Books for children - Oct. 26
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
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