The Ninja Librarians Recon Team Week 4

Now that the Texas Library Association annual conference is over, it's time to go back to my favorite middle grade book of 2014 - The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jen Swann Downey. It's now four days away from the book's release, and I'm incredibly excited about finally getting a published copy of it.




This week's Ninja Librarians Recon Team question is: What animal would you take with you if you were going on an adventure?

This is one of those tough single-response questions that I find it difficult to answer. It's like asking for my favorite book or movie - I can never pick just one. Maybe I'm a wimp. Maybe I'm afraid of committing to an answer, over-analyzing it (as I am prone to do), then second-guessing my answer.

Whatever the reason, I feel more comfortable listing a few animals I'd take on an adventure and why I chose that particular animal:

• Lion - to ward off attacks. 
• Horse - in case I need to go somewhere quickly over land. 
• Dolphin - in case I need to go somewhere quickly in the water. Also to fend off sharks. 
• Dog - for companionship.
• Bear - for warmth. 
• Monkey - for entertainment. (Haven't you always wanted a monkey?)
• Penguin - in case I'm invited to attend a formal gathering. 
• Pigeon - to deliver important information, like the enemy's current location. 
• Parrot - to be my spokesperson for when I'm hungry and stuff. Also, conversation partner. 

I think that's about it. Until someone invents a lion/horse/dolphin/dog/bear/monkey/penguin/pigeon/parrot hybrid, I'll have to go with this answer.

Please, don't anyone try to create a lion/horse/dolphin/dog/bear/monkey/penguin/pigeon/parrot hybrid. It would give me nightmares.

By the way, the book's publisher Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, has created a great website for The Ninja Librarians to promote the book and its educational resources. Please do visit the website, take a look around at the Educator Guide, Activity Kit, and Guide to Petrarch's Library. And be sure to watch the book trailer!

I tell you, whoever made that trailer is a genius. I bet she's beautiful, too.