Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children
Pinborough introduces young readers to Anne Carroll Moore, the strong-willed woman whose vision of library services for children shaped the standards and practices of the New York Public Library (and the world) for more than a generation. Moore grew up reading and hearing stories in an era when children were not welcomed by public libraries; she later became a librarian (one of the few jobs open to unmarried women) and worked tirelessly to ensure that all children felt welcome at library programs and were able to check out books. The author treads lightly on legends of Moore’s formidable (and often forbidding) personality, playfully asserting that whenever Miss Moore “thought otherwise,” she got her way. Atwell’s cozy, folk-art-style paintings brim with period details and depict a multicultural clientele. Appended with an author’s note and sources, this makes an ideal addition to women’s history units. Pair with Jeanette Winter’s The Librarian of Basra (2005) or Biblioburro (2010) for other stories of notable librarians. Grades 1-4. --Weisman, Kay