BOOKS TO BORROW

"The Very Lonely Firefly" written and illustrated by Eric Carle, Philomel Books, 30 pages

Read aloud: age 2, 3 and older

Read yourself: age 7 and older

One evening, as the sun sets, a little firefly is born. It stretches its wings and sets off in search of other fireflies.

Following different lights, each turns out to be something other than a firefly. A light bulb, a candle, a flashlight, the reflection of animal eyes; all are lights, but none are what the very lonely firefly is seeking. After searching the night sky, at last the little firefly sees what he is yearning for.

Written to convey the message that we all want to belong to a group,"The Very Lonely Firefly" embraces this truism in a subtle, simplistic and complete way.

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Ledyard Public Libraries, 718 Colonel Ledyard Hwy., Ledyard

Library Director: Gale Bradbury

Children's Librarian: Nancy Brewer

Choices this week: "Someday a Tree" by Eve Bunting; "Old Black Fly" by Jim Aylesworth; "Albert" by Donna Jo Napoli

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"Jacob Wonderbar and the interstellar time warp" written and illustrated by Nathan Bransford, Dial, 2013, 263 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 8, 9 and older

Read yourself: age 9, 10 and older

Jacob Wonderbar returns home from outer space after a whirlwind two-week journey and discovers he somehow hit a time warp - a half a century has passed on Earth. His now 90-year-old mom tells Jacob (who is still 12) he must find his father (who is lost in time) and correct time. But where did the problem begin in the first place and why? Jacob knows that changing the past can have huge repercussions on the future, so he must be very careful to make the right moves.

Get ready to warp from the present into the past, the future and back to the present on this wild ride through the universe. With twists and turns galore, this third and final book is loaded with laughs, adventure and strong yet subtle life lessons on family, friendship and loyalty.

"Miss Moore Thought Otherwise" by Jan Pinborough, illustrated by Debby Atwell, Houghton Mifflin, 2013, 40 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 and older

Read yourself: age 7, 8 and older

When Anne Carroll Moore was a young girl, children weren't allowed to take books home from the library, and many libraries didn't allow children to even come inside. But when Miss Moore was a young woman, she had her own ideas about the importance of creating children's rooms in every library.

Beginning in 1911 when the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue and 42nd Street opened its doors for the first time, it was Miss Moore who had created the best children's room in all of New York. And she didn't stop there; libraries across America and many places throughout the world began to copy what Miss Moore had started.

A thought-provoking book about the importance of libraries, books and the courage and persistence of Anne Carroll Moore, this selection is a must-read.

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