BOOKS TO BORROW

"The Name Jar" by Yangsook Choi, Alfred A. Knopf, 32 pages

Read aloud: age 5 and older

Read yourself: age 7, 8 and older

Unhei and her family have arrived recently from Korea and there are many things for her to adjust to - a new country, a new school, and making new friends. Unhei also is worried that no one will be able to pronounce her name, so on the first day of school Unhei tells her classmates she will tell them her name next week because she is going to pick a new one.

Unhei's classmates decide to help her. The next day, Unhei finds a jar on her desk that is filled with pieces of paper, each with a different name on it. Everyone is trying to be helpful, especially her new friend, Joey.

Beautifully written and illustrated, "The Name Jar" addresses children's concerns about fitting in while assuring them that being different is okay, too.

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Mystic & Noank Library, 40 Library St., Mystic

Library Director: Lois Hiller

Choices this week: "Carl Sandburg: adventures of a poet" by Penelope Niven; "George Washington's Teeth" by Deborah Chandra; "The Canning Season" by Polly Horvath

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"Planet Kindergarten" by Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore, Chronicle, 2014, 32 pages

Read aloud: age 5 and 6

Read yourself: age 6 and 7

An imaginative young hero is about to blast off to Planet Kindergarten. He knows he will encounter many alien things, but he will try and be brave. After all, he tells himself to remember what they say at NASA: "Failure is not an option."

From meeting aliens (his classmates), experiencing difficulty with gravity (kids having a hard time staying in their seats) and capturing images for their families (coloring), Planet Kindergarten is one amazing place.

Inventive and fun, this back-to-school book will charge the imagination of young readers.

"First Day at Zoo School" by Sarah Dillard, Sleeping Bear Press, 2014, 36 pages, $14.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 4, 5 and older

Read yourself: age 6 and 7

It is the first day of school, and Amanda the panda is very excited. Alfred the alligator feels shy and nervous. When Amanda arrives, she becomes aware that everyone except her seems to have a friend. Then she spots Alfred and rushes over to him, and declares him her best friend. Alfred isn't so sure, and eventually finds the courage to tell Amanda what he likes, which includes her. A thoughtful story about what it means to be friends, this choice is spot-on.

kendal@sunlink.net