Terrific books for older readers that deflect attention from video games

There are a lot of things that compete for a child's attention: television, video games, the Internet, to name a few. The fast-paced media world may make it seem that reading books is dull in comparison.

In order to convince kids otherwise we must direct them to books that are fast-paced, full of laughter, excitement, or both, while simultaneously providing a connection to the book that almost comes as a surprise to the reader - a "I-really-liked-that-book" feeling.

Today's reviewed books are geared for older readers. Maybe one will be the book that makes that kind of connection you hope for, but don't stop here. Ask your local librarian to point you in other directions to help find the book that becomes the turning point for the child in your life. Make it your goal.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

"The Buccaneers" by Iain Lawrence, Delacorte Press, 238 pages

Read aloud: age 8 and older. Read yourself: age 9Ð10 and older.

Seventeen-year-old John Spencer embarks on his first voyage to foreign lands, sailing the Dragon from London to the West Indies. The year is 1803, and John's father has charged him with carrying his cargo to Jamaica. He warns John that there are blood-thirsty pirates in the Caribbean and to be watchful. Little does John know just how many dangers he'll encounter along the way - fierce storms, fever, death, pirates by the dozens, to name a few.

An exciting novel brimming with high-seas adventure, "The Buccaneers" will have readers on the edge of their seat sailing through the pages at a fast clip.

Librarian's Choice

Library: Silver City Volunteer Library, Silver City Volunteer Fire Department, High St.Volunteer Librarian: Quest Lakes

Choices this week: "Pippi Longstocking" by Astrid Lindgren; "Rhyolite: The True Story of a Ghost Town" by Diane Siebert; "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" by William Steig

Books to Buy

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.

"Hit the Road" by Caroline B. Cooney, Delacorte Press, 2006, 183 pages, $15.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 11 and older. Read yourself: age 11 and older.

While her parents are on vacation, Brit is spending two weeks at her grandmother's house. Brit and Nannie are very close, but Brit just got her driver's license and that's what she wants to do right now. But as Brit soon finds out, Nannie has a crazy plan that involves driving - a lot of driving.

The rental car arrives at Nannie's house and Brit is designated as the driver for Nannie and her three college friends who will be picked-up along the way to the "girl's" sixty-fifth reunion - three states away. To complicate matters, one of Nannie's friends, Aurelia, has to be quietly "removed" from a hospital facility that her greedy son has illegally forced her to reside in. Lacking driving and life experience, Brit is anxious about being responsible for the welfare of her three fragile companions, but as she listens to their stories and laughter, she is resolved to make sure they get to their reunion one way or another.

Full of laughter, love, and the friendship of both young and old, this powerful story brims with good stuff.

"The Search for Sunken Treasure" by Geronimo Stilton, illustrated by Larry Keyes and Mirellik, Scholastic, 2006, 122 pages, $5.99 paperback

Read aloud: age 7 and older. Read yourself: age 8 and older.

Geronimo Stilton runs a newspaper, but what he really likes to write is adventure stories. When Aunt Sweetfur proposes a sailing adventure to the Ratlapagos Islands, Geronimo agrees to accompany her. She wants to visit the place her long-lost husband, Grayfur, ventured to in search of buried treasure; the place he never returned from.

The excursion turns out to be a whole lot more than a trip down memory lane. From a crazy flight and sailing the sea (neither of which Geronimo likes), Geronimo, Aunt Sweetfur, and their companions find themselves searching the ocean floor for the very treasure Grayfur had sought. But it turns out they aren't the only ones hoping to lay they hands on the treasure.

Loaded with illustrations, comedy, suspension, and a delightful surprise ending, it's no wonder this series is enormously successful around the globe, and no doubt "The Search for Sunken Treasure" will share in the same ranking.

• Kendal Rautzhan, a nationally syndicated reviewer of children's literature, can be e-mailed at kendal@sunlink.net.