BOOKS TO BORROW

“Pictures of Hollis Woods” by Patricia Reilly Giff, Wendy Lamb/Random House, 166 pages

Read aloud: age 8 and older

Read yourself: age 8, 9 and older

Twelve-year-old Hollis Woods has lived in more foster homes than she can remember, and she’s run away from them all, including the place she loved and was offered a home, with the Regans.

Maybe living with Josie, a loving, elderly, eccentric artist, will be different. Hollis is an artist, too, and sharing this equal ground gives Hollis some hope and security. But Josie is becoming more forgetful, and Hollis knows that if Social Services finds out, they’ll take her away from Josie.

Hollis decides to run away. But this time she’s not going alone; she’s taking Josie with her to the only place she feels is safe — the Regans’ summer cabin. Her past summer there with the Regans was almost perfect. Maybe this time it could be.

LIBRARIAN’S CHOICE

Library: Mystic & Noank Library, 40 Library St., Mystic

Library Director: Lois Hiller

Choices this week: “The Relatives Came” by Cynthia Rylant; “Officer Buckle and Gloria” by Peggy Rathmann; “The Canning Season” by Polly Horvath 

BOOKS TO BUY

“Here Comes Valentine Cat” by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Claudia Rueda, Dial. 2015, 88 pages

Read aloud: age 4 to 7

Read yourself: age 6 and 7

Cat does NOT like Valentine’s Day whatsoever. Why? Cat thinks it is too mushy and too full of love, love, love. Cat does not plan on sending a valentine card to anyone; not even a friend.

Enter Cat’s new neighbor, Dog. Cat is NOT at all fond of Dog. Dog keeps howling and even takes to throwing items over the fence that hit Cat on the head. Dog is driving Cat nuts, and crabby Cat devises a plan to get rid of Dog once and for all. But just as Cat is about to hatch his plan, Cat is in for a big (and loving) surprise.

A fun tale of misperceptions, friendship, and a change of heart, this choice provides multiple levels of Valentine’s Day entertainment.

“You Make Me Happy” by An Swerts, illustrated by Jenny Bakker, Clavis, 2015, 28 pages, $16.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 5 to 8

Read yourself: age 7 and 8

Young Sofia asks her grandma if it is possible to love someone too much. She tells Grandma that her feelings for a boy in her class are so strong it makes her feel as if she can’t breathe. Grandma tells her that when you love someone that much it does feel like you can’t catch your breath, and that you feel happy and light headed, too.

After listening to the many things Sofia likes about this boy, Grandma tells her she must tell the boy how she feels. Not certain of how to do that, Sofia asks Grandma to tell her the story of how this happened for her. Drawing strength from the story, Sofia figures out how to express her feelings to the boy she loves.

kendal@sunlink.net