Here Lies the Librarian

by Richard Peck

Peewee idolizes Jake, a big brother whose dreams of auto mechanic glory are fueled by the hard road coming to link their Indiana town and futures with the twentieth century. And motoring down the road comes Irene Ridpath, a young librarian with plans to astonish them all and turn Peewee's life upside down.

This novel, with its quirky characters, folksy setting, classic cars, and hilariously larger-than-life moments, is vintage Richard Peck - an offbeat, deliciously wicked comedy that is also unexpectedly moving.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Humor, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical

152 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2006

About the author

Richard Peck was an American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature. He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder. For his cumulative contribution to young-adult literature, he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1990.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got to know the author Richard Peck from A long way from Chicago and A year down yonder and The teacher's funeral. Loved these books and this one is no different. Fun & quirky and 'darn' entertaining. Around 3.8. Have to select a new Richard Peck from his considerable list of books for next year.... Fun! Great distraction from the 'heavier stuff'. 'Quirky characters, folksy setting, deliciously wicked comedy, classic cars and hilariously larger-than-life moments'.... vintage Peck that is! Cute story.

Peewee and her brother jack live in rural Indiana, where they own a small car garage and have to deal with the dirty tricks of their neighbors and competitors, the Kirbys. Motoring down the road comes Irene Ridpath, a wealthy, young librarian, and her equally well-to-do friends, with plans to astonish them all and re-open the local library. And along the way, her plans turn Peewee's life upside down....

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a twister touches down in a small Indiana town in 1914, it sets off a strange chain of events.

Though the old library building stood abandoned, the storm broke out the front window. But the only book known to escape was Tales from the New Testament Retold for the Littlest Christians. It sailed down the street to knock the sign off the pool hall. Certain local elements said it was the hand of providence.

Now, that library had been closed since the formidable librarian, Electra Dietz, had died two years earlier -they found her checked out under the card catalog. But suddenly, there are rumors buzzing that the library may reopen. This being a backwards, Podunk little town, there are some who object . . . vehemently:

THE LIBERY ONLY NEEDS 2 BOOKS:
1. THE OLD TESTIMENT
2. THE NEW TESTIMENT

Nevertheless, four Library Science students from Butler University want to give the enterprise a whirl. Had this book been exclusively about their adventures, and clashes with the townsfolk, it would have been a five-star read for me. BUT . . . it's mostly about Peewee and Jake, two budding auto mechanics, and their attempts to build a car to race in the first-ever Hendrick's County Fair ten-mile dirt track event. In fact, the second half of the book is all about the big race. Yawn! Too many cars, too little books.

I was tempted to give it only three stars, but then again, this is Richard Peck, so the book is packed with funny lines, and the oddball characters I love so much. There are even some wonderful, inspiring quotes, like " . . . I got better and better at being myself because who wants to be everybody else?" and "They don't let women be anything, Eleanor. You have to give yourself permission." PLUS - the BEST epithet EVER for a librarian:

HERE LIES THE LIBRARIAN
AFTER YEARS OF SERVICE,
TRIED AND TRUE,
HEAVEN STAMPED HER ---
OVERDUE



That's what I want on my tombstone!

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I've got a dress. I wear it to school, don't I? I got Mama's things. But I'm sure as shoot not going to wear a durn dress to patch a tire or take a cylinder head apart." (PG. 23)

Richard Peck has become my favorite young adult author. This guy creates memorable characters worth knowing. I loved reading about Peewee, AKA Eleanor, and her love of cars. She is what was once called a tomboy. I used to be a tomboy. I grew up with three younger brothers and wanted to only play sports. I hated dresses, Barbies, glitter and glamour. I just wanted to play and get dirty. It had nothing to do with gender identity. I just didn't realize that I would one day appreciate my femininity and that boys would look at me differently in a dress and shaved legs. I really loved reading about tomboy Eleanor. I could relate to her character.

Eleanor, as we established, is a tomboy and knows how to fix cars because her older brother Jake has taught her. He is the sole caretaker, as they have no father and their mother is dead. She and Jake live happily in the backwoods of a small town in Indiana, USA, when their lives are suddenly interrupted by Irene Ridpath and friends, all aspiring librarians from rich families. Peewee now feels self-conscious of being a girl. Luckily, Irene and friends are supportive girl-power, hear-me-roar women.

