Return of the Library Dragon

This pun-soaked, technology-themed sequel to The Library Dragon lands nearly 20 years after the first book. Miss Lotty is about to retire from her post as school librarian when a man named Mike Krochip replaces all the books in the library with computers, announcing that the space is now a "cybrary." Distraught students spring to the defense of print books ("And books smell! My favorite book smells like spaghetti," says one boy). Outraged, Miss Lotty morphs back into her dragon persona, Miss Lotta Scales, roaring, "You bring back every last library book or I'll melt your motherboard!" The arrival of the sweet-tempered new librarian--the very girl, now grown, who helped diffuse the dragon in the earlier story--placates Miss Lotty in this installment, too. Rendered in airbrush and featuring electric colors, White's stylized caricatures border on garish, and the book-themed puns tucked into the illustrations (The Rat in the Hat, The Molar Express) are weak. Despite some concessions to the value of technology in the final pages, this story arrives feeling like a relic. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Gr 1-2--Retiring librarian Lotta Scales envisions the Sunrise Elementary Library of the future, and it is not the Sunrise Elementary Cybrary, a center for "MePods," printers, and 10,000 books on a screen. Mike Krochip, the IT guy, boldly employs the Book-Be-Gone 5000 to whisk away all books while the students gather together to explain why printed volumes hold a special place in their hearts. The idea that tablets are replacing books now sent to storage raises Miss Lotty's ire, and she reverts to her former fire-breathing (now laptop eating) alter ego, threatening to eat "every last byte" to protect the books. The Library Dragon may only be tamed by one who deeply loves learning. Enter Molly Brickmeyer, returned as the newly hired, "media-library-cyber-book specialist," to help students who also love technology "unplug, for the love of books." Eye-catching airbrush art in the style of the Library Dragon (Peachtree, 1994) allows readers to enjoy additional searches for humor in twisted book titles, spoofs on tech terminology, and plot or text similarities with the fiery original. Written with a love for the printed word that spreads to quotes on endpapers, this title will find a following with Miss Lotty's fans.--Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX