Library Girl

Ages 9 to 12, Grades 4 to 7

After living in the public library for the last eleven years, Essie must learn to adapt to a world that’s not as perfect as the stories she’s grown up with in this heartfelt middle grade novel from Newbery Honor author Polly Horvath.

Essie has grown up in the public library, raised in secret by the four librarians who found her abandoned as a baby in the children’s department. With four mothers and miles of books to read, Essie has always been very happy living there.  

But now that she is eleven, Essie longs for a little more freedom  . . . and maybe a friend her own age. She seems to get her wish when her moms let her go by herself to the mall. On her second trip there, she meets G.E., a mysterious boy who looks so much like her she can’t help but think they may be twins. Maybe he was raised by four dads in the appliance section of the department store. Maybe his story is intertwined with hers, and their happy ending is as one big family. But as she gets to know G.E. better, she learns that nothing is as simple as it seems in her stories—not even her own past.

With her signature warmth and offbeat humor, Newbery Honor author Polly Horvath invites book lovers to sit back in their own library nooks and check out a whimsical adventure perfect for readers trying to find their place in the world.

About the Author

Polly Horvath has written many books for children, including Everything on a Waffle, a Newbery Honor Book, The Canning Season, a National Book Award winner, The Trolls, a National Book Award finalist, and Pine Island Home and Pine Island Visitors. She lives in British Columbia with her family. Visit her at www.PollyHorvath.com.

Author Residence: Metchosin, British Columbia

Author Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI