BOOKS TO BORROW

"Amos & Boris" by William Steig, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 28 pages

Read aloud: age 4 and older

Read yourself: age 7 and older

Adventurer mouse Amos finds himself in the worst predicament. He has become separated from his sailboat in the middle of the ocean. Preparing to accept his fate, he is befriended by Boris the whale, who gladly transports Amos back to shore. During their travels they develop a close friendship, and although they must go their separate ways, they vow never to forget each other.

Years later, the two friends are reunited when a storm washes Boris onto the very beach where Amos lives. Amos knows that if Boris isn't soon returned to the ocean, he will die. Springing into action, Amos proves he is a worthy and capable savior for his friend.

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

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

Library Director: Gale Bradbury

Children's Librarian: Nancy Brewer

Choices this week: "The Dance" by Richard Paul Evans; "Johnny Appleseed" by Steven Kellogg; "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" by Ian Fleming, illustrated by John Burningham, Candlewick, 2014, 170 pages, $22.00 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 and 7 to age 12

Read yourself: age 9 to 12

The Pott family lives a happy, modest life. They don't long for much except, perhaps, a car, but getting one seems a remote possibility since the little money they have is spent on necessities.

Commander Caractacus Pott is the husband of Mimsie and father to their twin children, Jeremy and Jemima. The Commander invents all sorts of oddities, none of which procures much of an income. But when he had accumulates enough money from the sale of his Crackpot Whistling Sweets, the family decides to buy a special car, which the Commander fixes and christens the Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Little does the family know what a marvel their car turns out to be.

"The Fairy-Tale Handbook" by Libby Hamilton, illustrated by Tomislav Tomic, Templar, 2014, 20 pages, $22.99 hardcover

Read aloud: 5 to 9

Read yourself: age 8 and 9

Think you know your fairy tales? This book might surprise you. Enter the magical realm where fairy tales and their characters dwell, and learn a host of fascinating things. With numerous flaps to lift, miniature books, a wheel to spin, amazing detail and a pop-up at the end, readers/listeners will want to pore over this fun book time and time again.

kendal@sunlink.net