BOOKS TO BORROW

"Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell, Houghton Mifflin, 178 pages

Read aloud: age 8, 9 and older

Read yourself: age 11, 12 and older

The girl and her people had lived on their island for as long as any of them could remember. One day they are visited by Aleuts who claim they have come to hunt sea otters, but the Aleuts are dishonest and a battle ensues, leaving many of the girl's people dead. With the departure of the Aleuts, the girl's people decide they must find another place to live.

Departing on a white man's ship, the girl sees that her little brother has been left behind. Jumping overboard, she swims to the island while the boat sails away. Not long thereafter, her brother is killed by a pack of wild dogs, and she is left alone. With difficulty, she learns to protect herself from the dogs and to find food and shelter, but her greatest challenge is to live without the fellowship of other people.

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Raymond Library, 832 Raymond Hill Rd., Oakdale

Library Director: Joanne Westkamper

Children's Librarians: Carole Pazzaglia, Christine Schulz

Choices this week: "N is for Nutmeg (A Connecticut Alphabet)" by Elissa D. Grodin; "Big Bugs" by Keith Faulkner; "America" by Lynn Cheney

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"The Greatest Liar on Earth: A True Story" by Mark Greenwood, illustrated by Frané Lessac, Candlewick, 2012, 32 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 7 and older

Read yourself: age 8 and 9

In the late 1800s, Louis de Rougemont had a plan to achieve great fame and fortune. After much studying he wrote "The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont," which was published as a series chronicling his adventures from the edge of the world. His fame and fortune grew with each story and lecture, and people couldn't get enough of his tales of sea monsters, fish raining from the sky, cannibals and more.

But soon people began to wonder whether any of his stories were true. Eventually, de Rougemont's reputation was shattered and he was called The Greatest Liar on Earth. He vanished into the streets of London, never to be heard from again. Were his stories true or was Louis really the greatest liar on earth?

"I Spy Under the Sea" by Edward Gibbs, Templar, 2012, 32 pages, $14.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 2 and older

Read yourself: age 6 and 7

What can you spy with your little eye? Peek through the spy hole on each double-page spread to reveal life under the sea. From clown fish to sea horses, crabs, dolphins and more, this charming book packs in a lot of fun and learning for young readers.

www.greatestbooksforkids.com