There's a lot of competition for the uses of a child's free time, especially older children. Look stuff up on the computer. Instant Message with friends. Download music. iPods. Computer games galore. Television. Text messaging on cell phones. The list goes on.

Of course this column promotes reading excellent books as a wonderful form of entertainment, and today's reviewed books are good examples of just that. Geared to older readers, these books are rich and thought-provoking. Guaranteed the child will come away from these books with a lot more than a computer or television can provide.

Idea: let your child stay up as late as he or she wants on Friday and/or Saturday night, providing they read. No computer, cell phone, TV. Just read a really good book, like the ones reviewed below or those recommended by your local librarian. Try it for a couple of months. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

BOOKS TO BORROW

“Crispin: At the Edge of the World” by Avi, Hyperion, 234 pages

Read aloud: age 9-10 and older.

Read yourself: age 10-11 and older.

England, A.D. 1377. The giant of a man, Bear, and the boy, Crispin, have escaped and are free. But Bear knows full-well they will be pursued. When Bear is shot by an arrow, his condition worsens by the hour. Aided by forest-dwelling healers, Bear slowly begins to repair, but before he's strong enough to properly travel, they must flee again to save their lives. Accompanied by the young forest-dweller, Troth, the three become a family as they press on to find freedom and safety, even if it means they must travel to the edge of the world.

With themes of war, religion, loyalty, courage, and family, Avi crafts an outstanding sequel to his Newbery Award-winning “Crispin: The Cross of Lead.”

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme

Library Director: Mary Fiorelli

Youth Services Librarian: Ronna Keith

Choices this week: “Picture a Letter” by Brad Sneed; “Little Wolf and the Moon” by Marjorie Dennis; “Stone Soup” by Heather Forest

BOOKS TO BUY

“The Missing: Book 1 - Found” by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Simon & Schuster, 2008, 314 pages, $15.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 9 and older.

Read yourself: age 10-11 and older.

Thirteen years ago, flight attendant Angela DuPre was the first to witness an extraordinarily bizarre event. An unidentified plane rapidly pulled into the terminal and parked at Gate 2B. When no one came off the plane, Angela went down the ramp. The jet door was open. She looked in the cockpit. It was empty. Then she heard a whimper. The 36 seats on the plane were occupied by babies. Angela was promptly relieved of her job.

Thirteen years later, 13-year-old Jonah and his friend, Chip, both receive mysterious letters. The first one says, “You are one of the missing.” The second one says, “Beware! They're coming back to get you.” Both boys, adopted, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mysterious battle between two opposing forces that threaten everything they know and things they can hardly imagine to be true.

An absolute page-turner, this incredible, thrilling story will leave readers hungry for the next installment in this new series.

“The Underneath” by Kathi Appelt, illustrations by David Small, Atheneum, 2008, 311 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 10 and older.

Read yourself: age 10-11 and older.

Deep in the waters of the bayou, a chained-up hound gives a lonely howl. A cat hears the sadness in the hound's call, and she goes to find him. When Ranger meets the cat, he sees she is about to have kittens. He tells her to hide under the porch of the shack where he is chained, and to keep out of sight of the cruel man who lives there - Gar Face. The two curl up together, and from that moment on, they are a family.

When one of the curious kittens takes a quick dash from under the porch, a chain of events is set into motion that will forever change the way things have been.

At once mysterious, suspenseful, magical and enchanting, “Underneath” is an extraordinary work. Kathi Appelt's deeply thought-provoking poetic prose and her cast of memorable characters will leave readers breathless and well satisfied.

Nationally Syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan Writes And Lectures On Children's Literature. She Can Be Reached Via E-mail: Kendal@sunlink.net.

Article UID=d631a11a-c143-41e1-a7fd-feb66cc69f52