The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library

by Linda Bailey (Author) Victoria Jamieson (Illustrator)

The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
 Eddie is a tiny green bug who loves to read and who lives behind the chalkboard in the fourth-grade classroom with his parents, his 53 brothers and sisters, and his aunt Min. But when Aunt Min goes to the school library to read a book and never returns, Eddie leaves the comfort of his home for the first time and makes the dangerous trek through Ferny Creek Elementary School to find her. After dodging running sneakers, falling books, and terrifying spiders, Eddie reaches the library, where he discovers Aunt Min stuck in a perilous situation! To top it all off, there's a substitute librarian who aims to close the library for good and get rid of all the books! Encouraged by the brave deeds done by small creatures such as Stuart Little and Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, Eddie comes up with a plan to save the library--a plan that requires all the courage one little bug can muster. A great read-aloud and read-alone, this action-packed short novel includes references to classic children's literature throughout and is perfect for fans of Chris Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Lynne Rae Perkins's Nuts to You. 
Select format:
Hardcover
$16.99

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5—Eddie is a beetle who lives with his family in a crack in the wall of the fourth grade classroom at Ferny Creek Elementary School. When his book-loving Aunt Min fails to return from her most recent trip to the school library, Eddie sets out to search for her, only to find her injured, hungry, and marooned atop the librarian's desk. Hiding out in the paper tray, the bugs overhear a disturbing phone conversation between the substitute librarian and the school superintendent: their plan is to close the library and turn it into a testing center. As they watch Miss Visch start packing away the books, Eddie hatches a plan involving blueberry juice, licorice, and yellow sticky notes. Using his legs to write messages, he leaves the notes stuck to books on the shelves, raising suspicion that the benign ghost of a former library volunteer is interceding to save the library. The obvious message is pleasantly tempered by subtle humor, many references to beloved children's books, and themes that celebrate bravery, perseverance, and storytelling. There's lots of action as Eddie faces dangers navigating the world of "squishers" who may trample him at any moment. The writing is breezy and accessible, and children will enjoy the bug's-eye view. A bibliography of referenced titles is included. VERDICT Despite the length, this is a good choice for younger readers and would work well as a classroom read-aloud.—Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Bailey's eponymous hero, Eddie, is a bright green bug who lives with his 53 siblings in a crack in the wall of Room 19 of Ferny Creek Elementary School. When his Aunt Min goes missing, it's up to Eddie (whose mother writes him off as "a dreamer, a fool--a nincompoop!") to maneuver through treacherous hallways full of "Squishers" to the library to find her. But Eddie's challenges are only beginning: Min is injured and unable to travel, and the school's insect-hating new librarian threatens to make Ferny Creek a book-free zone. Encouraged by the brave characters from his Aunt Min's stories, Eddie resolves to save the library and his aunt. Avid readers will enjoy the plethora of references to beloved children's tales, as well as the adventures of an unlikely champion who overcomes human-size obstacles. The danger is mild, but Eddie delivers an entertaining bug's-eye perspective on the larger world, and Jamieson's b&w spot illustrations match the story's energy and sense of adventure. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists. Illustrator's agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (June)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A warm, funny tribute to the power of books and stories, Eddie's adventure will have readers seeing anew the magic of libraries and ready to defend them from the Ms. Grisches of the world."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Linda Bailey
Linda Bailey (lindabaileybooks.com) is the author of more than thirty-five books for children. Her picture books and novels have been published all over the world and have won multiple awards across North America, including the California Young Readers Medal, the Ontario Blue Spruce and Silver Birch Awards, the Arthur Ellis Crime Writers Award, and the Georgia Picture Book Award. Linda lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, close to the sea.

Freya Hartas (freyahartas.co.uk) is a UK-based illustrator of children's books. She lives in the vibrant city of Bristol with her partner and their ancient black cat Katsu and works from her cozy, cluttered desk in a shared studio down the road. Upon graduating from Falmouth University with a BA in illustration in 2014, Freya won The Roald Dahl Funny Prize Award. Freya would probably consider herself more of a cat person, but she very much enjoyed drawing all the silly dogs in this book!
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062440938
Lexile Measure
480
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
June 20, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV047000 - Juvenile Fiction | Books & Libraries
JUV002140 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Insects, Spiders, etc.
Library of Congress categories
Insects
Adventure and adventurers
Adventure stories
Schools
Libraries
Books and reading
JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories
Action and adventure fiction
JUVENILE FICTION / Books & Libraries
JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Insects, Spiders
School libraries

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