You have to love a book whose section on Collecting a Resource of Building Materials includes nature, supermarket, office supply store, waste leftovers, discards and extras, and scrounged parts. Get out some boxes to store the stuff you come across. Enjoy the Equipping a Basic Toolbox section, with tips about screwdrivers, pliers and the adjustable wrench.

Does your child know about different kinds of hinges? How about a turnbuckle? Think about bridges. There are beam bridges, arch bridges, and suspension bridges, and each one has an abutment, anchorage, and deck and more fun vocabulary and theory. Also you need to know about the universally versatile yurt, followed by all sorts of other tent structures.

The book can be used at all levels: text with history of building materials and methods, and lots of projects with suggested age appropriateness. And once the use of a material is explained, readers are encouraged to use it for original projects. The perfect age for this book is probably about 9 years, but it could be used as a great way to introduce younger children to the practical use of tools and materials, and the principles of structures, tension and compression, the elements of architecture, in a fun cooperative way.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts – Xbox 360
Banjo the bear and Kazooie the backpack carried bird made their debut adventure in 1998 on the Nintendo 64. While it’s not quite a remake of an older game, this fourth game in the series returns features from the older games with new surprises.  Can you save Spiral Mountain from the return of the evil witch Gruntilda?

Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection – Playstation 3
Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega’s main mascot, made his debut on the Genesis in 1991.  Since then, he ran through a marathon worth of games across multiple systems.  Relive the glory of your SEGA Genesis days with over 40 classic titles including: the Sonic the Hedgehog Series, Phantasy Star Series, and the Streets of Rage series.

Kirby’s Dream Collection – Nintendo Wii

Kirby, the loveable pink puffball, made his debut in 1992 and has been eating everything in sight ever since.  If you pick up this game, you will actually be treated to six full Kirby adventures including: Kirby’s Dream Land (1992), Kirby’s Adventure (1993), Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (1995), Kirby Super Star (1996), Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (1997), and Kirby 64: Crystal Shards (2000).  The game also includes new challenge levels and episodes of the Kirby Animated TV series.  In all the game contains 15 years worth of Kirby content, enough to satisfy the hungriest of gamers!

Whether that is true or not is unknown, but what is certain is the enduring popularity of novels that pit the protagonist against Mother Nature in a struggle for survival.  Through these novels we are transported to exotic places and face desperate challenges without leaving the safety of our favorite chair or suffering the consequences of our mistakes and miscalculations.  Could we stay alive until we were rescued or found a way home?  Could we find fresh water?  What would we eat?  What about shelter?  Fire?  Predators?  Tools?  Weapons?  The dangers seem endless.

Clearly, to survive under these challenging conditions and return safely home one would have to summon all the courage, inner strength, and determination that one could muster.  Those are just the qualities needed for another important aspect of this type of adventure – personal transformation.  The main characters in these riveting adventures may have, in the end,  left the wilderness behind, but retain a confidence and inner strength that will serve them well once back home.

In Abel’s Island by William Steig, Abel (an affluent mouse who leads a life free of work and worry) discovers in the end what is truly important.  For Sam Gribley in Jean Craighead George’s My Side of the Mountain surviving in the wilderness was a choice that helped him discover the true meaning of family and friendship.  In Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell Karana learns important lessons on trust and the value of animals in her world.  Brian in Hatchet by Gary Paulsen returns home an accomplished outdoorsman and better equipped to handle his parent’s divorce.  Even Alexander Selkirk, who by most accounts was a very disagreeable sort before his ordeal, returned to civilization a changed man, at peace with himself and others – at least for a while.

Many of the books mentioned are also available as audiobooks.  And in our non-fiction section you can also find books on survival skills (j 613.69) and rescue stories (j 363.3481).

Rendi, the main character, has problems. He’s run away from home and ends up in a strange land that is missing the moon. He is without friends or shelter until an inn keeper agrees to take Rendi in as a chore boy. Everything changes when a mysterious visitor begins sharing stories and asks Rendi to be the next storyteller. Rendi nervously shares a story of dancing fish that impresses his listeners and fledgling friendships are formed with his new hosts. With the help of stories and storytelling, Rendi begins to find solutions not only for his problems, but for the town as well.

Grace Lin was inspired by classic Chinese folktales when she wrote Starry River of the Sky. She has altered these stories to fit her tale, but hopes that her readers become curious about the original stories and will seek them out. Here are a couple of the books that inspired Lin that can be found at the library!

Tales of a Chinese Grandmother by Frances Carpenter

The Chʻi-lin Purs : A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories retold by Linda Fang

Toy Story 3 – Available on PS3/Xbox360/Wii

As Andy prepares to leave for college, his loyal toys find they have been donated to the Sunnyside Daycare where untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice. So, it’s all for one and one for all as they join Barbie’s counterpart Ken, a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants, and a pink, strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear to plan their great escape and ensure that no toy gets left behind.  Help Woody, Buzz and the rest of the Toy Story characters ensure that no toy gets left behind. Choose between Story Mode and Toy Box Mode.

