Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

Title: Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

Author: Jan Pinborough

Illustrator: Debby Atwell

Grade level: 1^st-4^th

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (March 5, 2013)

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Summary:  Imagine a world where children were not welcomed in the library. Imagine a childhood where you had no place to go on the weekends to disappear in a book. No way to sink into your favorite chair and see your favorite librarian who felt like your aunt/uncle. Well we are lucky to have grown up with a special section just for children in the library thanks to Anne Carroll Moore.  This children’s book takes the reader on the journey of how Miss Moore established the first children’s room at the New York Public Library in 1911. The story talks to the reader about what Miss Moore’s childhood was like and exemplifies how much she loved books. However, it also supports women’s history and how women can step out of their traditional roles and start a movement.  Additionally, the vibrant illustrations represent the text and beautifully show the path of Anne Carroll’s history.

Element 4-Social Movement and Social Change: Miss Moore Thought Otherwise is a story about showing boys and girls that women have a role in history. It shows how one woman could take an idea and make it a reality. The story exemplifies how an everyday woman who lived in Maine broke out from the chains that bound her from her intellectual and individual freedom. It showed the reader how a very young woman can string together many people in order to get what she felt was right; a children’s room in the library. Her call to action was getting the children’s room in libraries and having it spread around the world.

Activity: For this book I would have the students go into the public library, map it out, and then have them create their own library. It could include anything they wanted but they would have to explain one unique feature they put in their model and why it should be in every library around the world.  They will then describe how they would petition for their unique section like Miss Moore did. The students will also make a brochure and tell the class why their library is special and how it reflects them.