Teach children how to face adversity

The last stanza of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," lends itself beautifully to what it can mean to make a choice many would not dare to:

"I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Last week, we addressed books on courage and adapting to change. In a similar vein, today's reviewed books address how courage is necessary when faced with adversity, and what it takes to persevere.

These are excellent books with important messages. Ask your librarian to guide you in the direction of others.

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

• "The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq" written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, Harcourt, 32 pages

Read aloud: age 4 and older

Read yourself: age 7 — 8 and older

Alia Muhammad Baker was the librarian of Basra, Iraq. The 30,000 books in her library were more precious to her than mountains of gold. Many came to her library to learn and discuss matters of the world and of the spirit. But war was raging, and Alia worried the fires of war would destroy the books.

Alia asked the governor for permission to move the books to a safe place, but he refused. With the help of Alia's neighbors and friends, the community pulled together to secretly save the cherished books from destruction.

A true story, this remarkable book bears testimony that despite adversity, people throughout the world respect knowledge and will risk their lives to protect their literature and the freedom their books provide.

Librarian's Choice

Library: Sutter County Library, 750 Forbes Ave., Yuba City

Library Director: Roxanna Parker

Children's Librarian: Chalese Valdez

Choices this week: "Fancy Nancy" by Robin Preiss Glasser; "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak; "The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo

Books to Buy

The following books are available at your favorite bookstores.

• "Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson" by Sharon Robinson, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Scholastic, 2009, 40 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 — 7 and older

Read yourself: age 8 — 9 and older

Jackie Robinson was a courageous man. When Branch Rickey told Robinson he could get him into the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first black man to play baseball in the Major League, Rickey asked Robinson if he had the guts to endure the insults and threats that were certain to come his way, and whether he could control his temper throughout it all. Robinson's answer was yes.

After a difficult start followed by an outstanding career, Robinson retired from baseball to spend more time with his family. In everything Robinson was faced with, he never chose the easy path. Rather, he courageously chose the right path, including making sure the ice was safe for his children and their friends to skate on, even though Robinson couldn't swim.

A wonderful, inspiring story perfectly balanced with rich illustrations, this selection will resonate with readers long after the last page.

• "Mahtab's Story" by Libby Gleeson, Allen & Unwin, 2009 (first USA release), 186 pages, $9.99 paperback

Read aloud: age 9 and older

Read yourself: age 10 — 11 and older

Herat, Afghanistan, is the only home Mahtab has ever known. Now the Tailban have made life dangerous and intolerable, and Mahtab and her family must flee their homeland and put as much distance between the Taliban and them as possible.

The journey is unbearably hard. Hidden in a closet inside a truck, the family moves as concealed cargo. At any time, they could be discovered by the Taliban and, in all likelihood, killed.

Once the family reaches Pakistan, further complications arise that threaten their safety. Mahtab's father hastens to Australia, promising to send for his family once he has secured a new life for them there. But much time passes, and Mahtab, her mother and two siblings slip away in the night to try and find Mahtab's father.

Arriving cold, tired and hungry in Australia, the family can't find Mahtab's father and are sent to a detention camp, where they wait for endless months to learn their fate.

An extraordinary novel based on a true story, this selection portrays what it is like to be a refugee, forced from your own country to seek safety, and the enormous adversity that must be faced in that process.

Kendal A. Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at kendal@sunlink.net.