My Librarian is a Camel

My Librarian is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children around the World
by Margriet Ruurs
Boyds Mills Press, 2005

Genre: Reference Non-Fiction, Geography Non-Fiction, Multiculturalism

Honors:

• Booklist 07/01/05
• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 12/01/05
• Catholic Library World 03/01/08
• Horn Book 09/01/05
• Horn Book starred 04/01/06
• Kirkus Reviews 08/01/05
• School Library Journal 08/01/05
• Science Books & Films (AAAS) 03/01/06

Review: From libraries on the backs of animals, to mail-order libraries, to libraries on wheels--including a library wheelbarrow!--Margriet Ruurs guides readers through a geographical tour of all the many ways in which libraries bring books to children in remote parts of the world, where access and space are limited. Her alphabetical list of countries features color photographs from each library showcased, a side bar telling where each country is located (with population, culture, and language statistics), and information about how each library is used by its patrons. Ruurs brings home the message to children in American that a library is a special privilege and a great gift, whatever form it takes.

Opinion: I really like the way information is organized in this book. It is useful on so many levels, teaching about books, organization, and people from other countries. One of the best parts of Ruurs' work is that she provides a list of references in the back, making this a great model for presenting accurate information. Interesting and appropriate material in the book for younger tweens, and in my own experience, general reference books for juveniles can be useful for up to eighth-graders as well.

Ideas: As I mentioned above, there is a list of references in the back of the book, which would serve as a good tool for modeling fact-checking strategies in the classroom or a workshop. If a librarian has access to the books and articles mentioned, then he or she can present the references page here and demonstrate how to follow the information provided back to the original sources and verify the information in the book by reading the articles used for research.