Humans have long held a fascination with the past. We want to know how and why, when and where. Books play an important role in this tradition, and reading aloud to children every day enhances their sense of history. The books reviewed today address the magic of reading in three distinct ways.

We are our stories, and through them we connect, intersect and carry on the oldest form of entertainment and the oldest form of therapy in the world.

BOOKS TO BORROW

“Jack Plank Tells Tales” by Natalie Babbitt, Scholastic, 144 pages

Read aloud: age 7, 8 and older

Read yourself: age 8, 9 and older

Jack Plank is a pirate but not a very good one. All of Jack’s shipmates are quite fond of Jack, but when business slows down, the captain tells Jack he has to let him go. And so, Jack, the out-of-work pirate, has to find something useful to do.

Jack finds a small boarding house on an island, and the proprietress agrees to let Jack take a room as long as he finds suitable employment within a week or so. Whenever Jack and the boarders gather to share a meal, Jack tells them a story about why he wasn’t fit to be a farmer, a baker, a fortune-teller, a fisherman, or a host of other occupations. Jack finally concludes he will have to return to life on the sea, but those gathered at the table have another idea, and a fine one it turns out to be!

LIBRARIAN’S CHOICE

Library: Raymond Library, 832 Raymond Hill Rd., Oakdale

Library Director: Joanne Westkamper

Children’s Librarians: Carole Pazzaglia, Christine Schulz

Choices this week: “Do Like a Duck Does” by Judy Hindley; “Pete’s a Pizza” by William Steig; “The Tale of Despereaux” by Kate DiCamillo

BOOKS TO BUY

“A Child of Books” by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, Candlewick, 2016, 36 pages, $17.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 5 to 7

Read yourself: age 7 to 12

As masterful as a book can be in extolling the richness that reading brings to our lives, “A Child of Books” is a glorious offering.

A young girl declares she is a child of books and that she comes from a world of stories where her imagination takes her wherever she wishes to go. She asks a boy to come with her and share in the joy of the journey of words. Reluctantly the boy accompanies her and soon discovers the priceless treasure of stories and imagination.

An incredible feast for the eye and mind, this one is a must-read for all ages.

“The Mermaid’s Purse” by Patricia Polacco, Putnam, 2016, 44 pages, $17.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 4 to 8

Read yourself: age 7 and 8

From the time Stella was a baby and throughout her life, she has always loved being read to and later, reading every book she can find. After collecting a huge number of books, her father declares he is going to build her a library to house her treasures. Stella names her library the Mermaid’s Purse, and not long thereafter, Stella makes it her mission to supply books to all of the farmers and their families, hoping to get everyone interested in reading.

With persistence, her efforts pay off in several ways. But when a tornado rips through Stella’s farm, it destroys her library and sucks up all of her books. Stella is devastated. Goodness has its rewards, however, and the wonderful people of Stella’s rural community are there to help.

Based on the true story of author/artist Patricia Polacco’s own grandmother, this lovely book is a genuine celebration the power of books, family and community.

kendal@sunlink.net