“Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas”

Making good choices isn't always a simple task.

In making decisions, the wise individual relies on the information that is before him, information collected from past experiences, and the ability to project future consequences from the current action being decided upon.

To put it another way, in decision making we draw upon our database; wisdom that is acquired through experience, reading, remembering, and years of living. Sometimes immediate gratification gets the better of us, regardless of our age, and we might forget to include one or all of the above-mentioned elements. The result can typically be a mistake.

I don't know about you, but I make mistakes all the time, and I've been working on my database for many decades. Children, on the other hand, have only begun to build their network of information.

They should be allowed far more mistakes accompanied by far greater tolerance than an adult. Adults sometimes fail to remember this.

Children want and need to learn more all the time.

Through reading, talking, listening, and teaching our children about life, and allowing them to make mistakes they can grow and learn from, their database is increased.

Talk with your children, be a gentle teacher, not a tyrant, and help them learn.

An excellent way to help children develop their database is to read books together; books on all kinds of topics, such as the ones reviewed below. Remember, the few years your children live with you and the experiences they have during that time will greatly determine who they will become as adults. Make those years count.

The following book is available at many public libraries.“The Ravenmaster's Secret: Escape from the Tower of London” by Elvira Woodruff, Scholastic, 224 pages; read aloud: age 9 and older; read yourself: age 10 and older.In London, 1735, Forest lives with his family at the tower of London where he helps his father tend the ravens and guard the prisoners.When a Scottish Rebel's daughter, Maddy, is imprisoned and faces execution, Forest is horrified — the two have developed a secret friendship. Forest is the only one who can help Maddy escape, but that would be treason.

Library: Prospect Community Library, 357 Main St., ProspectLibrary Director: Lou PocchiariChildren's Librarian: Jill HambleyChoices this week: “First the Egg” by Laura Seeger; “Wild About Books” by Judy Sierra; “The Teeny, Weeny Tadpole” by Sheridan Cain

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.“The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy Is Enlightening” written and illustrated by Chris Raschka, Candlewick, 2014, 36 pages, $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 6 to 9; read yourself: age 7 and older.Sun Ra was a famous jazz musician, known throughout the world. Born in 1914, Sun Ra always said that he came from Saturn, which, if he did, “would explain so much.”Sun Ra was interested in everything, and most of all, music. He was an accomplished pianist by the time he was 11, and before he left high school, he was a professional musician.Sun Ra also spent countless hours reading about the great philosophies. At that time and throughout his life, Sun Ra was puzzled that the earthlings insisted on sorting themselves by color and would wage war against one another.Sun Ra chose a different path — music.Filled with important messages on being yourself, devotion, attitudes toward race and money, this biography of a most interesting man excels in many regards.“Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas” by Lynne Cox, illustrated by Brian Floca, Schwartz & Wade, 46 pages, $18 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 and 8.Elizabeth, a real-life elephant seal, was content in her home in the Avon River in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.One day she decided to haul herself out of the water and bask in the sun on the river road.When cars had to swerve to avoid hitting her, local citizens banded together, thinking it would be best for Elizabeth's safety and the safety of drivers if she were transported hundreds of miles away to live with other elephant seals.Despite multiple attempts to relocate Elizabeth, she continued to find her way home to Christchurch, where finally the townsfolk found a way to keep her and everyone else safe.A marvelous, true story of determination, love, and working together, this choice is a real gem.<I>Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at kendal@sunlink.net.</I>

“Cosmobiography of Sun Ra”