BOOKS TO BORROW

"Gorillas" by Seymour Simon, photographs various credits, Smithsonian/HarperCollins, 32 pages

Read aloud: age 5 to 9

Read yourself: age 8 and 9

This outstanding book provides young animal lovers with the latest and most important information about one of nature's most intelligent animals. Outstanding color photographs are coupled with engaging, informative text elucidating man's closest genetic relative - the gorilla. Learn about the different kinds of gorillas, how and where they live, groom, sleep, play and more. Fascinating in every regard, it's no wonder Seymour Simon has been hailed as "the dean of the (children's science book) field."

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Bill Memorial Library,

240 Monument St., Groton

Library Director: Hali Keeler

Children's Services: Mary-Jane Carle

Choices this week: "Old Penn Station" by William Low; "Library Lion" by Michelle Knudsen; "A Long Way From Chicago" by Richard Peck

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"The Skull in the Rock: How a Scientist, a Boy, and Google Earth Opened a New Window on Human Origins" by Lee R. Berger & Marc Aronson, National Geographic, 2012, 64 pages, $18.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 9, 10 and older.

Read yourself: age 10, 11 and older

For 17 years, Professor Lee Berger had explored South Africa's Cradle of Humankind - the most studied and excavated fossil hunting ground on the planet. Like many great scientists who have searched for and found many important fossils of our ancient ancestors in the Cradle, Lee persisted in his search.

When Google Earth was launched, Lee had an idea. Using this new tool, Lee would be able to view this familiar terrain from a completely new perspective. Lee's careful examination showed several new caves and possible fossil sites. In August, 2008, Lee and his 9-year-old son, Matthew, were hunting for fossils in the Cradle using the new map. Suddenly, young Matthew shouted that he had found a fossil. But this wasn't a typical fossil found in the Cradle; this find "…opened a door two million years back in time."

"The Story of Silk: From Worm Spit to Woven Scarves" by Richard Sobol, Candlewick, 2012, 37 pages, $17.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 9 and 10

Read yourself: age 10, 11 and older

Silk has long been one of the world's most sought-after fabrics. But for those who think they know about silk, think again. This book explains things most of us would never know about silk, taking readers/listeners on a fascinating journey to Thailand where author/photographer Richard Sobol investigates what it takes to create this luxurious textile, from the careful tending and feeding of silkworms all the way to the magnificent finished product.

www.greatestbooksforkids.com