[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Imprint in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Lenora is stuck. Her parents are off traveling the world, and she is left behind with a nanny. A horrible nanny, too, who is working her own angles and agendas while dragging Lenora along. But when the nanny has to head to the library, Lenora sees her chance to escape.
Ditching the nanny by dodging through the stacks, Lenora opens a gateway to an unusual library thanks to an act of protective kindness. And this new library offers exactly what Lenora wants – a chance to both learn things and make a difference to others.
While Lenora is learning what it means to be the “Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian,” dark forces are gathering. They know knowledge is dangerous, and they are determined to destroy it.
Review
This is a fun fantasy story on the young side of middle grade. I loved Lenora! She is bright and resourceful. She keeps a notebook to record what she learns and her questions – I love that! And I learned some cool things right along with her. She has an earnest desire to learn. And she works to overcome the fear and angst that would naturally arise in such an unusual setting with few if any instructions for how to proceed.
I was frustrated by the villains when they appeared in the story. I felt like the villains, and their cause, lived on a different level in the storytelling than the fantasy worlds Lenora visited. It was like her travels and tasks were painted in rich, vibrant colors, and I was immersed right along with her. But the direct confrontations with the villains to me felt like black and white interactions in comparison. They pulled me out of the delightful fantasy.
This could be a function of (a) being an adult reader of a book for kids, and (b) reading a lot of adult and young adult fantasy where things are far more drawn out and motives are more often teased rather than stated plainly. So, I wanted this to be longer, with more drawn out trials for Lenora on each task. With a longer story, the villains could have been developed more slowly, too. And their motives would have felt less obvious.
But as I considered it, I don’t think that is the goal of this book. There are books for that – for the longer trials and nuanced villains – Percy Jackson and the like. This feels like more of an introduction to fantasy for maybe a slightly younger audience. A good introduction for readers who aren’t yet ready for those longer books just yet (The first Percy Jackson book is twice as long as this one.). For those almost-ready readers, this will be great! I feel like Lenora and the library will give a taste of the magic and mythology and world building of fantasy, but in a politely-sized format with a relatively quick return on the reading investment – action, results, resolution, and hints at a future adventure.
I think this would make for a great family or classroom read aloud. The quickly resolved adventures (1 – 2 chapters) work for classroom or bedtime reading. And depending on the age and insight of the readers, discussions about the villains and their goals could be very interesting, too.
I think readers will love Lenora, so be sure to watch for her future adventures! The library in this book is a delightful place to spend some time.