I remember seeing a bookmobile once as a child. Many still exist in areas too small for a library, but for those of us who live in town, they’re a rare sight. “Hannah’s Bookmobile Christmas” takes us to a place where they were in common use.
“Blue Bird” was the name of this particular bookmobile, and Mary loved it. She had been the mobile’s first driver/librarian, and she took her job very seriously. Now her eight-year-old niece Hannah is her helper, and it’s Christmas Eve. The snow is starting to fall, and Mary’s getting worried. If she can’t make her deliveries early enough, the snow will build up and keep her from getting Hannah home for Christmas Eve.
At each stop along their route, their customers give them a Christmas treat to take home. They expressed their gratitude for the book deliveries and shared their love of reading with Mary and Hannah. It was wonderful to share in the holiday spirit, but Mary was still worried about the weather, especially as the tires began to slip on the roads.
Finally the route was finished and they began the drive up the mountain to Hannah’s house. But sure enough, the road was slick. They slid back and forth around the curves until Mary found a place to pull over. They were as good as stuck.
They weren’t sad, though. They had a whole pile of Christmas treats, and a whole pile of Christmas books. Together they curled up and read and ate, and had a wonderful Christmas Eve.
The back page of this book tells a little bit about the history of the bookmobile and why they were phased out, but today, the bookmobile is beginning to make a comeback.
(This book was published in 2001 by Henry Holt, and was illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska.)
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