Module 12 - Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

by Jan Pinborough

Illustrated by Debby Atwell

ISBN  978-0-547-47105-1

Summary:

Anne Moore was the youngest of eight children in her family, and she was the only girl.  She loved to rough and tumble with her brothers and do all of the things a proper lady was not supposed to do.  When she heard that she could go to college to become a librarian, she jumped at the chance.  She eventually was put in charge of the children's sections of the thirty-six New York Public Library system.  She immediately began to make changes:  she took down the sign that proclaimed "Silence" in the library, she allowed children to check out books, and she held story times for the children.  While not the only female to make changes in the history of the library, she was one of the forerunners.

My Impressions:

This was a delightful book that I felt ended too soon.  Miss Moore did all of the "things" that are such pillars of a children's library now: she let the children touch the books, check out the books, she hosted story times and invited famous authors to her library.  I read this book and thought-how lucky that we had someone like her to pave the way for us!  And the authors and writers that she invited to the NYC libraries!!  Ludwig Bemelmans, Theodor Geisel, Carl Sanburg-what an exciting time to be a child in one of Miss Moore's libraries!  The illustrations in this story are gorgeous and cheery.

Professional Reviews:

Nowadays, Anne Carroll Moore is remembered as the fiercest of the library ladies whose influence on children's library service and publishing was both inspirational - and sometimes - intractable.  But this easy-going picture book biography forgoes coverage of the more formidable aspects of Moore's personality, giving us instead a simple narrative of Moore's Maine childhood early love of books on through to her career at the New York Public Library, where she created the innovative Central Children's Room for the library's new main building in 1911.  With sun-dappled acrylic paintings of, first, rural Maine and, later, triumphantly, the light-filled interiors of the new Children's Room, the tone here is one of uncomplicated optimism, reflecting Moore's practical idealism.  A bird-eyes view of Miss Moore setting off on her "retirement" travels spreading the gospel of children's librarianship across the land clearly places this apostle in the company of her (fictional) Maine sister, Miss Rumphius.  "More about Miss Moore" and a list of sources are appended.

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children. (2013). Horn Book Magazine, 89(2), 136-137.

Having Fun in the Library:
After reading this book I would ask the children what they like about our school library.  Do they wish things were in a different place?  Would they like me to move a series to a lower shelf?  Have they visited other libraries?  I would also introduce them to the Fort Worth Public Library, tell them where the closest one is, and how they can get their very own library card for free!

Pinborough, J.  Miss Moore thought otherwise.  (2013).  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.