Teachers make a difference

Hats off to the people who are among the most influential forces in children's lives - teachers. In my opinion, teachers have one of the hardest jobs.

Far more than teaching subjects to children, teachers help their students to stretch their minds, challenge them to reach farther, settle disputes, assist those who need extra help to understand, and provide greater challenges for those who are ready to aim higher. That's a lot of hats for one person to wear, especially when we're talking about one teacher and the many children in that teacher's charge.

Being a teacher is one of the most admirable professions, loaded with awesome opportunities and grave responsibilities. When you see a child excited about something they have learned at school, recognize that it is the child's teacher that has reached that young mind and helped it to grow.

Good books can serve a similar function by providing information in an exciting way. That's what you'll find in today's reviewed books; books that teach.

We'd be in a very sorry place without teachers. Help your children to understand how important teachers are and to thank them for all that they do. They deserve that.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

"Around the Pond: Who's Been Here?" written and illustrated by Lindsay Barrett George, Greenwillow Books, 40 pages

Read aloud: age 4-7. Read yourself: age 7Ð8.

Cammy and William are in search of wild blueberries. Their mother told them if they could pick enough, she would make a blueberry pie for dinner. Eagerly the two set off and follow an old deer path that circles the pond. Along the way they encounter far more than blueberries.

Clues as to what animal had been there before Cammy and William had arrived are everywhere. Footprints, white feathers stuck to bark, mussel shells, and a pile of branches and mud are just some of the clues. With each clue the children wonder, "Who's been here?" Each question is followed by a double-page spread with the answer.

Beautifully illustrated and simplistically told, children will love learning about the different kinds of wildlife that can be found around a pond in the summertime.

Librarian's Choice

Library: Carson City Library, 900 N. Roop St.

Library Director: Sally Edwards

Youth Services Librarian: Cory King

Choices this week: "Color Zoo" by Lois Ehlert; "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle; "Surviving the Applewhites" by Stephanie Tolan

Books to Buy

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.

"Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters" written, illustrated and engineered by Robert Sabuda & Matthew Reinhart, Candlewick, 2006, $27.99 hardcover pop-up

Read aloud: age 5 and older. Read yourself: age 8Ð9 and older.

Prepare to be amazed and educated through this extraordinary tour de force of sharks and sea monsters. Through engaging text loaded with facts and more than 35 amazing pop-ups that come to life on every page, readers and listeners will learn about prehistoric sharks, whales, scorpions, and many other sea creatures, including some that still exist today.

Each double-page spread boasts information and a giant pop-up in the center, and smaller side pages contain even more information and pop-ups.

Truly an incredible offering, this is one that children and adults will pour over again and again.

"Maisy's Wonderful Weather Book" written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins, Candlewick, 2006, 14 pages, $11.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 2 and older. Read yourself: age 7.

"It's a new day for Maisy, Hooray!" What will the weather be like today? Open the curtains and take a peek!

Through simple concepts and fun, colorful tabs to pull, wheels to turn, and flaps to open, young children will delight in exploring all kinds of weather with the ever-positive, irrepressible Maisy the mouse!

• Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature and can be e-mailed at kendal@sunlink.net.