She meets a 10-foot-tall, stern librarian (who was originally from Ancient Egypt) who indoctrinates Lenora into her first job as a Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian at the Library of Ever.

“…she could smell something wonderful-the scent of many old books, a musty and thrilling odor…” There she emerges into the Library of Ever, a seemingly endless shelving of books and maps and calendars and all sorts of interesting things to learn, where librarians navigate the vast world with bridges, elevators, magical traveling tubes, and even blimps. Curious, she passes under the arch and although in darkness, she is not afraid. The boy happily enters the astrophysics section, and Lenora finds herself under a large stone archway with words chiseled upon it: Knowledge Is a Light. Taking the boy’s hand, Lenora goes to find a real librarian to help them, but the man disappears. The man’s eyes flickered again, like a snake’s tongue. “That’s not how you spell librarian,” said Lenora. Lenora is intimidated, but then reads the man’s badge, “LIBARIAN.” His path is blocked by a large man in a bowler hat who insists the boy is too young for such information. Intent only on escaping to the children’s section, Lenora instead comes to the rescue of a young boy trying to enter the astrophysics section of the library. By the time they reached the front desk, she had gotten herself completely out of tow. But she was only in tow at first, then gradually less so as they climbed the stairs. “…the nanny marched up the steps… with Lenora in tow. The Library of Ever is both the title and the place Lenora finds herself after a troubling encounter at the city library:

The main character, eleven-year-old Lenora, is the definition of “plucky,” with her endless curiosity, strong sense of right and wrong, and take charge attitude. This middle-grade story was so much fun to read! A fast-paced adventure set in a magical library had me smiling all the way.

She could smell books, and even more, possibility.” “She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

The library of ever by zeno alexander