Bound To Stay Bound

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Full Text Reviews:

Bulletin for the Center... - 03/01/2012 “Once there was a brand-new book at the library,” and although the new book is initially well loved and frequently checked out, its readership slowly dwindles over the years until the book, become shabby over time, is neglected by modern-day patrons. One day young Alice discovers the book and falls in love with it, reading it every night with her father; she’s distracted at the library when she means to renew the book, and it accidentally ends up with the book-sale titles. Fortunately, a distraught Alice attends the book sale and finally recovers her beloved book: “‘I knew I’d find you!’ Alice cried, gently touching the frayed yellow ribbon.” This emotionally affecting story will resonate with young (and old) readers who have already experienced book love firsthand, and it may prompt reluctant readers to keep searching for that special book that will hook them as well. Bernheimer’s clear, direct language possesses a slightly formal tone that keeps the story’s emotion from tipping over into sloppy sentiment, and the titular book is wisely anthropomorphized just enough to evoke sincere sympathy. Sheban’s softly textured illustrations (rendered in watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil) are both dreamy and substantive, and his striking compositions and deft use of light and shadow add dramatic emphasis to the contemplative text; the spread in which Alice and the book are reunited is particularly moving. This quiet title would make an excellent prompt for a heartfelt discussion about favorite books. JH - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 02/15/2012 Author of The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum (2008), Bernheimer continues to explore themes of loneliness and the transporting power of books in this gentle, affecting story about a bereft children’s book. When a young, tousle-haired girl named Alice finds a once popular, now long-forgotten book in a dark corner of the library, she immediately sees it for the gem that it is, reading the tale of a girl who lives under a toadstool over and over and over again. The following Saturday, however, amid the hubbub of the library’s story hour, Alice and the book are separated. Fairy-tale-scholar Bernheimer ends her story happily, of course, eventually reuniting the pair at a library book sale. Sheban’s superb, softly textured illustrations further heighten the emotions of the substantial text with dramatic compositions and dazzling, ethereal washes of light. A breathtaking, wordless final spread ends this title happily ever after. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2012 Pre S-Gr 2—This sweetly sentimental tale centers around a beloved library book ("It was green with a yellow ribbon inside to mark its pages"). As the years go by, it becomes tattered and loses a leaf, and fewer and fewer children check it out. A girl named Alice loves the book and takes it home, but when she forgets to renew it, it is relegated to storage in the library basement. At last it's time for the big book sale, and the book is reunited with the child and taken to its "always-and-forever home." Sheban's glowing watercolors perfectly capture the quietly magical hardwood-and-sunshine feel of a classic public library. This understated story will resonate with any child who knows that a book can become a dear friend.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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