G. KingRecensioni

Librarians are modern day heroes and champions who create spaces for people to gather and find information. We never stop fighting for equality, equal access, and a place in this world!

Full disclosure - I know the author via GoodReads, because she hosts the group Great Middle Grade Reads. However, I would have wanted to read this book anyway, because libraries are my favorite places and librarians are my favorite people.

The book did not disappoint. Pictures, story, and book design work together to make Miss RoseAleta's point that Respectable towns have libraries filled with children." It's a serious message, presented lightly, and will probably motivate readers to dare to make a change. That is to say, it'd be a funny and cute enough adventure if it were fiction, but the fact that it is a true story gives it real impact."

Pathos and puns, wry wit and wisdom, all in a charming little picture-book. I really enjoyed it just on my own. But, if my boys were still young, we'd read this over & over again. Every time, we'd enjoy the pictures of the flying dragons, the intricate clocks, the beguiling village, and the dancing people. We'd also appreciate the theme about slowing down and taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Disclaimer - I received a free PDF from the author, and I do consider her a 'friend' on goodreads. However, I vow this is an honest review and written without bias.

Hard to rate, because I'm not the target audience. I mean, I love children's books, and can sometimes access my inner child to appreciate them in that sense. But this is def. aimed at the children themselves, and I somehow couldn't engage with it on the relevant level.

It's certainly a fun and clever adventure, with themes about such things as brotherhood, courage & loyalty, and some fresh ideas about such things as living with & loving a grandmother with dementia, and catering as a family business, and the effects of carbonated beverages and capsaicin on trolls.

And it doesn't have much need of an editor before a paper release, compared to some other e-books I've read.

I didn't feel any real resonance or enduring heart, or any reason to re-read or even to widely recommend. I do, however, recommend it to young readers who want a fresh, exciting adventure with interesting & empathetic characters. And I do like the cover.

A great story, obviously.

A fun and engaging picture book about Librarian RoseAleta Laurell and her quest to fund the childrens area of her library. Loud and boisterous, her opening "GOOD MORNING!" disturbed the old librarian, who told her she was disrrupting the readers. She replied "What readers?" and was quite correct, for there were none. The old library was devoid of readers, and kids went nowhere near the old place. So, after fundraising attempts failed she took drastic action and set up a tent on the roof, vowing to not come down until it was funded. One week, storms and rain and $39,000 later, the town had the money and she came down triumphantly after being a tourist attraction.
All in all, a good picture book with a fun and true story!

It’s madness.

It’s magnificent madness.

It’s the most magnificent boomsnickery trollsnuffery madness I’ve ever read.

I came to the opening chapter with no expectations or memory of what this book was about. I soon found a young man with no sense, or not enough to resist the challenge of a stuck up girl to a Habanero pepper eating contest (bad move), as a consequence of which he is too late to both ice cupcakes (family business) and see a football game, which mean his friends desert him. Then he ignores all the signs that there are monsters in his wood, despite his Gran’s warnings, and pooh-poohs his little brother’s warning of a hole under his bed.

It’s all true of course, and the cause is the opening of the way into the troll kingdom. Colin (the young man) soon becomes involved in a dangerous quest to recover his Gran, who’s been stolen by the trolls, and has to find two precious rocks in exchange for information on where to find her.

There is fighting, mayhem, explosions, auditory-enhanced birds, giant centipedes (poisonous, of course), stones that twinkle and rocks that return to life. It is so pacey it’s hard to keep up, although I did read it in three sittings – all the better to enjoy the experience. I reckon this would be fantastic to read aloud (or to be read to) over a week or two.

I am overwhelmed with admiration for M.G.King’s turns of phrase. The characters are brilliant, her descriptions are stunning, and the inventiveness of her plot twists drives me crazy.

Probably the best and funniest and most enjoyable read of the year.

When RoseAleta Laurell arrives at the Dr. Eugene C. Clark Library in Lockhart, Texas, she bursts in with a hearty “GOOD MORNING,” and is promptly shushed so as not to disturb the readers. “HORSEFEATHERS! WHAT READERS?” she correctly remarks. RoseAleta makes sweeping changes to the library, bringing in new books and magazines, and a welcoming, lighthearted atmosphere, which the rich, the poor, the farmers, and the townsfolk… but not the children. RoseAleta plans parties and parades and attractions for the children, but they remained reluctant to come to the library: “The library is for grownups,” they said. RoseAleta realizes that children need a space just for them, with lots more books, color, cozy chairs, and computers. After fundraising attempts fell short, RoseAleta takes extreme measures: she decides to go to the top of the library roof and stay there until enough funds are secured to build a proper children’s library. Her drastic step raises awareness, and the town springs into action. The $39,000 raised transforms the library – and the town.

Curriculum: this would be a great mentor text to use for summarizing non fiction texts in a secondary classroom.

King, M.G. (2010). Librarian on the roof! (S. Gilpin, illus.). Chicago: Albert Whitman and Company.

"Library on the Roof" is a book about what happens when a new librarian, RoseAleta, comes to the small, quiet town of Lockhart, TX. She wants to update the quiet library and make it more inviting for children. To do this, she feels she needs to get the whole town involved. In order to do this, she climbs to the roof of the library to get everyone's attention and says she is going to camp out there until the library raises enough money to fund the children's area of the library. The town pulls together and raises double what RoseAleta had originally aimed for. This story is an excellent example of how a community can come together and do the impossible!

Beautifully and colorfully illustrated and based on a true story, Librarian on the Roof is an interesting tale of one woman's determination to raise money for her library. RoseAlita Laurell spends an entire week camped out on the library's roof and she refuses to come down until enough money is raised to make a children's area. Her determination and spirit not only brings the people of Lockhart together, but also changes the oldest library in Texas into a place that new young readers love to vis...moreBeautifully and colorfully illustrated and based on a true story, Librarian on the Roof is an interesting tale of one woman's determination to raise money for her library. RoseAlita Laurell spends an entire week camped out on the library's roof and she refuses to come down until enough money is raised to make a children's area. Her determination and spirit not only brings the people of Lockhart together, but also changes the oldest library in Texas into a place that new young readers love to visit. While I enjoyed this story, my six year old daughter did not; so I split the difference and gave it three stars.

Librarian on the Roof is the true story of how RoseAleta Laurell upgraded the oldest library in Texas. To encourage more children to visit the library, RoseAleta campaigned for the addition of a section just for children. To raise the needed funds she camped out on the roof of the library until almost twice the money needed was raised. Vibrantly colored illustrations highlight RoseAleta’s week long adventure. Librarians and library fans alike will enjoy this delightful picture book. It would make a great gift for your favorite librarian. Recommended for Kindergarten through third grade.