A lonely doll helps a child adjust to a blended family in the first of a charming series about library toys and the children who borrow them, written by Newbery Honoree Cynthia Lord.

Ivy was Anne the librarian’s doll when she was a young girl. But now she has moved to Anne’s library to be its newest Book Buddy—a toy that can be checked out just like a book. Ivy isn’t sure she wants to be borrowed, though. She’d rather go back to just being Anne’s favorite toy. Fern, a child who visits the library with her stepfamily, also wishes things could go back to the way they were, when Fern had her dad all to herself. When Fern takes Ivy home, an unexpected outdoor adventure helps both of them find confidence and belonging in their changing worlds. Now available in paperback, this heartwarming story by Cynthia Lord, with a classic feel and gentle illustrations by Stephanie Graegin, is the first in a reassuring series exploring children’s emotions and the comfort objects who help them.

Creators

Cynthia Lord is the author of award-winning middle-grade fiction. Her titles include Book Buddies: Marco Polo Brave Explorer, the Newbery Honor Book Rules, Touch Blue, Half a Chance, A Handful of Stars, Because of the Rabbit, and other books for young readers. Cynthia Lord lives in Maine.

Stephanie Graegin is the author-illustrator of Little Fox in the Forest and the illustrator of many other books, including Book Buddies: Marco Polo Brave Explorer by Cynthia Lord, You Were the First by Patricia MacLachlan, and Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins. Stephanie Graegin lives in Brooklyn.

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