blogis librorum. A blog about books. Rare books.

Talk to anyone about the most beloved characters in children's literature and Anne Shirley is sure to come up. First introduced in L.M. Montgomery’s 1908 novel, Anne of Green Gables, the earnest and precocious Anne, don't forget the "e," quickly made a place for herself as a mainstay on children's bookshelves. Throughout her career, Montgomery published twenty novels and hundreds of poems and short stories. Her work turned her home, Prince Edward Island, into a tourist destination and made her one of the most recognizable names in Canadian literature, known and loved throughout the world. Join us today as we take a look at some of the best quotes from Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series:

Since the innovation of motion pictures, filmmakers have been turning to literature for inspiration. Some of the earliest silent movies were adaptations of famous stories that would have been well-known to audiences of the time. With the advent of animation came even more opportunities to adapt beloved stories in a new format.

Certain presses might automatically come to mind when you’re thinking about book collecting, such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf's Hogarth Press in England, Shakespeare and Company in Paris, or Losada in Buenos Aires. Larger presses also published some of the great works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Yet we rarely think about academic press books when discussing collectible or rare books.

With a career spanning over fifty years, Judy Blume is a force in children's fiction. Her earnest portrayals of life for teens and pre-teens have made her one of the most beloved authors writing today. Her books continue to be reprinted and updated as even those written decades ago resonate for children today. However, her dedication to portraying real issues pre-teens and teens face has often led to her books being banned. Judy Blume is consistently placed on lists of most banned writers. Join us today as we take a look at some of Judy Blume's best and most banned novels for children.

Philip Roth was born in New Jersey in 1933 to second-generation Jewish parents from Austria and Ukraine. He graduated from Weequahic High School in 1950, and his time there inspired much of his fiction, including his popular and critically acclaimed Portnoy’s Complaint. He earned a BA from Bucknell College and an MA from the University of Chicago. He began studying for his PhD but dropped out. He taught writing at numerous institutions before retiring from teaching in the early 90’s. His publishing career began in the 50’s with short stories and novellas. His first collected work, Goodbye, Columbus, won the National Book Award in 1960, securing his place as one of the best American writers of his generation. He won a second National Book Award for Sabbath’s Theater and a Pulitzer Prize for American Pastoral. He also won three PEN/Faulkner Awards throughout his career. He passed away in 2018 at the age of eighty-five. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best passages from Roth’s impressive body of work:

Canadian writer and illustrator Charles van Sandwyk is best known for his charming and whimsical limited-run books. The quality of each hand-made production makes van Sandwyk's work appealing to collectors and casual readers. His attention to detail with carefully crafted illustrations and an eye toward depicting natural and imaginary beings gives his work an ethereal quality ideal for adults and children alike. Van Sandwky was born in South Africa in 1966. Here, he developed his love of nature and drawing as he practiced sketching the beautiful creatures that call the area home. His family moved to Canada when he was just eleven years old. During this time, he discovered two of his other great influences: JRR Tolkien and Arthur Rackham. He continued to practice drawing, and his style evolved further due to mentorship from his art teachers. Three, in particular, helped him find his path by teaching him calligraphy and printmaking, while another gifted him an antique printing press. He went on to study graphic design at Capilano College. One of his greatest inspirations is Fiji, a place that had been for him an endless source of peace, happiness, and creativity. He produces most artwork there, working closely with his friend Waisiki Doughty, who helps hand-make van Sandwyk's books. Today we take a closer look at some of the most beautiful works of art from van Sandwyk for those interested in beginning a collection.

Today in our Top Books by State series, we are looking at two books set in Montana. This western state is characterized by some of the most beautiful landscapes in America. A visit to Montana can bring you within reach of the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. Due to many ranches and protected land, Montana is one of the least populated states in the country. This beauty and loneliness are often combined in the literature from the state. Join us today as we look at some of the best books from Big Sky Country on the Montana portion of our literary road trip across the United States.

Today we continue our literary trip across the United States by taking a closer look at some of the best books set in South Carolina. This southern state is geographically diverse, containing both bustling cities like Charleston and Colombia and subtropical locations that feature estuaries and salt marshes. The Lowcountry, the setting of one of today's featured novels, contains numerous barrier islands unique to the region.

While Southern Carolina has a rich history as a colony and a key location during the Civil War, each novel we'll be looking at today features families in the 1950’s, which was a period of significant change regarding civil rights. Let's take a closer look at these South Carolina books in our Top Books by State Series:

Each year, The Newbery Medal is awarded to a book representing the best storytelling for children in the field. The 1925 prize was awarded to an author who based his works on world travels, and who devoted his career to promoting a love of literature to children through his book and adults through his journalism and work with literary magazines. He made such an impact on literature that there is a park named for him in his home state of Arkansas. Join us today as we take a closer look at children's adventure writer (among other things), Charles J. Finger in the 1925 edition of our Newbery Winning Author's series:

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the illustrator whose work published in the previous year represents the best children's book illustration. The book written and illustrated by the 2008 winner certainly proved himself worthy of the award with a fantastic story, beautiful illustrations, and no small amount of innovation. Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret combines conventions of novels, graphic novels, children's books, flip books, and the set design of early cinema to craft a book that captures the imagination regardless of age. Join us today as we take a closer look at Selznick's career in the 2008 edition of our Caldecott Winning Illustrators Series: