"The Mixed-Up Rooster" by Pamela Duncan Edwards is the tale of a rooster named Ned who is more of a night owl than a chicken. He often sleeps in past sunrise and his tardiness eventually costs him his job. But Ned's tendency to be awake at night pays off when an unwelcome visitor heads to the henhouse and Ned is able to sound the alarm.

Books that carry a specific theme of a holiday or other time-specific event are terrific, but the inclination to read that book at other times throughout the year may be limited. If you're searching for a children's book that is well suited to reading anytime of the year, today's reviewed selections and the books suggested by local librarians fill that bill.

Turn off the TV, limit computer and video time and make the commitment to sit down together and read every day. It's a simple activity that delivers more pleasure and benefits for the child than can be measured. What's more, you may very well discover that you enjoy the routine and the stories as much as your child. Try it for yourself and see!

The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"Hill Hawk Hattie"</B> by Clara Gillow Clark; Candlewick; 176 pages; read aloud: age 9 and older; read yourself: age 9 to 10 and older.Hattie's Ma has died, and now it's just her and her Pa. Hattie longs for her Ma again, and her Pa has become ornery and takes to the whiskey a lot.Pa is a logger, and one day he announces that Hattie will help him cut down trees, build their raft and ride the river all the way to Philadelphia to sell the wood. Hattie will work alongside another young man, Jasper, and his father, who will join them on their own raft when the spring thaw comes. Pa is one of the best rafters on the river, but he tells Hattie that river-rafting is dangerous and not for girls, so she must dress and act like a boy.Hattie does what she is told and she proves to be more like her father than either one would have suspected. She learns the river, how to handle the rapids and hold steady through the rough waters and the emotional ride.Full of relationships, the pain of being torn apart and the joy of coming together again, this suspenseful, historical novel will command reader's attention through all 176 pages.

<B>Library</B>: Zelienople Public Library, 227 South High St., Zelienople<B>Library Director</B>: Jan Lawrence<B>Children's Librarian</B>: Kay Howard<B>Choices this week</B>: <B>"Women of the Old West"</B> by Judith Alter; <B>"The Best School Year Ever"</B> by Barbara Robinson; <B>"Mouse Paint"</B> by Ellen Stoll Walsh

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Letters From a Desperate Dog"</B> written and illustrated by Eileen Christelow; Clarion Books, 2006; 32 pages; $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 6 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.Emma the dog lives with George the human. Usually they get along fine, but sometimes George gets on Emma's nerves. She thinks George is unreasonable when he tells Emma she's bad because she slept on the couch or she got into the trash (again!).Deciding to "hang out downtown until George cools off," Emma picks up a copy of the "Weekly Bone" and reads about a new advice column written by a dog, Queenie. Queenie's advertisement gets right to the point: "Are your humans driving you nuts? ... Do you need advice?" Emma is thrilled, as this could be exactly what she needs!But despite Emma's e-mails to Queenie and the advice Emma receives, things between Emma and George aren't going as well as Emma hopes. Then things go a bit haywire, eventually leading George and Emma to recognize that their lives would be very colorless without one another.Written and illustrated in a comic-book style, this charming and funny story is simply great.<B>"The Mixed-Up Rooster"</B> by Pamela Duncan Edwards; illustrated by Megan Lloyd; Katherine Tegan Books/HarperCollins, 2006; 32 pages; $15.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 3 to 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.Ned the rooster's job is to "cock-a-doodle-doo" at sunrise so that the chickens can go about their daily business of laying eggs. But Ned isn't a morning rooster and is always asleep far past the appointed hour. The head chicken, Daisy Mae, is fed up, fires Ned and finds a new rooster to replace him.Ned feels dejected, but that evening while he is having a grand time playing with the other night animals, Ned suddenly sees danger approaching the henhouse and he knows it's up to him to sound the alarm and save the hen's eggs!A very funny tale that also delivers an important message that it's OK to be different, this selection will command repeat readings.