Peck makes the kids in the novels sound the right age and in the right part of the country. I enjoy his story lines and the quirkiness of his wit. It was a funny, intelligent read and I hope modern day children get to read these stories.

[Kimberly Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book that I breezed through very quickly. It's an historical fiction set in early 20th century USA, when the automobile was just beginning to make its mark. After the old librarian dies in a twister - "Heaven stamped her overdue" - four new librarians from Butler University show up to take her place and bring some excitement to the town. The story is narrated by 8th grader Peewee McGrath and is set in a rural town in Indiana, a place so small it doesn't even have its own name. Aside from library science, the book concentrates heavily upon the early automobiles.

Peck has a very dry humor that will appeal to adults as well as a younger audience. Giving a synopsis of the plot is mostly pointless as I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a distinctive, witty voice, regardless of whether early automobiles interest you (they don't particularly interest me). The book is mostly lighthearted with some surprisingly powerful stuff coming in the last few pages. Peck has won a Newbery award, and I can see why. I added his Newbery winner - "A Year Down Yonder" - to my "to-read" list after I read this book. Highly recommended.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Peck loves librarians. Librarians love Richard Peck. I think that he wrote this book to dispel the notion that all librarians are mean, dowdy, and old. That description applies to the old librarian whose grave is shown on the cover (with a gravestone that says Shh!).

A small town in Indiana is shamed into hiring a new librarian, and ends up hiring three -- they come as a package deal with the money that will pay for them. These three librarians are educated, kind, and beautiful, and they drive the latest cars. The year is 1914 and the story is told from the point of view of Peewee whose older brother Jake runs a garage and harbors ambitions of building his own car.

When the three lovely librarians enter, there is romance in the air. One of the librarians helps Peewee learn how to look like a lady and how to drive. As a librarian myself, I was slightly disappointed by the turn in plot which is all about cars. It culminates in a precursor to the Indianapolis 500.

Peck uses his characteristic humor to charm us throughout.

[Emma Troyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another GREAT Richard Peck story. (By the way, it's officially official: Richard Peck is my new favorite author.) I loved the quirkiness and old-timey-ness of this one. And it's about librarians, so duh. The only thing that disappointed me is that I wish Jake would have married Irene instead of Grace. I think Irene deserved him. But that's just my opinion.

[Terris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable! I love Richard Peck's style of writing and sense of humor!

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. I actually don't have much against it, it just wasn't my type of book in the first place. I don't think the narrator for this helped. Generally speaking, I was just bored. I need more engagement! For a historical book, I either really need to like (or hate) the main characters or the time period and focus of the books events must relate to a critical time. This missed the marked on both accounts for me to feel invested. On a plus, it was a bit quirky. Just not enough for me to actually enjoy this girl. Try as I might, she really fell flat for me.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake and Peewee have a run-down country car garage that used to be a livery stable before the Model-T came roaring down the dirt roads of their little town. Jake loves to tinker with the newest automobiles, dreaming of building his own racecar someday, and Peewee is no slouch when it comes to repairing a brake line or patching up a punctured tire. When Irene, the new librarian, comes motoring along in beautiful clothes and an astonishing hat, Jake and Peewee's lives will never be the same.

I fell in love with this book by the second chapter. I loved the plot, the classic 1910s setting, the kooky characters, the mysterious new librarian, and the hilarious antics of the farmers and rough-and-tumble country folk.

Peewee is adorable and smart. I love seeing how Peewee starts out with this backwoods ignorance and gradually receives a more sophisticated education from the friendship of the new librarian. Peewee is a perfect narrator for this story, telling the tale with bold panache and a sensitive heart.

The best part about this book is the solid sibling relationship between Peewee and Jake. They are both such strong characters, and I loved their camaraderie and firm family bond. They always stick up for each other, sharing each adversity and blessing alike.

All the supporting characters are quirky and hilarious! I loved how vividly they are painted, and how they bring a rowdy energy to the story. And the librarian is delightfully proper without being prim, providing a wonderful contrast to the country bumpkins.

I can't even describe how fantastic the plot is! I never knew what was going to happen next, and nothing turned out the way I thought it would. It's a wild ride with car crashes, races, theft, fraud, and grave-robbing, and a dozen madcap adventures on the back roads. The dialogue is insanely hilarious! I was laughing my head off during the librarian's interview for the library job.

