Perfect books for summertime adventure

Children are loaded with imagination and a neverending desire for fun, adventure, exploring and pretending. Books can play an active role in feeding a child's imagination by introducing them to colorful characters, places and plots, and whisking them away to one adventure after another.

Free, unstructured play is one of the healthiest activities for children. So, too, is reading exciting books aloud — books that feed the curious mind, filling the child with a sense of wonder, ideas and lots of exciting possibilities.

Read aloud every day — it's an adventure just waiting to happen.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

"Baby Bear's Big Dreams" by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Harcourt, 36 pages

Read aloud: age 2 — 3 and older

Read yourself: age 7

Baby Bear has all sorts of plans for when he grows up, and Baby Bear thinks that will be very soon. He plans to have all his friends move in so they can play all day and stay up late. Later, he'll live in a toy shop, then a tree house. Some day, Bear will go exploring the woods, climb trees and camp outside.

When Baby Bear is all grown up, he will come home, because home is where his family is, where they will listen to his stories and where his mama and papa will tuck him in his bed and kiss him goodnight.

A delightful tale of a young child's desire to be "big," "Baby Bear's Big Dreams" hits that chord beautifully.

Librarian's Choice

Library: Butte County Library — Gridley Branch, 299 Spruce St., Gridley

Library Director: Derek Wolfgram

Branch Librarian: Cynthia Pustejovsky

Choices this week: "Go, Dog, Go!" by P.D. Eastman; "The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf; "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi

Books to Buy

The following books are available at your favorite bookstores.

"Crispin: The End of Time" by Avi, Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2010, 223 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 9 — 10 and older

Read yourself: 10 — 11 and older

Beloved friend, teacher and surrogate parent Bear has died, leaving Crispin and Troth to fend for themselves as best they can, which, given the time of the early Middle Ages, is anything but easy. They are lost in the dangerous countryside of France, with no food or knowledge of how to reach the land where Bear had said they would be free of kings and lords and oppression. Their destination is Iceland, but the few people they meet have never heard of such a place.

Hungry and loneliness push Crispin to join a small band of what seems to be roving minstrels. But he soon learns the truth of who these people really are and the danger they represent — both to him and to others. He must formulate a plan of escape before it's too late.

In his usual, signature style, Avi has crafted a story that is certain to have readers spellbound, start to finish. The final book in the Newberry Award-winning trilogy that began with "Crispin: The Cross of Lead," this third installment is wholly satisfying.

"Diamond Jim Dandy and the Sheriff" by Sarah Burell, illustrated by Bryan Langdo, Sterling, 2010, 36 pages, $14.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 4 — 5 and older

Read yourself: age 7 — 8

Nothing much ever happened in the dull little town of Dustpan, Texas. That changed, however, the day a rattlesnake slithered into town. The snake put on his best smile when the sheriff approached him. While the sheriff could see that the snake was friendly, he was still resolved to run the snake out of town because it was the law — rattlesnakes were forbidden to cohabitate with town folks!

The snake felt dejected, and the townspeople weren't pleased, either. After all, the snake had brought lots of fun and amusement to Dustpan and its citizens. But in all of the confusion, the sheriff had forgotten about baby Idie Mae, who apparently had crawled away somewhere. Good grief! Deadman's Gulch was close by, and if Idie Mae went in that direction, it could only mean a very bad ending — or not, if a clever rattlesnake could save the day ...

Brimming with adventure, imagination and loads of colorful characters, this selection is tons of fun.

Kendal A. Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at kendal@sunlink.net .