Chapter 7 Summary

The library and its smells gives Bud a taste of home again, as he had the night before at the shelter. He realizes the sameness of the library allows him to find information easily, and that the "page powder," or book page dust that flies up when fluttering the pages, seems to have imaginative powers for him that help him feel relaxed and restful. The last component of his home away from home is the hope of seeing Ms. Hill, his favorite librarian. He is disturbed to hear that, through another kind librarian, she has left the library, married, and moved to Chicago with her new husband.

When he feels the library door closing, Bud reflects on one of his Momma's sayings. Momma always said, "As one door closes, another one opens." He feels hopeful that something good is coming his way, even...