Courage makes a captivating topic

February 05, 2011 Last Updated: February 05, 2011 02:06 PM Community

“Tillie the Terrible”

When you get right down to it, life is essentially about a series of choices we make over and over again, every day of our lives. Sometimes the choices are simple. Sometimes they aren't, and sometimes the choices we must make are fearful, requiring great courage.

Books can be useful tools in this regard. When children read about characters faced with obstacles, what they chose to do and how they overcame their fears, some of that courage is transferred to the reader. That's what you'll find in today's reviewed books.

To put it another way, in “The Chronicles of Narnia – The Magician's Nephew,” C.S. Lewis wrote:

“Make your choice, adventurous stranger;

Strike the bell and bide the danger,

Or wonder, till it drives you mad,

What would have followed if you had.”

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

“Bear Feels Scared” by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman, McElderry Books, 36 pages; read aloud: age 3 to 7; read yourself: age 7.Bear has gone for a walk in the deep, dark woods. After some time, Bear is hungry and decides to go home. Just then, a storm begins to howl, the sun begins to set, and Bear can't find his way. Bear feels scared.As the storm worsens, Bear's friends worry about him and decide they will form a search party to bring Bear home. Will they be able to find him in the stormy night?Written in rhyme and boasting charming illustrations, “Bear Feels Scared” delivers a wonderful message children will identify with — the fear of being lost and the joy of knowing you can depend on people who will stop at nothing to find you, bring you home, and make you feel loved and safe.

Library: Zelienople Public Library, 227 S. High St., ZelienopleLibrary Director: Jan LawrenceChildren's Librarian: Kay HowardChoices this week: “It's OK to be Different” by Todd Parr; “America's White Table” by Margot Theis Raven; “Far North” by Will HobbsBooks to BuyThe following books are available at favorite bookstores.“Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, a Sewing Machine, and a Bicycle Changed History” by Sue Stauffacher, illustrated by Sarah McMenemy, Alfred Knopf, 2011, 36 pages, $17.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 to 5 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.In the late 1800s, Tillie Anderson worked in a tailor's shop, waiting for “a dream to come and find her.” One day it did, when a man rode a bicycle right by the tailor's window. From that moment on, Tillie dreamed of becoming the fastest woman to ever ride a bicycle.Her mother was mortified and some friends stopped talking to Tillie. After all, racing a bicycle was not what proper ladies did. But that didn't stop Tillie from making her dream come true. In fact, in many ways society's frowning fueled her dream, and through hard work, courage and determination, Tillie became the women's bicycle-racing champion of the world.Fun illustrations are the perfect backdrop for this exciting true story of the plucky, brave woman who was a racing force to be reckoned with and who came to be known as Tillie the Terrible Swede.“Phantoms in the Snow” by Kathleen Benner Duble, Scholastic, 2011, 240 pages, $17.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 11 and older; read yourself: age 12 and older.In Texas, 1944, 15-year-old Noah's parents have died of smallpox, leaving him an orphan. His nearest relative is an uncle, James Shelley — a man he has never met.And so, Noah is sent to live with his uncle in Camp Hale, Colorado. Camp Hale is a military base where the Army's division of soldiers called Phantoms train for winter warfare.Underage to join the Army, yet with nowhere else to go, Noah begins training as a Phantom — the little-known division of soldiers who ski.A complete novice, Noah finds the training exceptionally difficult, often questioning if he can make it for another day. But as events unfold and Noah's persistence endures, it becomes clear that Noah can be an asset to the Phantoms of the Tenth Mountain Division.The only obstacle that still troubles Noah is that he has been raised as a pacifist. What will happen when it's time for their division to ship out to the war raging in Europe?From training camp to the front lines of World War II, this extraordinary novel based in historical events is certain to please older readers in many ways.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at www.greatestbooksforkids.com.