I can't wait to read more books from this author!

[mairiachi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but there were a couple surprises at the end...

For one, I was a little dissatisfied that she never gets married. That's like no because she's such a great person and she's hysterical! I was also kind of sad that he doesn't end up with her and ends up with... well, the one he ends up with. At the end I got really scared when it said that WWI was, for him, the war to end all wars because I thought it meant he had been killed. I'm so glad he didn't die!

I really liked this book. Thumbs up and four stars.

(written Jul 13, 2016 - I might update and write a better review because my opinions have changed but I don't have time rn)

[JaNel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun historical fiction. I loved looking up those old cars and photostat machines.

Ch. 1
“I only remember remembering her”

“And being 14, I believed me”

Ch. 5
“The library only needs two books: 1. The Old Testament 2. The New Testament “ Sounds like a headline from today’s paper 🙄😂😩

“Per annum?
Yep. And every year too”

The library poems, headstones, hymn 😂

Ch. 6
“Well, we read very little… but we don’t mind if others does. We’re Methodist “

“Say, you wouldn’t be trying to make a librarian out of me,” I said, suspicious.
“Nobody can make you into anything,” she said. “That’s your job.”

Ch. 14
“They were just being themselves, which is a good lesson for me, or anyone, heading to high school. “

The cat would sleep …”in a circle of himself”

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've yet to read a Richard Peck book that deserves anything less than five stars. The humor is always perfectly timed and finely tuned, every word in just the right place. The characters are endearing and memorable, and I just want to root for every protagonist he creates. In this WWI-era story, he weaves together a tomboy auto mechanic, several elegant wealthy librarians, some redneck bad boys (the Kirbys) and a crazy but loveable couple - the Colonel and Aunt Hat. From the start to the finish line, this story is simply delightful.

[Rachael Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘What, in your opinion, Miss Ridpath, makes a great librarian?’ the judge wondered. Irene pinched off her spectacles. ‘I can only quote the words of Melvil Dewey, of the Dewey Decimal Classification.’ She stood then and began to quote: ‘To my thinking, a great librarian must have a clear head, a strong hand, and, above all, a great heart. And when I look into the future, I am inclined to think that most of the men who will achieve this greatness will be women.’ This brought every woman in the room to her feet.”

[Kari Yergin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read with lovable, quirky characters, this one with some girl-power thrown in.

Tombstone read:
Shhhhh. Here lies the librarian.
After years of service, tried and true,
Heaven stamped her “Overdue.”

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be a very weak also-ran when compared to Peck's previous book, The Teacher's Funeral. Crucial elements of the story were predictable - and not believable, to boot. This one isn't about teachers in early 20th century Indiana, but librarians and also incorporates automobile repair and racing. Like the earlier book (and Peck's Illinois books), this has pranks and hijinks and elderly "characters." But I'm not sure how many of these books (certainly those written by Peck) the world needs.

The historical aspects very much feel researched and tacked on, not integral and authentic. Everything from the car makes to the clothing styles seems pointedly intended to provide the sense of the olden days. Even so, there were a few annoying mistakes: Butler University did not exist in 1914. It had from 1877 when North Western Christian University changed its name to honor its founding benefactor, but when the University of Indianapolis was formed in 1896, it became the liberal arts college and was named Butler College. Even after the U of I disbanded in 1906, it wasn't until 1925 that Butler College became Butler University.

The library science talk also feels false - too many specifics and too much jargon and name-dropping. I'm not even sure the term "library science" was used back then - "library economy" was apparently more common. Also, there was certainly no such thing as a PhD in library science until 1930 when the first such degree was awarded (Univ. of Chicago), so no way was Irene dreaming of getting one. Even the MLS didn't really come into common currency until the mid 1920s. As for any librarian training at Butler College, there seems to have been only the Indiana Summer School for Librarians (between 1905 and 1920, at least). However, this program was not affiliated with the summer school at Butler College until 1915 (previously it was located at Winona Lake, Indiana).

