"The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale" is the story of an 11-year-old boy who follows his brothers into the Civil War and finds a new friend in the unlikeliest of places.

A friend of mine recently said that anything can be made interesting. I agree.

Learning about a subject doesn't have to be dull and uninviting. There are countless nonfiction books and books based in fact that are fascinating and provide readers with loads of information in a lively, fast-paced way. That's the key to capturing a child's attention to a new subject.

Think of it. As an adult, you might be more inclined than a child to plod through some pages of boring material because you've learned that some of that is necessary to develop a firmer grasp of the whole picture. Often, though, an author can get so wrapped up in their own fascination and self-inflated authority of the subject matter that they go overboard. Quite often such authors wind up loosing their audience.

That's precisely what you want to avoid when introducing children to nonfiction books and books based in fact. Whet a child's appetite with well-written books that captivate their interest by providing information in an exciting, quick way, such as the books reviewed today. If an interest takes root, there will be a greater willingness to read more (and yes, even the tedious sections) because there is a desire to know more.

The world needs all kinds of people with all kinds of interests. Open those doors to children by reading books on a wide variety of topics. You never know where it might lead!

The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"Gotta Go! Gotta Go!"</B> by Sam Swope; illustrated by Sue Riddle; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; 32 pages; read aloud: age 3 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8 and older.When the little creepy-crawly bug hatches, she is all alone. She knows she doesn't know much, but there is one thing she knows for sure, and that is, "I gotta go! I gotta go! I gotta go to Mexico!" The problem is, she doesn't know what Mexico is, where it is, or how she is going to get there. But she travels on, all the same, with her singular mission in mind. Then, one miraculous day, a wonderful change takes place that helps her make that journey – the day she develops into a Monarch butterfly.Rooted in fact but presented in a charming story that young children can understand and are certain to enjoy, this delightful choice will elicit demands for repeated readings.

<B>Library:</B> Mars Area Public Library, 107 Grand Ave., Mars<B>Library director:</B> Sally Sturm<B>Children's librarian:</B> Joyce Pappert<B>Choices this week:</B> <B>"How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning"</B> by Roslyn Schanzer; <B>"You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild West Town!"</B> by Peter Hicks; <B>"You Wouldn't Want to Be a Medieval Knight!"</B> by Fiona MacDonald

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale"</B> by Trinka Hakes Noble; illustrated by Robert Papp; Sleeping Bear Press, 2006; 48 pages; $17.95, hardcover; read aloud: age 7 and older read yourself: age 8 to 9 and older.In the summer of 1863, Gabe is only 11 years old, but he has joined the Union Army with his older brother, Davy. Gabe is a bugler, and he takes his job very seriously; he has learned more than 60 different battle calls. Gabe is also very serious about doing what he can to protect his older brother, Davy, who is a foot soldier. Davy is Gabe's last brother; the boys lost their other brothers in earlier battles of the Civil War.On the morning of July 1, the Confederate and Union soldiers descend on Gettysburg. While the commanding officers plan their strategies, Gabe takes that opportunity to slip into the woods nearby to practice battle calls. There, he meets another young bugler from the Confederate Army, and to their surprise, they become friends. In the battle that follows, Gabe hopes he will still hear the sound of his new friend's bugle, regardless of who wins.<B>"Bug IQ"</B> written and illustrated by Jo Rig, Simon Mugford, Robert Tainsh, Sarah McCrum, Louise Shrigley, Jo Douglass, Roger Priddy; photos by various photographers; priddy books, 2006; 17 pages; $14.95 hardcover; read aloud: age 5 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8 and older.Explore the fascinating world of bugs with tons of information, huge colorful photographs, and IQ facts that are certain to dazzle and amaze. From spiders, centipedes, beetles, termites, and loads of bugs in-between, this wild book has it all and more.<b><i>Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net</i></b>