Libraries as Setting

Shelves in a library

Readers of the blog will know the great affection I hold for libraries. My childhood involved a lot of time at the library; in college, the library was a great place for naps. When I move a new place, one of my first tasks is to get a library card. When we take vacations, we visit local libraries and see what wonders they hold.

Libraries are also great settings for books. It’s no wonder that writers are library fans — so full of books! The recommendations below are a mix of great reads for kids, teens, and adults that have a library as an important setting.

Possession by A.S. Byatt (1990)

The London Library is the setting for discovery in this book. Roland, a scholar researching the Victorian poet Randolph Henry Ash finds evidence of a romance with fellow poet Christabel LaMotte. He seeks out Maud, an expert on LaMotte, and the two researchers become entwined in trying to solve the mystery of the poets’ relationship. Told in the dual timelines of the researchers and the lovers, this book is sure to enchant.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt (2011)

It’s 1968, and Doug’s family has to move after his father lost his job. He finds a copy of Audubon’s Birds of America on display at the local library and is inspired to learn to draw. Mr. Powell, a librarian, guides his artistic education. Meanwhile, Doug struggles with illiteracy, an abusive father, and a brother home from war. Schmidt, as always, depicts Doug with humor and heart.

Akata Witch series by Nnedi Okorafor, started in 2011

Akata Witch uses the much-beloved magical training trope, this time set in Nigeria, with an intensity sure to pull in readers. Sunny lives in Nigeria, but was born in America, so she struggles to fit in. She’s also albino, which means that she looks different and has to wait until after dark to play her beloved soccer. She discovers that she, along with two friends, is a witch. As she comes into her power, Sugar Cream, a librarian, becomes Sunny’s mentor, and the Obi Library is the setting for research.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (2011)

Diana Bishop is a scholar who is trying to escape her magical heritage. When she discovers a lost manuscript at the Bodleian Library, she comes into contact with vampire Matthew Clairmont. Her contact with the book also activates her magical powers. Romance blooms between the two as they strive to protect the book from the others who want to seize its power.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series by Chris Grabenstein (started in 2013)

Chris Grabenstein’s character Mr. Lemoncello is a rhyming, punning descendant of Willy Wonka. He makes games and puzzles, some that you play at home with your family and some that are brought to life in reality-show style competitions. (Read a post about books that Lemoncello fans might like.)

Winterhouse series by Ben Guterson and Chloe Bristol (started in 2018)

This series is packed with old-fashioned charm, mystical magic, and puzzles galore. Orphan Elizabeth is sent alone to the Winterhouse Hotel by her guardians. She is intrigued by the hotel and the family that founded it. When she discovers a book of puzzles in the library, she begins to collect clues about the hotel and its secrets.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (2019)

When Zachary discovers a magical book in a campus library that tells stories of his own life (though written before he was born), he is drawn into a mystery. He uncovers a secret society and hidden world. Interestingly, this is not Zachary’s first encounter with magical doors. He can’t help but dig deeper and try to navigate The Keeper’s realm.

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (2021)

I loved this beautiful book about what makes family and home as much as it is a historical novel about children evacuated to the English countryside during World War II. William, Edmund, and Anna are orphans whose wealthy grandmother — their unloving guardian — dies in 1940. They determine that they should stowaway with others being evacuated from London because of the war and hope to find a new home in the countryside. They meet a friendly librarian who shows them kindness and warmth but is judged as unfit to house evacuees because of her marriage to a German man.

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