The narrator was very poorly chosen. She lacked enthusiasm and brought no sense of realism to the storytelling. I can barely believe that she had read the book previously. She certainly did not give the impression of having written the story, let alone lived it. And for God's sake, what do we have to do to get narrators who can pronounce the word familiar? It's not "fermiliar" - not ever. Also, mush rhymes with rush, not with bush. This really shouldn't be so hard.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here Lies the Librarian, by author Richard Peck, is a coming-of-age young readers story set in rural 1914 Indiana, where women's suffrage and the brass (Edwardian) era of automobiles were the real cat's meow. So if you enjoy the literary combination of women's lib' and racing lore then this book will blow your freaking mind! If you don't find that tour-de-force of genre mixing interesting, well... too bad! Because that's what you get in this thrilling novel!

Peewee McGrath is a 14 year old tom-boy living with her older brother, Jake, in rural Indiana. They run a small home auto garage together getting the occasional customer who's passing through the county. If they can hang on to the business for just another season the county highway will be paved and usher in unprecedented amounts of traffic - and business. Things seem to be going as planned until four sorority sisters who are library-science majors show up from Indianapolis and turn the small county on its ear. They bring with them non-conventional ideas and challenge the way of thinking for the county's citizens. Peewee and Jake's lives are forever changed with the new town library and the 4 women who get it running.

I have to say this is one of the hardest books I've had to rate. The plot is fall-asleep-drooling boring. There is very little conflict and frankly nothing interesting ever happens. Stylistically this is not the sort of book I like. It really deserves 1 star. That being said, there are some peculiar little nuances to this book that somehow held my attention. His characters are actually quite endearing and believable and far better written than a lot of authors with bigger names. Peck definitely has more writing talent than this particular story shows. An interesting side-note, there are small references to secret societies such as the Masons and Oddfellows, and even very subtle hints about the KKK. I suspect Peck has some insight into these matters and drops little clues about it in his writing for those conspiracy lovers out there. I'd recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading relatively boring plots in order to search for hidden gems of likeable characters.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in pre-WWI rural Indiana, this is the tale of a small town’s pair of parentless youngsters, older brother Jake, in his older teens, taking care of his younger sibling, Peewee. Jake has an automobile service business in a ramshackle shack not from the home he shares with Peewee. Peewee helps in the garage, too, and while their lack of parents is alluded to in a few wistful remembrances of the past, it is not explained in any detail. From a neighboring house, the owners of the former livery stable now car service business, a rather peculiar couple, seem to keep some sort of benevolent but distant eye on Jake and Peewee. A real hurricane hits as the story opens, and the town has a couple of others of its own non-weather making. One is the controversial decision to hire a librarian for their departed former one. The other is to hold the area’s first automobile race. Of course, Jake wants to enter with his homemade vehicle. Jake and Peewee have much to deal with, including Peewee’s imminent promotion to high school, the rather interesting librarian applicants, and business competitors who service cars in underhanded ways. Peck’s wonderful way of drawing characters whose words and actions describe them intimately, his knack for the dialogue and details of a time ninety years ago, and the humor that he brings into the story that fits so well are the ingredients for fun and pleasant stories and reading. I have now read some five of his works, with this one taking place in a time before his Newbery honor and award books A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder. The two award winners were among the very best in YA literature. Librarian is very good and very enjoyable and I have already directed it toward several young readers. This is one more reason to rank Peck and his books highly on your list of YA authors and titles. Read and enjoy.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Peck. By which I mean, Typical Greatness. No one pulls off the middle-grade deadpan humor quite like Peck. For example, as the neighbors gather in the storm cellar during a tornado, the protagonist states that at least this time the Colonel (an elderly adle-minded man) was wearing pants. This simple line is sandwiched in with all the rest of the sentences, given no special attention, and yet instantly calls to mind hysterical images of pantless old men flying around in a twister. Priceless.

Still waters run deep in Here Lies. It appears to be a rather generic historical fiction story of a sleepy little town in Indiana in 1914. But it is not until 20 pages in that the gender of the 14-year-old protagonist is revealed. The reader assumes it is a boy because "he" works in a garage with an older brother. Peck doesn't purposefully manipulate the reader's assumptions. He just never uses a pronoun because the story is narrated in the first person. Boys like cars and girls like dollies so of course it is a boy working on cars, right? Wrong. The moment the reader (and other characters) realize PeeWee is a girl is wonderful because A: you don't realize you are even MAKING an assumption and B: that assumption is wrong.

Morals of the story: Librarians kick ass, girls can do anything boys can do (though sometimes at a higher personal/social cost), and you can't stop progress. Oh, and cars are awesome.

