Calling All Vintage Car Enthusiasts...
Written: Oct 22 '08 (Updated Oct 23 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: a fun read; great characterization; authentic period details
Cons: title misleading
The Bottom Line: A great offbeat story that will appeal especially to vintage car enthusiasts.
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| jc_hall's Full Review: Richard Peck - Here Lies the Librarian Books |
Peewee helps out big brother Jake in the ramshackle garage that started life as a livery stable. With the hard road being built all the way from Indianapolis, surely they should be looking forward to more business coming their way. Uptown from where they are, the Kirby brothers get most of the trade, since those Kirbys are not above creating some by means more foul than fair—like setting traps on the road for unsuspecting motorists. And with the sheriff being their brother-in-law, nothing much gets done in that quarter. Still, some business does trickle Peewee and Jake’s way.
When a tornado blows out the defunct town library’s windows and the nearby town’s newspaperman takes the opportunity to cast aspersions on the locals’ literacy, the library board (all three of them) are moved to replace both window and librarian (the previous one having expired, checked out, as it were, a good while back). Before you can say wha’i’th’name’o…, there comes motoring down the hard road not one, not two, not even three, but four young ladies of grace, poise and refinement the likes of which the little town had never seen before, nor the Stoddard-Dayton driven by their leader, one Irene Ridpath.
Sooner than you might think, Irene and her chums—all scholars of library science—are applying for the job of librarian, and all four have their wealthy and supportive papas along to sweeten the pot. Now Peewee has a special understanding with Irene, and wants her for Jake, but Jake acts all awkward and shy in front of her, yet can talk like a sane man with pretty Grace who drives a Bearcat and whose papa owns the Stutz Motorcar Company.
Now Jake has his heart set on entering The Peewee (a motorcar he and Peewee had cobbled together, just the two of them) in the first ever County Fair dirt track event. If he even finishes, it would be great advertisement for their business. But at the eleventh hour, The Peewee is stolen, and Jake is inconsolable. That is, until pretty Grace comes up with a great idea. Now Jake and Peewee really do stand a chance. But then a dastardly Kirby literally throws a wrench into proceedings. Is all lost? Or will Jake and Peewee somehow prevail against all odds?
Here Lies The Librarian is a rather misleading title for this book. Evidently, this is not a mystery featuring a dead librarian. Having said that, I cannot truly find fault, for I had myself a wonderful read. As with all the other Richard Peck books I have read so far, characterization is excellent (sympathetic main characters; a host of well-drawn secondary characters), dialogue is snappy yet believable, humour is ever-present, and there’s often a spooky interlude. In this case, there is also an abundance of technical details that would warm the cockles of a vintage car enthusiast’s heart. Certainly, much of that went right over my head, but if you have even the slightest interest in vintage cars, you’re in for a treat. For the rest of us, this would be an offbeat but thoroughly enjoyable read.
Author Richard Peck is a prolific author of Young Adult novels, many of which have won numerous awards. I have yet to read a book of his that has not delighted me, and I haven’t even started on his award-winning books yet.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jc_hall
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Member: JC Hall
Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 199
Trusted by: 53 members
About Me:
Going back to Vancouver for Christmas! Happy Holidays, everyone!!
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