ROAR FOR READING

Lion librarians roar for intellectual freedom.

Lions have protected libraries for years, though the link between the two is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it’s lions’ roars that make them the perfect guardians of “something rare and precious” like books. Scenes depicting libraries of yore show robed lions in caves safeguarding treasure boxes filled with books as scholarly-looking animals happily read. Today, libraries are “peaceful and quiet” places. Librarians—still lions—focus less on protecting books and more on sharing them. The librarians’ legendary roars are all but forgotten. That is, until the mayor of one community tries to ban books because “some folks think these books are dangerous.” At first, the head librarian, Ms. Millicent, and her son, Julius, comply and remove books from the shelves. But, as Julius stares at a nearly empty shelf, a rumble in his belly turns into a roar. Together, Julius and his mother fight back alongside community members—all animals—for everyone’s right to read. This timely book effectively simplifies the current book-banning movement into easily digestible terms. Better yet, in the backmatter, “ROAR” is revealed to be an acronym for steps to advocate for intellectual freedom (Recognize, Organize, Act, Respect). As an added treat, book covers throughout reference near-actual titles (Of Mice and Moose).

A solid primer for library advocates.