Feature Articles: Bookworm

It wasn’t too long ago when children’s television and family sitcoms were full of teachable moments. Nearly every episode featured the characters encountering a situation that required them to make a moral or ethical decision of some kind. Soon, those lessons cloaked in humor faded out and “very special episodes” became a trope associated with the past. The new generations of kids were thought to be too savvy to be preached to; they wanted sarcasm, attitude, and chaotic comedy. But is that what kids really need? The Principles of Our World is a book series designed to help children develop a strong sense of character and ethics.

Take a pinch of magic, wish hard and get transported to a far away land where children stay young forever. That is the spirit behind a book that is a sure-fire fave designed to win the hearts of kids, especially girls aged six to ten. The Never Girls: A Pinch of Magic is the seventh entry and newest in the blockbuster series by writer Kiki Thorpe who has already rocked the pre-teen world with the earlier Never Girls books including The Space Between, A Dandelion Wish and The Space Beyond. Thorpe sets the stage for wishing, dreaming and, most of all, reading — an activity parents are beyond thrilled to have their daughters pursue.

As the world of nature disappears faster than we appear to be doing enough to stop it, stories of this part of life teach important lessons. Squirt the Otter is a true story of an orphaned baby critter who was found, in all places, in a farmer’s field. Tracy, a zookeeper, together with her dog Muffin, befriended the baby otter and took her into their home, caring for her to enable her to grow into a healthy adult. This warm tale by Tracy L. Mikowsky, the actual Tracy of the story, shows how compassion and friendship transcend the species, giving concrete examples of the bond between humans and animals and the benefits to both of forming close, caring connections.

In her new children’s chapter book, Scary Spring: Our Polio Fright of 1955, author C.A. Hartnell seeks to bring the spirit of the ‘50s alive for elementary school-age readers. The events are seen through the eyes of 11-year-old Carol-Ann and her friend Pete, whose adventures in their neighborhood are a mix of classic youthful mischief (finding a stray puppy, spying on the local “crabby old man”) to more serious themes like witnessing the dangerous consequences of hot rod racing and facing the realities of polio. Pete and Carol-Ann’s friendship is a good old-fashioned coming of age buddy adventure.