Last night, I read The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall in almost one sitting, very much the way I’d have read it as a child. There were moments I wasn’t parallel-thinking of the news, and those are the focus of my review. This is a charm of a novel, and in the quality of the writing, the tone, and the depth, it is very similar to the Penderwicks books.
The story shares qualities with the authors I read as a child: E. Nesbit, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, and Edward Eager all came to mind as I read. There’s a quiet strength here, and yet at times I felt like Birdsall was holding back, going easy on the reader. To be fair, I felt this way about the last two Penderwicks stories. It isn’t that I need a story to be gritty to feel real, it’s that the misery – and there is deep sadness in this book – felt like it had been given a modesty vest.
Gwen Mackinnon is eleven – the age all US protagonists of similar stories must be – and has difficult parents who neglect her, passing her to and fro like a misdirected parcel.
She goes to stay with her Uncle Matthew, who is - and forgive my tone but this is precisely where I struggle with Birdsall - a lovely man with a lovely daughter and a lovely dog in a lovely house in a lovely town. Had that been the whole of it, I'd have stopped reading ten pages in. I don't care for unalloyed lovely, nor did I as a child.
But this story has the Lahdukan, a small people, just 8 inches high or so. And they were absolutely fantastic: they were what made this book work for me, and in spite of my lukewarm feelings toward a little girl who I firmly believe I'd have liked better had she ever gotten angry or simply behaved and spoken like a child rather than a tiny 1950s Ivy League undergraduate. There is a weird liminal space in my experience of this novel between the Lahdukan, who were realer to me than any single human in the story, and Gwen, Uncle Matthew, et al who felt staged the way a house someone is trying to sell gets staged.
That aside, since you're not here to find out that a middle-aged person has Strong Opinions on preciousness, I do highly recommend this book. The Lahdukan are all so individual and well-developed, and their scenes so clear that they were a joy. I hope Birdsall writes more about them, and I'd adore to see their fate in the hands of my favorite character in this book, little Julia, who does get loud, bossy, and angry, and who I fervently hope does not outgrow any of those things.
This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy books with adventure that colors within the lines of comfort, and would make a great read-aloud suited to cosy evenings.
I received a copy of The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun emotionally satisfying spiritual sequel to The Borrowers! The unhappy "traditional" family dynamics that are Birdsall's hallmark come through meaningfully without being trite.

This touching book takes a kid who has not had much magic in her life and places her into a foreign situation full of love, magic and friendship. It is sweet and touching without crossing the line into saccharine. There are pockets of adventure and misunderstandings, but overall it is a light hearted tale. The Lahdukan are a lovely race of beings that I would love to see inhabiting libraries and museums everywhere.
While there is some sadness in Gwen's story, I found myself feeling like Uncle Matthew, plotting to rescue this child who is so unused to love and kindness that even simple acts of kindness are viewed with reverence. While there is an element of sadness it could lead to discussions about how families show love differently. Is there love in spending time with someone, what about the way Pumpkin shows love, is there love in how Gwen treats Julia, even when her parents give her up to Matthew there is love in that.
The book lends itself to becoming a series, you could explore past Qalban or follow Gwen on her journey, there could be trips to visit other cities museums and libraries to search for Lahdukan.

This reminds me of something I would have obsessed over as a small kid. It does feel exactly like the books I've seen it comped to.

Jeanne Birdsall writes classic children's literature in a way that draws the reader in, even if they are reluctant. This is a sweet, fun story about imaginary creatures, found family, and the power of imagination and magic. I was a bit unsure if I would stick with this when reading Charlotte's diary, but really enjoyed following Gwen's adventures and her connection with Uncle Matthew, Lexie the librarian and the young children of the library. This was a book I would recommend to fans of fairytales and whimsical stories. It would make a good audiobook for those who like to listen to comforting stories without scary elements.

Pumpkin the dog was by far my favorite character though!

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Because Gwen MacKinnon's parents are divorced and involved with a long line of romantic partners, they are less than interested in taking care of her, so she's setn to spend a couple of weeks with her Uncle Matthew, whose wife has died, and his dog Pumpkin. His daughter, Nora, is grown and living away from home. Gwen is a bit anxious about many things, since her life hasn't been exactly stable, but she loves the pretty room at Matthew's house, and he goes above and beyond at cooking food she might like. There is a young neighbor girl who lives upstairs, Julia, and when Gwen goes to the MacKinnon library with Pumpkin, she feels at home there, too. Julia and the other children have a lot of stories about creatures they call the Lahdukan, whom they describe as being about 8 inches tall with feathered wings. At the beginning of the book, the reader is introduced to this tiny race, which was brought from Scotland by Charlotte MacKinnon in 1866. Ms. Lexie, the librarian, humors the children with their "game", and agrees that once children are older than six, they can't see the Lahdukan. Gwen, however, can. She has special powers, and is likely the Qalba, a type of liaison, for the Lahdukan. One of the younger members has been separated from his parents, who live at the nearby Isabelle Gardner Museum. Gwen talks to Zarakir, who is one of the leaders, and a plan is made to go visit the other clan. This becomes more imperative when construction in the library threatens the Lahdukan population, and they consult prophecies to find the best course of action for their survival. Gwen, in the meantime, has to contend with her father vacillating on when he wants her to return home, just as her role of Qalba is vitally important. Nora comes back to help out, and Gwen musters her inner resources to deal with not only her own problems, but the Lahdukans'.
Strengths: It's sweet that Birdsall wanted to pay homage to Norton's 1952 The Borrowers, which is one of my favorite books, and one of the very few I read aloud to my own personal children. Setting it in Boston gives a lot of scope for imagination, and having another clan of creatures at the real Gardner museum is inspired. Older cousins are always fun, so seeing even more of Nora would have made me happy. Ms. Lexie was a great character who played along with the "game", but wasn't too surprised when it turned out to be real. Uncle Matthew is a wonderful steady influence, and it was endearing that he let Gwen come to work with him. Pumpkin was also appealing, and not I want a pocket vest for my own dog.
Weaknesses: The reason The Borrowers is so appealing is that we get a first hand look at the Clock family. We get to live under the floor boards, go looking for small objects to borrow, and get a great perspective on what it would be like to be that small and face the challenges that Pod, Homily, and Arriety do. This is more like having the original story told from the point of view of Kate and her aunt. We don't really see enough of the parents to understand just how horrible they are.
What I really think: This will be greatly beloved by teachers and librarians who have fond memories of Norton's The Borrowers, and younger readers who enjoy classic literature. I will pass on purchase because I don't have the readers. I couldn't get any of my students to read The Penderwicks and finally weeded the two books I had. Elementary students might be more of the target audience for The Library of Unruly Treasures.

A fun new book but a beloved author. This is a great story that makes for a good read aloud. Amazing characters. Sweet fun story.