Young and old alike are products of their environment. Often, the people we associate with and their attitudes and opinions can easily become our own without even thinking of it.
That’s why it’s important to help children expand their understanding of the world, and one way to accomplish that is to read books that teach them more than previously known.
“Harry Miller’s Run” is a gentle expression of learning a great deal more about someone you thought you knew well, despite generational differences. “Find Out About Animal Tools” highlights the brilliance of animals who use tools to gather food and care for their young. And “Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence” is a stunning, beautiful celebration of the early roots of Black history, long before the transatlantic slave trade.
Ask your librarian and bookseller to point you in the direction of others. After all, our job is to help children grow and expand their understanding and critical thinking skills. Read.
Books to borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
“Harry Miller’s Run” by David Almond, illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino, Candlewick, 60 pages
Read aloud: age 9 and older.
Read yourself: age 10 and older.
Eleven-year-old Liam is just about to go for a training run with his friend when his mother asks him to go with her to Harry Miller’s house for an hour or two. It is Harry’s last day in his home; Harry is too old to live alone anymore and is moving to a nursing home and Liam and his mom are to help clear the rest of Harry’s things out of the house. Liam reluctantly agrees, as he, like everyone, loves Harry.
When they arrive, Harry asks Liam if he is training for the Great North Run race. Liam tells Harry he is, and Harry begins his story of his own running as a boy, running 13 miles in the sweltering heat, all the way to South Shields and the sea.
As Harry’s story unfolds, his memory of that day and more become more acute, and Liam and his mother learn what an astonishing person Harry really is.
Absolutely first-rate, “Harry Miller’s Run” is perfectly executed in every way, washing over readers in unexpected ways that will provoke deep reflection about compassion and what life is really all about.
Librarian’s choice
Library: Hamburg Public Library, 35 N. Third St., Hamburg
Library director: Chelsea Williams
Children’s librarian: Becky Hartman
Choices this week: “Little Blue Truck” by Alice Schertle; “Holes” by Louis Sachar; “The Eternal Soldier: The True Story of How a Dog Became a Civil War Hero” by Allison Crotzer Kimmel
Books to buy
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.
“Find Out About Animal Tools” by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Jane McGuinness, Candlewick, 2024, 32 pages, $17.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 3 – 7.
Read yourself: age 6 – 7.
Humans use tools all the time, but so do some animals. Typically, animals use tools to help them get food or to create something, such as a nest or to attract a mate. Jenkins and McGuinness present fascinating facts about some of these animals in an interesting, accessible way.
Tailorbirds carefully sew leaves together with plant fibers to create a safe nest for their young. Sea otters float on their back and break open sea urchins and clams by smashing them open on a stone resting on their stomach.
Some animals use bent twigs or grass stems to get food out of tricky holes. And burrowing owls collect dung to place around the entrance of their nest which, although very smelly, attracts a favorite snack for the owls — dung beetles.
Through these and other impressive uses of tools, young readers will emerge with a greater understanding and appreciation of how clever many animals can be in this eye-opening book.
“Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence” by Maisha Oso, illustrated by Candice Bradley, Orchard Books, 2024, 36 pages, $18.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 – 8.
Read yourself: age 7 – 8.
Black history began a very long time ago, far before the transatlantic slave trade. Through brief, moving text and lush illustrations, Oso and Bradley make clear the rich and grand accomplishments, brilliance, history, ingenuity and resilience of the people of the African continent, both before slavery, to this day and into the future, all around the world.
“Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence” is deeply reflective, an important expansion on what is taught, and should be mandatory reading for everyone.
Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached at kendal.rautzhan27@gmail.com.
Source: Berkshire mont
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