Books charged with imagination
My sister called me the other day and said she wished we lived closer so we could just lay in the grass and find all the different shapes in the clouds.
That made me smile; yep, that would be fun. Just the thought of it made me feel young.
That's one of the awesome things about childhood — it oozes with enthusiasm and imagination. These qualities are what make children so enjoyable to be around; they view life through an untainted lens.
Feeding a child's imagination on a daily basis can allow the child to retain that enthusiasm and imagination throughout life. This sort of “daily” exercise comes from many sources, including free play and reading imaginative books together. Such is the case with the books reviewed below.
We all have the ability to keep the child within us, regardless of our age. Despite the knocks that life may dole out from time to time, being enthusiastic and imaginative about today and tomorrow is a life-sustaining skill.
Teaching that to children from an early age onward is a real gift.
The following book is available at many public libraries.“The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau, Random House, 288 pages; read aloud: age 8 and older; read yourself: age 10 to 11 and older.No one can remember a time before the city of Ember. For as much as the residents know, Ember is all there is. Outside the city limits is complete and utter darkness, and anyone who has mustered the courage to venture out into it has quickly returned to report the nothingness, the pitch black, and the terror they experienced.And so the people of Ember stay where they are. The darkness outside of the city is kept at bay by the underground generator that supplies them with a dull, yellow light.But the lights are starting to flicker, and the people don't know what they'll do if the lights go out.When Lina discovers pieces of an ancient document that seems to provide an important message, she shares it with her friend, Doon, and he and Lina are convinced the message reveals directions out of the city to another place, a place that is safe and new.But the two must harness courage and a fast plan of escape to try and save themselves and the people of the city before the lights go out forever.Fresh, compelling, suspenseful, futuristic yet eerily realistic, this outstanding novel will command the attention of older readers and listeners.
Library: Mars Area Public Library, 107 Grand Ave., MarsLibrary Director: Mary Jo SimonsChoices this week: “Rumble in the Jungle” by Giles Andreae; “If You Give a Pig a Party” by Laura Numeroff; “Time Soldiers” series by Kathleen Duey
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.“The Beginner's Guide to Running Away From Home” by Jennifer LaRue Huget, illustrated by Red Nose Studio, Schwartz & Wade, 2013, 36 pages, $17.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 5 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.If you've never run away from home, the hero in this very funny book is about to do just that, and willingly explains precisely how it is done: the “why” and the “what,” the “when” and everything in-between (including reconsidering and giving the family one more chance).Hilarious, spot-on text is perfectly complemented by the extraordinarily inventive illustrations, making this selection one children will want to read over and over again.“The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, Philomel, 2013, 36 pages, $17.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 3 to 7; read yourself: age 7.Duncan just wanted to color, but when he went to take out his crayons, he found instead a large stack of letters addressed to him.Much to Duncan's surprise, the letters were from his individual crayons, each lodging a complaint. Red crayon is exhausted from being overworked, Black crayon wants to be more than just an outline, and Pink crayon feels very neglected. And they aren't the only crayons with grievances; the whole box is in an uproar!Highly creative, very funny and charged with imagination, this selection is perfectly paired with the wonderfully expressive artwork of Oliver Jeffers.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at her website: www.greatestbooksforkids.com.
