BOOKS TO BORROW

"Diary of a Fly"by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss, HarperCollins, 36 pages

Read aloud: age 5, 6 and older

Read yourself: age 7, 8 and older

In Fly's diary, she chronicles events in her life that are important, scary, and always very funny!

Fly's enthusiasm for life is evident, from assignments and new skills Fly learns in school to life at home with Fly's mother and 327 siblings and her adventures with her best friends, Spider and Worm.

Another very funny "Diary" book by bestselling team Cronin and Bliss, this selection is every bit as funny as their previous books, "Diary of a Worm" and "Diary of a Spider."

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Bill Memorial Library, 240 Monument St., Groton

Library Director: Hali Keeler

Children's Services: Mary-Jane Carle

Choices this week: "Llama, Llama, Red Pajama" by Anna Dewdney; "Digby Takes Charge" by Caroline Jayne Church; "Library Lion" by Michelle Knudsen

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents" by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Seth, Little Brown, 2014, 263 pages, $12 hardcover

Read aloud: age 8 and older

Read yourself: age 8, 9 and older

The bizarre little town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea is experiencing all kinds of problems, and apprentice investigator Lemony Snicket is hot on the trail to solve the mysteries.

Thirteen different incidents are explained in detail by Snicket, with their conclusions catalogued in secret, separate files in the back of the book. From theft to vandalism, ghosts, an identity double and more, this super-sleuth gets to the bottom of each and every incident.

With his usual hilarious signature style of writing that incorporates awesome vocabulary and delightful word play, this latest book from Lemony Snicket will have kids devouring this selection in short order.

"The Hueys in None the Number: A Counting Adventure" by Oliver Jeffers, Philomel, 2014, 32 pages, $17.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 3 to 5

Read yourself: age 7

The Hueys, simplistic little egg-shaped characters, have returned in a funny counting book. Beginning with the question, "Is none a number?" readers can count all the way from none to 10 and then, if you take it all away, you're back to none.

But this isn't just your standard counting book. Take the number four, for example. Four represents the number of tantrums Kevin throws every day. Or the number nine, represented by the nine seagulls that are dive-bombing poor little Frank, trying to eat his French fries.

Certain to elicit smiles while simultaneously teaching the concept of zero (none) through 10, this clever book is first-rate.

kendal@sunlink.net