Joyce Grant’s This Is a Library Book Celebrates Libraries and Their Communities

Libraries are places to find books, but their value reaches well beyond the shelves. Joyce Grant’s This Is a Library Book introduces readers ages 8–12 to libraries as shared spaces for learning, connection and practical help. Illustrated by Chanelle Nibbelink, the 48-page book looks at how libraries have changed, what they offer and the many forms they can take.

Grant puts the idea plainly: “Libraries do more than just lend books. They lend ideas. They share knowledge. They provide a safe space. They reflect the people in the community. They help us understand ourselves better. They preserve history and address social problems.” The passage gives the book its broad frame. A library, in these pages, is an institution built around access to knowledge and the people who use it.

This Is a Library Book is written for children curious about what happens in libraries, though its range may also give adults a fresh way to talk about them. Grant covers services, their development over time and possible futures. Along the way, she introduces unusual examples from around the world: hidden or secret libraries, mobile services, libraries without buildings or books, and one whose books will not be revealed until 2114.

The book’s idea of a library is deliberately expansive. Some examples may be familiar to young readers; others invite them to rethink the word itself. That variety helps the subject move beyond a list of rules or a description of how to borrow a book. Readers get a sense of libraries as places shaped by what communities need and by the ways people share resources.

Illustration by Chanelle Nibbelink from This Is a Library Book, written by Joyce Grant

Grant also makes room for children to consider their own experiences. Questions about books and libraries turn the subject back toward the reader: What have they borrowed? What have they learned? What would they like a library to offer? This approach gives the material a conversational quality and helps children connect large ideas about access and community to places they already know.

A playful feature, “The ‘Where Can I Get a Book?’ Game,” uses a coin flip and a move through the book to make that exploration interactive. It offers a change of pace while reinforcing the idea that books can be found in different settings. The format also gives families, teachers and librarians an easy prompt for talking about how readers locate information and stories.

Illustration by Chanelle Nibbelink from This Is a Library Book, written by Joyce Grant

Nibbelink’s art makes that variety visible. The Canadian-American illustrator uses bold colours and quirky shapes to fill the scenes with activity. People read, sing, look at maps, knit and work at computers; the mix suggests that a library can serve different interests at once. Diverse figures give the images a sense of shared use, while the busy compositions reward a closer look.

Illustration by Chanelle Nibbelink from This Is a Library Book, written by Joyce Grant

Some of the illustrations make abstract ideas tangible. One image shows small figures unchaining books, an arresting visual for the freedom to encounter ideas. Elsewhere, a violin and a tiger appear among the objects in a guessing game about what readers might borrow. These details add humour and visual variety while underscoring how a library’s offerings can surprise.

Illustration by Chanelle Nibbelink from This Is a Library Book, written by Joyce Grant

The book’s combination of information, questions, games and detailed artwork should suit curious middle-grade readers, as well as adults sharing it with them. Its strongest invitation is to look at a nearby library with new questions: who uses it, what can people find there, and what could it become? Published by Kids Can Press on October 6, 2026, This Is a Library Book makes a case for seeing libraries as active community spaces whose usefulness can keep growing.