Oney Washington was a slave in the home of George and Martha Washington. She became Martha's personal servant, but while living in Philadelphia began to wonder what it would be like to be free. Her story is told in "The Escape of Oney Judge," by Emily Arnold McCully.

Regardless of where you live, there is a local flavor to your place of residence. Some of the key players in any local community are independent businesses. Among those are independent bookstores.

When you shop at locally owned independent bookstores and other locally owned stores, more of the money spent there is reinvested in your community. Local businesses provide greater diversity of products, superior levels of personalized service, and create a unique atmosphere to your community.

Next time you shop for children's books, visit your locally owned bookstore first. If they don't have what you're looking for, they can order it for you. And if you're not sure what you're looking for, talk with the sales staff.

The following books are available at many public libraries.<B>"Holes"</B> by Louis Sachar; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; 233 pages; read aloud: age 9 and older; read yourself: age 11 and older.Stanley Yelnats's family has had a streak of bad luck for generations, so it comes as no surprise to Stanley when he is wrongly accused of stealing and is sent away to a boy's juvenile detention center, Camp Green Lake.Don't let the name of the camp deceive you, however. First of all, there is no lake — just a dry lake bed, dry as dust, and it's been that way for more than a hundred years. Furthermore, Camp Green Lake is hardly a camp. It's more like a prison where the boys must each dig a hole every day, 5 feet deep, 5 feet across, in the desertlike sun and hard-packed dirt of the unforgiving lake bed. The warden and her staff claim that the purpose of digging the holes is to build character, but Stanley soon discovers that the warden's real purpose is altogether different."Holes" is a superbly clever blending of humor, intrigue, suspense and mystery. A particularly good choice for children who aren't yet convinced that books offer grand entertainment, this one just might change their minds.

<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>"Wombat Stew"</B> by Marcia K. Vaughan; <B>"A Bad Case of Stripes"</B> by David Shannon; <B>"Harry Potter"</B> series by J.K. Rowling

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington's Slave Finds Freedom"</B> written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully; Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007; 32 pages; $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 7 and older; read yourself: age 8 to 9 and older.Ten-year-old Oney Judge was treated better than many slaves. Working alongside her mother, she was taught to sew in the home of Martha and George Washington. Later, when George Washington was elected president, Oney became Mrs. Washington's personal maid.Moving to Philadelphia, Oney saw many free black people, and she began to wonder what it would be like to be free. When the opportunity arose, Oney seized the moment to make freedom a reality for herself.Captivating, fast-paced, and well researched, this work of historical fiction is flawless.<B>"The Tale of Pale Male"</B> written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter; Harcourt, 2007; 32 pages; $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.Across from Central Park on Fifth Avenue in New York City, two red-tailed hawks, Pale Male and Lola, make their nest atop a 12-story apartment building. Soon, two baby chicks are born. More and more people who love the hawks watch from the street below, but the people living in the apartment building are not happy. They want the hawks gone.When no one was watching, the apartment people had the hawks' nest removed. But by morning, everyone in New York knew about the stolen nest, and the protests began.A true story, readers will cheer for the hawks, the people who spoke out to protect them, and the victory of their return to their nesting place of choice.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net.