Written by Richard Michelson
Illustrated by Alyssa Russell
New York, New York : Rocky Pond Books, 2025. Biography.
I love when I read a book that makes me stop and think, deeply, about the kind of person I want to be. That is exactly what this book did for me. There are many individual quotes that are inspiring, and the story as a whole is thought-provoking and meaningful.
Fanny Goldstein is a young girl of six when her family makes the decision to leave Russia and emigrate to the United States. They do this for their safety, and in search of a better life. Fanny has moments where she misses the life she and her family had to leave behind. One thing that helps make the adjustment to living in a new place better for her, is finding out that at the library she has access to large quantities of books for free.
This biography follows Fanny from childhood, through young adulthood, and into her career as a director of a library branch. Her curiosity from childhood never waivers, and her desire to make the world a better place is constant. Fanny makes it a priority to treat everyone who comes to the library as though they are family. She is always seeking ways to incorporate a love of culture, heritage, and literature into her work.
I absolutely loved this biography and all that I learned about Fanny. Her life and story left such an impact on me, and served as a lovely reminder to me of the power that books and libraries, as well as patrons and librarians, have to make the world a better place where knowledge is empowering and people can improve themselves and foster an attitude of caring for others.
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