A Love Letter to my Library

Photo credit: Ksenia Makagonova

Dear Libraries of Medicine Hat, Ottawa, Westminster, DC, and Montgomery County,

You are the libraries of my adult life, the ones I've joined and frequented when my children were babies, then toddlers, now teens.

You are always one of the very first errands I run when we move to a new city. Once we have our library cards, we have tickets and keys to new worlds; we have a connection to our community and an escape from (and within) our new home.

You are a refuge on rainy days, a lifesaver on days with cranky kids, and a silly, fun place for storytimes and crafts, and for meeting new friends. Your summer reading challenges never stood a chance with my kids: six books by September? How about six by Friday! They're teenagers now, and no longer participate, but we sure had a good run. 

You gave me a quiet chair in which to sit and nurse a baby, while I reread Bunnicula. (The baby, of course fell asleep, and I sat there long enough to read the whole book in one sitting.) (It holds up.)

You are still the place we visit the day before a road trip or a holiday, to load up the Backseat Book Bag. 

You are the cause of one of our strictest House Rules: even if you've read everything else in the house, you may not read someone else's library book until they have. Once you've read it, it's fair game to everyone else. Another rule: you may only take out three books at a time: one of them has to be big and juicy, one of them has to be in French (when available in the city, of course). And no more than one manga or graphic novel each.

You used to let me (somewhat) assuage my guilt at late returns by charging me for my delinquence. (At one time, I felt that I was funding an entire library, and was grateful.) Now, you have all updated your policies; there are no more fees, and I have to live with my guilt. I hate myself... but I make a donation to your used book section instead. 

Speaking of used books, your racks are a treasure trove: without them, we certainly wouldn't own the Unicorn Cookbook, or the Complete Party Planner. This year, I found (and bought) almost the entire list of recommended summer reading for Grades seven through ten, to bring with us on summer roadtrips. (I stuffed extra into your honour box, because you wouldn't let me pay for returning Artemis six weeks late, but I still feel shame.)

Your librarians are always absolutely and consistently wonderful for book recommendations, from six-year-olds seeking adventures with sea serpents, to my quietly constant love of pioneer/frontier novels and nonfiction, both American and Canadian.

When left on my own to roam, your shelves are my gateway to new discoveries, alphabetically, of course. When you were out of Goldman, I discovered Golding. When I'd read all your Binchy, I picked up Bingham. In London, I found out that I am a complete sucker for Agatha Christie. In DC, I'm reading American authors.

And finally, you are all wonderful for the support you've shown this nomadic "local" author. 

The librarians that know me through my children were the most excited when I asked them to carry my book. "I've just ordered it," they said, and even put it on the front display. I always check "my shelf" when I go; when my book's not there, I check online, and celebrate when it's been checked out. (I didn't even ask the DC library to carry a copy, but when I saw that they'd ordered two, I danced for three days.)

So, this Library Lovers Month, let me say that I love you. I love you for providing a welcoming, safe space for my kids to sit and read, wherever it is we live in the world. I love you for everything you've done to help my family develop, to nourish their love of reading (even one whom we are dragging back into the fold with a sneakily-crafted selection), and to fulfill my dream of seeing my books on your shelves. 

And yes, this love letter is even more overdue than any book I've brought back late. I'm sorry.

Tell you what: I'll buy a gently-used cookbook from you tomorrow.

The Cranky Book Reviewer read Esme's Gift by Elizabeth Foster

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for providing a review. There was no payment involved. 

Image from Amazon.com

Esme's Gift is the second book in the Esme Trilogy by Elizabeth Foster.

Summary (these are only spoilers if you haven't read Esme's Wish first)

I read Esme's Gift with interest, eager to follow the 15-year-old protagonist on her continued quest to save her mother, who is now lying unresponsive, in a healer's room in the magical land of Aeolia. In this installment of the story, Esme continues to explore and discover the new world around her as she learns to control her magical gift, which she thinks might be key to waking up her mother.

If you liked Harry Potter and The Hunger Games...

I noticed several shared themes with other popular YA series, but Ms. Foster approached the similarities in very different, more nuanced ways. 

