Book Review - Tomás and the Library Lady

1. Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 1997. Tomás and the Library Lady. Ill. by Raul Colón. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 0-679-80401-3.
2. Plot Summary 
Being the son of parents who are migrant workers causes Tomás to have a very close relationship with his family, but he misses out on making lasting friendships.  He loves to listen to his grandfather tell stories, but he soon knows them all.  His grandfather introduces him to the library where Tomás finds an entire world of adventure - and a new friend.  The Library Lady helps Tomás take new stories and adventures to his family.  
3. Critical Analysis 
Mora tells a simple story in a way that children can relate to.  The sequential presentation explains how migrant workers move about, following the harvest in order make a living.  Including the extended family affords Mora the opportunity to tie in familial history that is often passed down from one generation to another.  When the grandfather realizes that Tomás can tell the stories he has been sharing for years, he provides Tomás with a resource for gathering new stories.  Pat Mora gives our profession a great forum for sharing with children how librarians can open up an entire universe of adventure.
The illustrations are intriguing and colorful.  They almost look like detailed scratch art - where a solid colored wax coating hides a colorful page that is revealed as the artist scratches off the wax coating.  Colón is able to capture Tomás' feelings and share them with the reader.
This book is also available as a Spanish language text and can be used in ELL or bilingual programs.
4. Review Excerpts 
1997 Booklist: Praises the story, "it's an elemental American experience: the uprooted child who finds a home in the library."
1997 Kirkus Review:  "A charming, true story"
5. Connections
*Writing connection: students write about a time they moved, or made a new friend after s/he moved. 
*Story bag: students give an oral book report using a bag filled with items that represent elements from the story such as plastic fruit (migrant work), ball (the boys played with a homemade ball), a bottle of water (Tomás was thirsty), etc.
*Link to a page highlighting the author: Pat Mora 
*Invite a storyteller to visit the library and tell children stories.