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BY STEVE SUMERFORD

Thousands of people, young and not-so-young, are flocking to theaters to see "Where the Wild Things Are," but if it weren't for the efforts of one local librarian, little children everywhere might never have had the chance to meet Max and those slightly scary monsters.

It started in 1963 when Greensboro librarian, Marilyn Miller, a young school librarian at the time, was asked to serve on the American Library Association committee that selects the children's picture book most worthy of the prestigious Caldecott Medal.

"Where the Wild Things Are" was one of the top contenders, but the committee was split over it. Some of the older, more conservative librarians felt it was inappropriate for children. Eventually, after lots of heated discussion, Miller and others convinced the majority to award author Maurice Sendak the 1964 Caldecott Medal.

"There were gasps and complaints from child-development specialists and children's librarians," Miller said. "They thought that the scary monsters were inappropriate for small children. And you have to remember that back then, the children in picture books would never talk back to their parents."

But, scary or not, when a book wins the Caldecott, it sets off a chain of reactions. Libraries and bookstores automatically order multiple copies. It gets reviewed in newspapers and magazines. Children's librarians begin to feature it in their story time programs.

And that is exactly what happened to "Wild Things" after Miller and her committee members selected it. It immediately started climbing the sales charts. Eventually, it became an all-time best-seller, as it still is today.

Miller, who later became president of the ALA and head of the library science program at UNCG, said "Wild Things" was the beginning of realism in children's books, a trend that has lasted for more than 40 years.

So, Marilyn Miller, thanks for doing your part to make sure that kids everywhere get to enjoy the adventures of Max. And thanks, too, to the Association for Library Service to Children for continuing to discover new Caldecott and Newberry award winners every year.

I asked Miller how she felt about "Where the Wild Things Are" being adapted for a major motion picture.

"When they announced that it was being made, my eyebrows did go up because I didn't know why it was necessary, and I couldn't imagine how a feature-length film could be made out of a book with so little text.

"But, I went to see it the week that it opened and I thoroughly enjoyed it," she said. "The film works well and I was thrilled to see the theater filled with so many totally attentive little kids."

If you want to meet Miller and thank her for her efforts, you'll probably find her at the Central Library next weekend helping with the semiannual Friends of the Library Used Book Sale. Since she retired a few years ago, Miller has been a driving force in various Friends of the Library initiatives, including the book sale.

"You can get some great deals at the book sale and all the proceeds go to the Friends of the Library to support special library projects like One City, One Book and the annual Summer Reading Program," Miller said.

The book sale runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Most items are priced between 50 cents and $2.

But, if you can't make it on Saturday, you can find great deals every day on used books, DVDs and CDs at the Booklovers Shop in the Central Library.

Who knows? You might even find a copy of "Where the Wild Things Are" lurking somewhere in one of the big stacks of children's books waiting to be taken home to delight your kids.

Finally, we'd like to hear what you think about "Where the Wild Things Are." Send me an e-mail sharing your "Wild Things" memories. Do you think the book is too scary for kids? Do you remember the first time you read it? How did you like the movie adaptation? Have you read Sendak's other books? Which one did you like best?

Decimal Points is a regular feature on the books page. If you have comments about books or libraries, we would love to hear from you.

Steve Sumerford is assistant director of the Greensboro Public Library. Contact him at 373-3636 or steve.sumerford @greensboro-nc.gov