Mobile Library

Mobile Library by David Whitehouse, 264 pages

Thirteen-year-old Bobby Nusku is having a rough time at home. His loving mother left abruptly a couple years back, leaving him with with an alcoholic, abusive father. School isn't much better for Bobby, with plenty of bullies and just one slightly crazy friend. Then Bobby meets Val and Rosa Reed, a single mom and her disabled daughter who live down the street from Bobby. Val notices Bobby's bruises and takes him under her wing, introducing him to the bookmobile that she cleans for a living (as well as all the wonderful stories held by the bookmobile.

This is a great book, both heartbreaking and heartwarming, both very real and very full of fantasy (as childhood should be), both sad and funny. It's a quick read, but well worth it, particularly for those who love books and libraries. Not that there are any of those sorts hanging around library blogs...