BOOKS TO BORROW

"The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups" by David Wisniewski, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 48 pages

Read aloud: age 7 and older

Read yourself: age 8 and older

For the first time, author/illustrator David Wisniewski has revealed what has been hidden from children for centuries. He has gone behind the scenes to uncover the real reasons grown-ups issue directives to their children; commands such as "Don't jump on your bed," "Don't play with your food" and "Don't blow bubbles in your milk."

For generations, children have been given standard answers when they ask the legendary question "Why?" in response to such directives. For example, when told to "Eat your vegetables," scores of youth have been misled into believing they were required to do so because vegetables are good for you. In fact (according to Mr. Wisniewski), the real reason has nothing to do with nutrients. Our necessity for vegetable consumption was, in past history, mere survival - eat vegetables or be eaten by them!

These and seven other "truths" are revealed in this hilarious book.

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: The Stonington Free Library, 20 High St., Stonington

Library Director: Margaret Victoria

Children's/Teen Librarian: Maris Frey

Choices this week: "The Super Hungry Dinosaur" by Martin Waddell; "Toys Go Out" by Emily Jenkins; "Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf" by Jennifer L. Holm

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"A bean, a stalk, and a boy named JACK" by William Joyce, illustrated by Kenny Callicut, Atheneum, 2014, 56 pages, $17.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 4 and older

Read yourself: age 7 and 8

A smallish, regular green bean, straight out of the pod. A smallish, ordinary boy named Jack. A king named King Blah Blah Blah whose kingdom was very dry for the lack of rain. Enter some magic, and the smallish bean does its thing, with Jack as his assistant. Up shot the giant bean stalk, and do you know what was at the top? No, you don't; not in this story!

A hilarious, inventive spin on the old story, "Jack and the Beanstalk," kids are bound to be very amused with this selection.

kendal@sunlink.net