Making the Moose Out of Life

It's often been said that the best teaching in life is through direct experience. That may be true, but it's not possible for any one person to live through the hardships, fears and life journey of everyone else.

That doesn't mean, however, that we can't learn far more than what we directly encounter. We can learn from the stories of others, both through oral tellings and through books.

That's what you'll find in the books reviewed below.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

“Old Turtle and the Broken Truth” by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Jon J. Muth, Scholastic, 56 pages; read aloud: age 6 to 7 and older; read yourself: age 8 and older.Long ago, the earth and all its inhabitants lived together in harmony, for they understood there are truths everywhere, each valuable and intertwined with the other. But somehow the people lost the real truth, clinging only to their one truth, and because of this, all the earth began to suffer.A young girl understands that something must be done to right what is wrong — the suffering of the people, the animals and the earth. And so the girl journeys to find the ancient and wise Old Turtle to seek his advice. As Old Turtle opens the girl's eyes to what must be corrected, he shares his wisdom: “The Broken Truth, and life itself, will be mended only when one person meets another — someone from a different place or different ways — and sees and hears ... herself. Only then will the people know that every person is important, and the world was made for each of us.”This important fable offers readers of all ages wisdom, healing and truth.

Librarian's ChoiceLibrary: Saxonburg Library, 240 W. Main St., Saxonburg

Library Director: Erin Wincek

Choices this week: “Trouble with Trolls” by Jan Brett;

“The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds;

“The Boy Who Lost His Face” by Louis Sachar

Books to BuyThe following books are available at favorite bookstores.

“Making the Moose Out of Life” written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland, Kids Can Press, 2010, 32 pages, $16.95 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.There once was a mild-mannered moose whose friends seem to enjoy all sorts of things — jumping in puddles, flying kites, skiing and more. Moose always had an excuse for not playing along with his friends; it was too cold or too wet or too windy or too sunny. But over time, the moose began to think perhaps he was missing out on something.When the moose spied a sailboat at the water's edge, he decided to cast caution to the wind, do something different, and at long last go on an adventure. Little did the moose know that he would be met with many challenges along the way — challenges that would change the moose's life in more ways than one.Important life messages are deftly combined with slightly sophisticated humor, making this selection a great read for anyone who needs a gentle nudge to be a participant in life.

“A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park, Clarion, 2010, 120 pages, $16.00 hardcover; read aloud: age 9 to 10 and older; read yourself: age 11 and older.Author Linda Sue Park has written another outstanding work that is certain to deeply affect readers in many important ways.Alternating narratives of two young people living in Sudan, this book is based on the true story of the life of Salva Dut, who, at age 11, was separated from his family during yet another battle in the Second Sudanese Civil War. Against all odds, Salva's journey of many years, walking from one refugee camp to another, across Africa to Ethiopia, to Kenya and back to Sudan, demonstrates courage, hope and the will to survive.The second voice in “A Long Walk to Water” is young Nya, who walks for eight hours every day simply to fetch water. How and why their lives intersect is both profound and moving.“A Long Walk to Water” not only raises an awareness of the suffering of others, but in so doing, helps readers develop compassion, empathy and a deeper appreciation of those things many of us take for granted.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at her website: www.greatest-booksforkids.com.