Hayley's Children's Book Reviews

Horseplay! written by Karma Wilson is a playful romp about a farmer and his horses.  The farmer notices his horses are always too tired to work.  He eventually figures out his horses are playing all night when they are supposed to be sleeping.  Read this fun story and see what happens to the farmer when he decides to stay up all night and make sure his horses get some sleep.  

Daniel Pinkwater’s, Bear In Love, is a sweet story about a bear who starts everyday looking for something yummy to eat.  One morning he sees that someone has left him something sweet and crunchy to eat.  Over the next few days someone leaves him something to eat and bear wonders who would do something that nice for him.  This is a lovable story about the importance of sharing and friendship.

When a young boy is sent to a corner for time out he decides the corner needs some fixing up.  He thinks the walls are too white and definitely need some color.  Read Time Out For Monsters! by Jean Reidy and discover how this young boy’s imagination comes to life.

Bear wants to invite his friends for a nice big dinner but he has no food in his cupboards.  His friends start showing up with all sorts of delicious food to eat.  Bear is sad he has nothing to share but his friends help him discover he has something better to share than just food.  Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson helps kids remember all the wonderful things they have to be thankful for.

A Treasure At Sea For Dragon And Me Water Safety For Kids And Dragons is the perfect combination of adventure and water safety by Jean E. Pendziwol.   In this book spend a summer day with a girl and her friend dragon as they build sand castles, swim and play in the water, and race pirates to treasure.    Along the way, kids will learn important swimming rules they can practice in real life to help them be water smart.  The Dragon’s Water Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book are perfect tools parents can use when having water safety discussions with their kids. 

Library Buzz: There Really Are Fifty Shades of Grey

People often ask, “What is Banned Books Week? Are you banning books?” Quite the opposite. Librarians don’t ban books. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’ll decide I don’t like a book. Sometimes, I won’t even read it first (I’m that unenlightened). But here’s the thing: Librarians don’t have to ban the books we don’t agree with. We know you’ll read the book and decide for yourself.

It’s not black and white: there’s no line with “Good books” on one side and “Bad books” on the other. If you like romance novels, your definition of “good” is going to differ from my action-adventure tastes. Some books have poor plots but fabulous prose. Others are badly written but tell great stories. Maybe they’re awful. Maybe they’re everything you ever wanted and more. You won’t know until you read them.

For this one week each year, we encourage you to read things that other people don’t want you to read. Check out these frequently challenged or banned books:

Middle school students might enjoy “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, set in a dystopian future that will appeal to fans of “The Hunger Games.” In a world where government chooses your job, your spouse, even when you die, one young man must make a painful choice of his own.

High school students should try “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles, frequently banned from high schools for offensive language, but so thought-provoking that I still think about it more than ten years after reading it. It’s beautifully written with flawed, yet relatable, characters.

For the adults, I recommend “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett, frequently challenged for being violent and sexually explicit. It is certainly those things, but it’s also epic. This historical fiction follows the rivalries of peasants, priests, and royals in medieval England. Plan to miss dinner because you won’t be able to put it down.

Banned Books Week kicks off our Big Read celebration, which lasts all October. This year, citizens of Andover are reading “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, a cautionary tale of book burning in an age of unlimited government control. Join us at the library all month for Big Read activities, such as an altered books workshop October 13 and a visit from the fire department October 27. If you’d rather rescue books than burn them, shop our used book sale October 20. Check our website for more events.

Until next month, don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t read!

(Originally published in the Andover American 10/4/12)