Aargh, me maties!

Wow! I just finished "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. What a great adventure story! Pirates, treasure, Skull Island, Long John Silver -- all the famous pirate stuff is here! What would you do if you were on board a ship and overhead some of the sailors planning to mutiny? And what if you were risking your life to tell the captain? This story is told from the perspective of a young boy. If you liked "Pirate's of the Carribbean," then this is the book for you -- it's where all the famous pirate stories came from.

Parents: Here is a wonderful read-aloud for a family with older children. Compared to current fiction for children, the depictions of violence (sword fights and the like) are not very graphic, but the language is more archaic and it just takes longer to get through the story -- wouldn't be easy for those younger than 8 to sit still for. It's worth it! After you've read the book, the 1950 Walt Disney movie (starring Robert Driscoll as Long John Silver) is a great version of the story. It's available at your public library.

@rlington READS!

Autumn is a great time to read together, and Arlington Public Library (APL) is making it easy and fun! This fall, APL has a new program, "@rlington READS!" Three books have been chosen and we are all encouraged to read, or read-aloud, these great works! One is appropriate for upper elementary students (grades 3-5 and older): "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park. There is also a book for teens and one for adults.

"A Single Shard" is about Tree-Ear, an orphan boy living in ancient Korea. He admires the gifted potters in his village (which is reknowned for its pottery) and dreams of becoming a potter. He has many barriers to overcome, one of the most difficult being that in his culture one must be born into this profession. The book follows Tree-Ear's life as he works to realize his dream. This book has drama, adventure and a wonderfully fulfilling (if not surprising) ending.

Ms. Park will be visiting Arlington on October 4, 2006 to talk about this book with Arlington families. Many libraries and bookstores in Arlington are also sponsoring book discussions about the book. Arlington pubic libraries have many extra copies of the book available for check out. If your child participated in "Read All About It" this summer, and completed the program, s/he should have received a copy of the book. If not, check with your local public library for a copy.

You can find more informatiion about "A Single Shard," Ms. Park and the program (including a list of book discussions) at http://www.arlingtonva.us/Portals/Topics/TopicsArlingtonReadsMain.aspx.

An artistic family

Are you interested in how kids in other countries live? Would you like to live in a family of artists where it's perfectly alright to spend a few months making a mural on the kitchen wall? Then you might like "Saffy's Angel," "Caddy Ever After," "Indigo's Star," and "Permanent Rose." Each book is written about the child in the title, although of course the whole family gets into the books, too. In "Indigo's Star," the Casson family has a few challenges: Indigo is being bullied by some of the other boys in his class and is afraid of heights (that's "acrophobia"); and Rose, who is painting the kitchen mural, is trying to find her place in her family -- and trying to understand why their father lives in London, not with them. Although the book is cheerful and the characters work out solutions to their very complicated challenges, everything is not wrapped up neatly at the end. Nevertheless, the Casson family is delightful, loving and funny. This would make a lovely read-aloud for a family with older children (3rd grade and above).