Hello, I'm Richard Nicholas Nimz, prospector of the written word. I've heard about history being relateable to modern audiences, but this book takes the cake. While you can guess it from the pictures, there are literally no other clues that this book takes place in the past, and I think it's pretty good for it. This is Tomas and the library lady.
Citation: Colón, R. i., & Mora, P. (1997). Tomas and the library lady. New York: Knopf.
Plot: Tomas is the son of Hispanic itinerant farmworkers, who latches onto his grandfather's stories. One day, however, Tomas is declared old enough to go to the library while his parents are out working in the fields. There, he bonds with the librarian and discovers that there are even more stories in the books of her library. Through them, he becomes the storyteller of his family.
Impressions: The only problem I can think of is that this is supposed to be a story about astronaut Tomas Rivera, who is not mentioned until the epilogue. However, despite the outdated clothes, this could conceivably take place in the present day, which could make any fears of 'boring history' and makes it a lot more relateable. The illustrations are very good and the story is nice, too. I'd actually be perfectly comfortable including it in a display about modern poverty, how libraries help those people, and what they can become.
Second opinion: "Colón's sensitive scratchboard illustrations beautifully capture Tomás's apprehensions as he stands in front of the library doors, as well as his fantasies from the world of books. So many of us from Hispanic America, including this reviewer, who did not enjoy the luxuries of school or public libraries in our countries of origin but had wonderfully loving grandparents, will identify with Tomás's story about librarians' kindnesses and a grandfather's stories."
Citation: Schon, I. (1998). Tomás and the library lady (Book Review) (Undetermined). Multicultural Review, 7(2), 62.
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