School is a full-time job. The better part of the weekday is spent in class, then homework at night and often on weekends. And, many children are involved in extra-curricular activities: sports, lessons of one kind or another, clubs, and so on.

Sometimes children are too overloaded with structured activities. Just as adults need a break from their work, so do children.

When summer vacation rolls around, we can see evidence that our children are often lacking in free time — not long into the summer you may hear the cry, "I'm bored!"

Year-round, children should have time to spend in creative, unstructured play.

This critically important activity allows the imagination to run free without someone directing the child what to do or what to think. When the imagination is allowed to unfold, children will begin to imagine possibilities, answers, and ideas.

Reading great books is part of that imaginative mix; it's constructive entertainment that fuels the imagination. And many books, such as those reviewed today, plant ideas about things children can do that are loads of fun.

Balance whatever activities you have planned for the children in your life with plenty of unstructured play, reading, and relaxation. It's a sure-fire recipe for taking the boredom out of a long summer vacation.

Books to BorrowThe following book is available at many public libraries.

"We Were Tired of Living in a House" by Liesel Moak Skorpen, illustrated in color by Joe Cepeda, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 32 pages; read aloud: age 3 and older; read yourself: age 7 and older."We were tired of living in a house. So we packed a bag with sweaters and socks, with mittens and earmuffs. And we moved to a tree. We liked our tree."Life in the tree for these two brothers and sister was delightful, until they finally tumbled out. And so, packing up their belongings, the trio set off to find a new place to live.From a pond to a cave to the sea, each place held something different. But in the final analysis, the three siblings returned to the place they loved the best.This charming book is certain to strike a chord with any child who has ever dreamed of leaving the nest prematurely while providing a conclusion that will appeal to young and old alike.

<B>Library:</B> North Trails Public Library, 1553 West Sunbury Road, West Sunbury<B>Library Director: </B>Kathy D. Kline<B>Choices this week:</B> "Land of the Buffalo Bones" by Marion Dane Bauer; <B>"The Good Dog" </B>by Avi; <B>"The Tale of Despereaux" </B>by Kate DiCamillo

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Let's Do Nothing!"</B> written and illustrated by Tony Fucile, Candlewick, 2009, 40 pages, $16.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 6 to 9.; read yourself: age 7 to 9.Two boys have done everything they can think of. They've painted pictures, baked cookies, played every board game and sport ever invented, and read every comic book.Exhausted, they decided to do nothing.Well, doing nothing wasn't as easy as the boys thought.As a matter of fact, it was really tough! They pretended to be stone statues, but that didn't work for long. They pretended other things to keep them still, doing nothing at all, but that didn't work either.Suddenly they figured it out…A hilarious book that will have children laughing on every page, "Let's Do Nothing!" is guaranteed to ignite the imagination of children everywhere.<B>"The Travel Game" </B>by John Grandits, illustrated by R.W. Alley, Clarion, 2009, 32 pages, $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 6 to 8; read yourself: age 8 to 9.Tad loves playing the travel game with his aunt Hattie.Aunt Hattie spins the globe, Tad closes his eyes and puts his finger down on the globe. Where he puts his finger is where Tad and Aunt Hattie travel to.With the help of their imaginations and an illustrated atlas, and the wild yarns Aunt Hattie can spin, Tad and Aunt Hattie are off on adventures galore!A tribute to the excitement imagination can bring (and a great game to play in your home), "The Travel Game" has just the right elements to make it a terrific read.<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>