It was just so. Kinda confusing. Resolves were clunky, characters stilted. I wanted to keep the main character propped up. . . When Martha thought to herself (and there was LOTS of instances of her thinking to herself) she kept thinking all she did was take care of others. Well, to my thinking all she really did was think about herself - very egocentric. There were lots of honorable mentions by other characters about Martha's care for others. . .hearsay, I say! Overall I was mildly irritated with a primary character as soppy, spineless and all about the ways she'd been done wrong by every single thing in the world. I did like all the book mentions, the library environment as a healing place, but these were not enough to get me out of my cranky pants as it related to Martha. After Zelda comes on board I thought it might change. Nope. Not a bit. In fact it gets a little odder with the family crisis in the past. Martha Storm worked at the town library and was a helpful and giving woman with very low self esteem. When she finds a fairytale book in very rough shape with a dedication to her, Martha is puzzled. While searching for answers to her questions about the book, Martha uncovers family secrets and also discovers things about herself.

Find out about penguins… Where can you find them? How are they adapted to living in that environment? What do they eat?? (see Resources below) Withbeautiful illustrations and a charming storyline, this poignant and richly enjoyable picture book won both a gold medal in the Nestle Children's Book Prize and a Blue Peter Book Award and has been turned into a BAFTA-winning animation. Illustrated in Jeffers' inimitable style, it is a visual delight, and its themes of loneliness and friendship will resonate with children. While they were travelling to the South Pole, the boy and penguin saw ‘good weather and bad’. Use this as a starting point for learning about different types of weather. The book is mainly told in the present but there are a few chapters that show you Martha’s childhood as well as the stories that she told her Grandmother. Overall, The Library of Lost and Found is a joy to read, especially for bibliophiles. It’s a book you fall into, with characters you love getting to know, and a mystery that keeps the plot moving along. It left me with a smile on my face and warm fuzzies, too.I assumed the plot had something to do with the library and books, and though it does in a small way, the storyline was dull and nothing new. This is one of those lovely, heartwarming stories that restores your faith in human nature. I loved Phaedra's other two books but what I especially love about The Library of Lost and Found is that there is also a mystery to be solved. At its centre is Martha Storm, who works at the local library and who thrives on helping other people and making them feel good about themselves. She rarely asks for anything for herself - and if she does, everyone is too busy to help her! - or does anything for herself, until she comes across a book of fairytales which has been left on the library doorstep. She sets out to unravel the mystery behind the book and so begins a wonderful voyage of self-discovery. Martha finds out that Owen a book store owner found the book and the note and left the book for her because she was the only Martha Storm that he knew of. There is this lovely dual narrative between the past and what happened to fracture this family and the present where Martha is learning the truth. And the secrets!! The regrets!! It has all the drama you want with a family's dirty laundry.

This was a charming book that seemed like a middle-age coming-of-age story to me. It was an awakening and Martha has a chance to grow and become what she could be. I enjoyed the story. It's easy to see how many people become caretakers for others and lose themselves in the process. The characters are delightful - I loved Zelda's joie de vivre.

Curriculum

We follow Martha on her quest to find about the book, her grandmother, and how all of this could be possible. The book connects to her past and her Nana which makes her sister nervous and yet she perseveres on discovering what happened to her when she was young. She finds unexpected strength and courage and heals old wounds. In the end it is a heart warming story that makes you feel good. It is a light and easy read. An animated short film adaptation was made by Studio AKA in 2008. It was directed by Philip Hunt and broadcast on Channel 4. [3] Reception [ edit ] Martha’s obsession with the book initiates a change regarding how she feels about putting others ahead of herself and sets her on a course of searching for answers. Martha’s search leads her to encounter a group of people who expand and challenge her to take a look at her life, It also leads to some changes within Martha regarding how she values herself. Based on the title alone I had a feeling I would like this one, who doesn’t adore books about books and libraries after all?! They’re such fun and with a main character who’s a librarian with an interesting personality and strange family history, I was totally enthralled.