Once upon a time

"An intriguing look into the life of one of the most influential people in the history of Canadian children's librarianship. Egoff begins with a compelling description of her first visit to a public library, which is bound to stir familiar memories in the minds of many readers. She carefully details her discovery of countless great books, touching on many familiar authors and titles. Her rise throughout the ranks to become one of Canada's premier advocates for quality literature and library programs for children is meticulously detailed and leaves readers with a clear picture of her contributions to the field. Her opinions are strong and can foster lively debate. She is appalled, for instance, by libraries that are staffed by nonprofessionals. Egoff also has little use for mass-market series such as the "Bobbsey Twins" or "Nancy Drew" and discourages libraries from purchasing them. A centerfold of black-and-white photographs is included and a list of titles that she mentions in the text is appended. No discussion of children's librarianship would be complete without reference to Egoff's work and influence.-Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2006 Reed Business Informat.