Brave – Available on PS3/Xbox360/Wii

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands. Brave tells one such tale, one of the courageous Merida, who confronted tradition and challenged destiny to change her fate. Inspired by the Disney/Pixar animated fantasy movie, Brave invites players to run, jump and battle their way through the rugged landscape of mythical and mysterious Scotland. By using wits and bravery, players are able to wield a sword and bow to defeat fierce enemies, break a magical curse and save a kingdom.

Rango – Available on PS3/Xbox360/Wii

Rango, kooky pet chameleon, accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt, a lawless outpost populated by the desert’s most wily and whimsical creatures. Welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for, new Sheriff Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt, until he starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm!

Last year was the inaugural year for Read Across Lawrence for Kids in which the kids of Lawrence got “on the same page” by reading the same book during the month of September. Along with reading the book, LPL also offered a variety of fun activities based around that book. Over 2,500 kids participated in Read Across Lawrence for Kids last year and we have a feeling this year will be even bigger! Stay tuned for more information on this year’s event to be revealed later this summer!!

About Turtle in Paradise:

In Jennifer L. Holm’s New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn’t like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She’s smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it’s 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle’s mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn’t like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she’s never met. Florida’s like nothing Turtle’s ever seen before though. It’s hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what’s happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she’s spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love.

Check it out!

About Jennifer L. Holm:

Jennifer L. Holm is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling children’s author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series — the popular Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She is also the author of several other highly praised books, including the Boston Jane trilogy and MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF. She lives in California with her husband and two children.

Mary Pope Osborne’s amazing Magic Tree House fiction series is waiting on the shelves of the Young Fiction section for you to discover.  There are now 49 books, with number 50 coming out in July.  So if you like the stories, you know you will have plenty to read for a long time. The Magic Tree House is great for children 6  to 9 years old and their families, for reading and for listening.  Keep an atlas and/or a globe handy to keep track of where you go.

The books are written in groups of four titles and involve a mystery Jack and Annie have to solve. It is best to read the books in order, to get the whole story, to find all the clues and to understand the mystery in each set  The first four books are Dinosaurs before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, Pirates Past Noon.

Many of the titles have a companion non-fiction book, called a Research Guide or Fact Tracker, that explores the history and geography of the story in a lively way and offers lots of general information about the subject and time period.  Be sure to check one out after you read the corresponding chapter book!  The first four are Dinosaurs, Knights and Castles, Mummies and Pyramids, and Pirates.

Go to the Magic Tree House website at www.magictreehouse.com to set up your own My Library account, answer trivia questions about each book and get your website Passport page stamped!

You can find a complete list of titles on the website or ask at the Children’s desk.  Put titles on reserve at the Library so you can read the stories in order, and solve the many mysteries waiting for you in the Magic Tree House. I highly recommend the Magic Tree House to the whole family for an exciting experience!

In the Children’s area at the Library we have a World Languages section you might have missed. This is not the language learning area, but contains books in non-English languages. I counted 27 languages, alphabetically, from Arabic to Vietnamese, including Braille! Some are only represented by 1 or 2 books, others by hundreds. A number are bilingual, meaning that they are in English and another language, so a learner or speaker of either can enjoy the story while being introduced to the look and (maybe) sound of the other language.

Children are fascinated by different alphabets. Enjoy a book in Hindi and see the lovely flow of the script. Look at a Harry Potter book in Chinese and marvel at what the human brain can learn.

Read a bilingual book in Hopi or Navajo, get out the map and point out the southwest United States, talk about Haskell Indian Nations University right here in our town. How’s your Spanish? We have everything from Good Night Moon  to Diary of a Wimpy Kid , to Eragon.

Check out this list of children’s books in many languages!  The languages are arranged alphabetically.

Isn’t summer a time to relax? Apparently not for libraries. During June and July on a typical week the Children’s staff will provide 14 separate storytimes, clubs, performances, etc. for ages 8 months through 5th grade. School children in Lawrence will bring home a sheet with preliminary information for your planning phase, but be sure to check the website and pick up an actual paper calendar as the schedule solidifies. This year, because of our smaller space, the larger events will be in the Carnegie Building, so always check the location before you leave home.

The Carnegie was the library when I was a child. We walked in a lower entrance, now covered with lawn, on the east side directly into the lower level of the oldest part. I was horse crazy and remember checking out every book by Walter Farley (The Black Stallion and many more) from a pleasant librarian who was probably a young woman but I thought was ancient. The Farley books still are popular, and we are on our third library location.