PS- There are some (in my opinion) delightfully macabre scenes...like when she's walking through the cemetery after the storm and bodies have been pulled up by the wind and are hanging from trees. A completely realistic phenomenon that most non-tornado zone folk have never considered.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little YA book about a young girl and her brother in rural Indiana and the things that go on in their life, and the changes brought to their town by a group of young Librarians who arrive from Library Science School at Butler University. It is up an down in terms of plot and could use another 50 pages to properly wrap up the book since everything is rushed to a conclusion.
I found this book in a box of books I had in my home and read it because of and in honor of my daughter who next year will begin her graduate studies for her Masters of Library Science Degree - shameless plug! - and so I thought any book with the word Librarian in the title would be worth a read. The book actually does briefly hit upon some interesting topics but the author cannot decide between being a cutesy book or telling a good story about life in rural Indiana and the changes that are coming in 1914. Everything ties up to nice and neat and some of the action defies belief.

[Jenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the Newbery award winning author of “A Year Down Under”, comes an uproariously funny tale of classic automobiles, librarians and small town life.

Meet Peewee (Eleanor McGrath) a 14 year old stubborn, courageous and steadfast tomboy. She and her adored brother Jake run a struggling gas station "way out in the weeds." that rivals the bigger, wealthier and underhanded Kirby establishment. All Peewee wants is to work on cars. Jake has big dreams though, and not even a few robberies and set backs, (curtsey of the Kirby’s) will stop him from building a car and racing his name into auto mechanic glory, that is until Irene Ridpath and her sorority sisters come motoring into town with big plans to restore the small town library and in doing so turn Peewee’s and Jake’s lives upside down.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED it. What a great audiobook (or read-aloud)! Thoughtful, funny, feminist, and historically interesting. Having lived in Indiana for 3 years, I got a big kick out of the geographical references--Crawfordsville, Terre Haute, even Beanblossom (my single most favorite place name on the map!). I'm definitely going to read more Richard Peck!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, simple and funny book. This one about automobiles, Indiana and independent females in 1914.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly delightful, like everything else that has come from the pen of Richard Peck. The surprise reveal on page 21 made me laugh out loud. PeeWee is a unique and memorable main character, and the four heiress librarians were a riot. The writing is spare but packed with unforgettable details—the cat with the wooden paw, the tornado opening up the graveyard, the skeleton in the tree, the librarian’s epitaph (“Here lies the librarian after years of service, tried and true, heaven stamped her—overdue”). From Kirkus Reviews: “As always, Peck writes with humor and affection about times past, elders, and growing up strong.”

[Ashley Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute inspiring book about the narrator, and her brother, whose lives are changed when four library science gals come to a small town in Indiana in the early 1900s. Eleanor aka Peewee has a passion for being a mechanic like her brother and all things car related unlike other females. Despite influences and difficulty, she follows the beat of her own drum with her courage and determination. Since this book takes place in the early 1900s some of the language is archaic, especially names of vehicles, that I looked up because I wanted a visual image. It read so much like an old book, I thought it was published a long time ago and I was surprised it was actually published in 2006. I guess that's good writing when the reader thinks a book is published in the time period of when the book takes place. Reader may want to be aware that multiple animals are injured or killed in the book but the cat nor dog dies or at least not during the story. I read the book because my aunt who visited me last month left it at my house for me to read as it made her think of me of course.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is our 2nd Richard Peck book as a family read aloud, and they have been two of our favorites (Long Way from Chicago takes the cake though).
Humor flows off every page!
The wit was enjoyed by us parents, our preteen & teenager more than the younger kids though-so perhaps this is best reserved for older kids.

[Natalie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I laughed out loud. It's quirky and fun and I finished in a day. I loved all of the characters.
This is the second book by Richard Peck I've read and it definitely felt like the same style of writing as "The Teacher's Funeral." "I got better and better at being myself because who wants to be everybody else?"

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peewee is doing just fine, dressing like a boy, working in her big brother's automotive shop. But then their town sets out to hire a new librarian, and Peewee's whole way of life takes an interesting (if unwanted) turn.

[Camie Hillegonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun! Basically read this in a day! A quick read that I couldn’t put down!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, charming read.

[Kate Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book all about progress and being yourself while being open to growth. I liked Irene the best.

CW: dark themes, animal cruelty.