Continual life learning
Did you ever wonder why some people are more inclined toward adventure, exploration, trying new things and taking chances?
Much of that attitude stems from a fascination and excitement for learning new things every day. We are all born that way; it's called curiosity. Unfortunately, adults can stymie a child's efforts, instill fear, and chip away at their independent spirit and ingenuity, diminishing the courage to explore and live life to its fullest.
The willingness to meet life head-on is an immeasurable gift. With that is the understanding that mistakes, even miserable ones, will be made and are part of learning and a part of life.
If a child is ridiculed for making mistakes or for wanting to try something that an adult thinks ridiculous, fear will override the desire to try because all children want approval, and they fear rejection by doing the "wrong" thing.
Great learning takes place when a child is allowed and encouraged to use his or her own creative energies to figure things out, express his or her interests, and discover all the wonderful things life has to offer.
Help children maintain their love of learning and life by providing a guiding hand, sharing their enthusiasm and encouraging their independence. Each child deserves that.
The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"The Time Warp Trio: Oh Say, I Can't See"</B> by Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Adam McCauley; Viking; 72 pages; read aloud: age 7 and older; read yourself: age 8 and older.The 15th book in Scieszka's hugely successful series, "The Time Warp Trio," this adventure warps Joe, Sam and Samantha back to Christmas Eve in Pennsylvania, 1776 — the day before Washington crossed the Delaware River. Will they be shot as spies for the Hessians, or will they be able to help Washington and his men cross the Delaware and mount their sneak attack on the Hessians? Hmm … American history might never be the same again.Loaded with humor that's right on target for the 7- to 8-year-old crowd, this novel imparts history with fiction that's sure to please.
<B>Library:</B> Saxonburg Area Library, 240 W. Main St., Saxonburg<B>Library Director:</B> Steve Twentier<B>Children's Programmer:</B> Judy O'Brokta<B>Choices this week:</B> <B>"Snowmen at Night"</B> by Carolyn Buehner; <B>"Wombat Stew"</B> by Marcia K. Vaughan; "<B>Tangerine"</B> by Edward Bloor
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Runemarks"</B> by Joanne Harris; Alfred A. Knopf, 2008; 526 pages; $18.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 11 and older; read yourself: age 11 to 12 and older.Five hundred years after the end of the world, young Maddy Smith knows that the goblins have been at the cellar again. Of course, in Maddy's world, Order rules, and magic and imagination have been outlawed long ago, leaving few to believe such a thing as goblins could be true. There are those, however, who rule with an iron fist and keep a careful watch on all things that could disrupt the Order, and Maddy is one under scrutiny.Born with a runemark on her palm, Maddy is scorned by villagers, and she's rumored to be a witch. The mysterious One-Eye knows Maddy's runemark holds the key to a great power where Maddy, if she can learn how to wield that power, is destined to be an integral force in the war that is coming; a war between the old and the new that will once again remake the world.A fast-paced adventure steeped in Norse mythology, old Norse tales and the exceptional imagination of author Joanne Harris, "Runemarks" is nothing less than extraordinary.<B>"Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood"</B> by Timothy Knapman; illustrated by Gwen Millward; Bloomsbury, 2008; 32 pages; $16.95 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 to 7; read yourself: age 7 to 8.One day, a native of Dragon Wood meets an unusual creature called a Benjamin. The Benjamin gets taken home, is offered the best foods to eat, spends the night and attends school the next day. And while the Benjamin is fascinating to everyone at school, it becomes obvious that the Benjamin is homesick. What to do? Take the Benjamin back to the faraway, magical land full of Benjamins!A new twist on the "boy meets dragon" story, readers will delight in this surprising and very funny tale.