If you look beyond a school full of magical classes, conflict between purebred families and otherworlders (kaff -- muggles) and corrupt politicians campaigning for control, there is a solid story about how Esme handles herself and the work she needs to do to master her magical abilities. There are themes of inner conflict between loyalty to her father and staying in the new world to help her mother. There are also undercurrents of empathy vs. cynicism as well as trust and overcoming prejudice from peers, teachers and authority figures. It's a lot to pick apart, but they are ably and naturally woven into the story.

What's good about this book?

Like the first book, there's lots of adventure and travel to absolutely beautifully-described places. The characters are intriguing and more dimensional, and some of the unanswered questions from the first book are resolved, while other mysteries are introduced (this is a trilogy, after all). And of course, there are dragons.

The author's use of language has matured, and descriptive metaphors take the place of similes. And -- it's happening -- there are awkwardly sweet attempts at setting up a romance (come on, book 3!). 

Overall, this book is a wonderful sequel to Esme's Wish, with increased character development and maturing themes (still very sweet), as well as even better writing than in the first.

The Cranky Book Reviewer also doesn't see the point of office dogs. What do they even do?
(Image credit: author's own)

Age recommendation

I'd recommend Esme's Gift to 12-15-year-olds. The themes of trust vs. distrust and the cynicism towards authority are a little darker than in the first book, as well as creating empathy via the various villains backstories, but there is nothing really inappropriate in it for younger teens.

My rating:

4 1/2 stars out of 5

I'm happy to have read it, and yes, I'd love to read the third book in the trilogy when it's finished!


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The Cranky Book Reviewer read Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for providing a review. There was no payment involved. 

Image from Amazon.co.uk

I read Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster, a "highly-rated fantasy novel for younger teens," with trepidation. This is my first solicited book review; her PR firm reached out to me to offer me a copy if I'd review it, and my first thought (of course) was, "Hey! Free stuff!" My second was, "But what if I don't like it?"

I resolved to read it critically, and if I needed to remind myself that I wasn't the target audience, then so be it.

The Cranky Book Reviewer doesn't like feeling trepidatious. (Image credit: author's own.)

I needn't have worried. It's a wonderful book.

Summary (no spoilers)

It is Ms. Foster's first novel. The story follows Esme, a 15-year-old whose father has just remarried, her artist mother having disappeared -- presumed drowned -- seven years before. Troubled when her new stepmother's family tries to erase her mother's presence in her home, Esme discovers clues that lead her to Aeolia, a magical world where enchantment is part of every person, place and thing. As she explores this beautiful new setting, her friends help her learn that bravery and trust are essential as they search for the truth not just behind her mother's disappearance but in saving Aeolia itself.

What's good about this book?

Action? Yes. Magic? Yes, by the bucketful. Mystery? So much. There's even a possible romance hinted at (after all, the main characters are teenagers).

The language is beautifully descriptive, though a little high in similes for my taste, but Ms. Foster paints the two dramatically different worlds she has created vividly and ably. With her detailed -- but not heavily overdone -- descriptions, I could picture not only Esme's mom's artwork, but the otherworldly characters and settings as well. For me, however, the main characters could have used more development; the setting is definitely the star.

The story moves along at a good pace, with new magic revealed almost at every page as Esme explores her new surroundings. It's a strangely enchanting mix of magical creatures, teenage angst, adventure and even politics. There is foreshadowing, tension, unresolved issues and vaguely threatening characters that you just know will come back to do something evil... and Ms. Foster has left room for a sequel(s) to make sure they do.

Age recommendation

I tried, here and there, to read it through the lens of a younger reader, and I believe it hits the mark (I've given it to my ten-year-old for his opinion too). I'd recommend it to fantasy readers in the 12-14 year range. Younger readers might have a difficult time getting through the flowery language and some quite threatening, scary scenes, and older ones might want more danger or romance, but I think it hits a nice balance, and again, it's absolutely overflowing with magic.

My Rating

4 out of 5 stars
Overall, I enjoyed it very much, and look forward to reading the next book in the series.



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