Library Lily by Gillian Shields

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Ill. by Francesca Chessa. Gullane, 2011. ISBN 978 1 86233 830 2.
(Ages: 5+) Picture book. Lily always has her head stuck in a book: she reads while eating breakfast, she reads while cleaning her teeth, she has a book when supposedly sleeping, in fact she has one with her all the time, so much so that everyone calls her Library Lily. But Mum thinks there may be more to life than a book (Gadzooks!) and takes her to the park, where she reads all the signs and after that has little to do, until Milly comes along. Milly does not like to read, is adventurous and playful, and questions Lily's constant reading. Milly takes Lily on one of her adventures and Lily finds that she has fun doing that but then introduces Milly to her books, and the pair sees that they can both have fun in both fields. The bright, bold eye catching illustrations show Lily and Milly doing the things they love.
A neatly resolved story about two friends finding a common ground, sharing what each loves with the other and so coming together each sharing their passion with the other, will have a measure of interest and support in classes where topics are under discussion such as sharing, reading and friendship. But its main relevance will be in classes and libraries in 2012, the National Year of Reading, where reading is being celebrated around Australia, promoted in all libraries, encouraging young and old to read. This book is one of several published this year proudly supporting reading as a past time.
Fran Knight

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