A super imaginative, action packed library adventure. Fans of Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Roald Dahl will enjoy this story about a young girl who stumbles into a fantastical library and is put to a series of daunting task her quest to become a librarian. Recommended for 4th/5th grade.

**Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

Wow- this book started off so strong! I was smiling, shaking my head, and laughing as I got introduced to the main character. Lenora. She is tons of fun. I love that she wore her loose dress in preparation for fun on this especially exciting day.... (so relatable!). At the beginning, I was sure this was going to be a 5 star read for me.

Lenora finds herself at the public library and her many adventures spin off from there. She meets so many different characters from robots to insects, and works her way all over the library (and all over time zones, other planets, and all over Earth!) as she tries to help patrons find answers to their questions. This is a true celebration of curiosity and learning with a spunky heroine to lead the way.

I felt that Lenora lost some of her voice/pizazz in exchange for the writing focusing on each of the many adventures thrown her way, and it would have been nice to experience more depth/ growth from her as time went on, she has so much potential. I'm a character driven reader and Lenora had so much working for her from the start, as did a few of the other characters who didn't ever quite get the depth I was craving , that I think that's the main place where this one didn't knock my socks off. The premise itself and the fun she has all make it right up my alley otherwise. This was a fun, adventure-packed, quick read. I am really curious to see what younger humans think of this one!

3.5 for me for now.

Book lovers young and old will love this simple and sweet story for middle readers. Reminiscent of The Phantom Tollbooth, Lenora discovers a secret section of the library that takes her on A Wrinkle in Time-esque journey. Drafted into librarian service, she will learn how to wield knowledge to combat the forces of darkness. Readers will learn facts and have fun in this quick moving adventure, leaving them with a Narnia-like hope for more stories about Lenora and the Library of Ever.

Obviously, the author is a lover of librarians and libraries. As a librarian I am also. There was a good story line but didn't care for of the episodes..
If the targeted audience is tweens this may be an okay book. Any older I believe would see it too preachy. One with a good imagination may enjoy als0. The author tries too hard to educate the reader about facts ie. whales travel in pods. I find some of that hurts the flow of the story.
The key theme is Knowledge is light which is well portrayed by the story. Others want to censor books/learning though the word censorship was never used. There are other good lessons and teaching of very good attributes but are very blatant. Help others and they will help you in your time of need. All the animals Lenora helped along the way came back at the end to save her. Don't quit. Determination will get you what you want or where you want to be. Evil things are black/dark which is not always true. Things of the past are forgotten and not everything can be recorded/remembered from the past but what we do have is important. Truth is needed even if it hurts, causes hardships or heartbreak. We shouldn't discourage questions.
I myself would like to know more about the character of Malachi. It is the last book of the Old Testament and wondered if there was any connection.
Obviously a first book to a series for ages 9 to 11.

This book will be a big hit with middle grade readers! Engaging text and dialogue, fun plot, and relatable, likable characters. Highly recommended for elementary libraries and classroom libraries for grades 3 and up.

This book is a complete delight. It's hard to describe, but it has a classic feel with a rambling plot similar to Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. I read it aloud to my kids, and I thought my 12-year-old might not be into it - it feels on the younger MG side - but she actually LOVED it. It's very unique and full of imagination. It's also quite different from many of the other library-set MGs out there.

I received this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Whyever would anyone want to read this book?
Why, every librarian on the planet will love it and want to share it with their patrons.
Lenora's enthusiasm for the job of a librarian and the exhilarating smell of old books is contagious!
Best of all...I sense another volume of Lenora's continued adventures on the horizon!

The Library of Ever grabs you up and takes you on an adventure through a magical library! I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who just loves learning and books. It has a wonderful main character full of spunk and curiosity. A perfect blend of adventure, learning, and excitement!

"Trapped in Genghis Khan’s tomb with a killer robot..." That's one of Lenora's many adventures in the special library she finds while getting away from her nanny. At the start of the book, Lenora behaves like a spoiled brat, but soon she gets to help out the librarian and proves to be really talented. I hope there are more adventures.
PS. I am a librarian, so my review could be somewhat biased.
I received a copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliantly imaginative story combining history, science, and the importance of knowledge into a children’s adventure story centered around the most impressive, awesome, majestic, humongous library of all time.

Lenora — our eleven-year old heroine — escapes from her (luckily) inattentive nanny through a secret arch of her local library and lands in the aforementioned “Library of Ever.” Confronted with a ten-foot tall stern and very pointy librarian who insists that only library employees may enter, she applies for and is immediately granted a job as the 4th Assistant Apprentice Librarian. Her largely self-directed adventures take her through the Calendar help desk, the cartography section, and a live-action diorama of Bubastes (look this up too!). She helps penguins find their way home, a tardigrade (yes — this is a real thing — look it up!) get directions to Alpha Centauri, and a King in the year 8000 unravel some trouble with time. My absolutely favorite part is when she dons a pheromone interpreter (in her nostrils) in order to help her understand a group of troubled ants. Most importantly throughout, she works to fight off the Forces of Darkness personified as beings dressed in overcoats and bowler hats, who seek to extinguish the light of knowledge in the world around them.

This should be required reading for all middle schoolers — an ode to librarians and a concise and pithy description of the importance of libraries and knowledge freely available to all.