CHECK IT OUT

With three days remaining in Children’s Book Week (Nov. 13-19) -- a

week for encouraging young people to read for pleasure -- the literary

favorites of those who guide Newport libraries provide support for this

year’s theme: “Fuel Your Mind.”

Asked to name the book they enjoyed most this year and their favorite

children’s book, library trustees responded with an eclectic mix of

classic and popular fiction, fantasy, biography and nonfiction.

For pure fun, Julie Ryan recommends Helen Fielding’s “Bridget Jones’s

Diary” and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” -- adult bestsellers that

made her laugh out loud. As a child, she loved A.A. Milne’s “The World of

Christopher Robin” for “musical poetry” that makes reading aloud a

pleasure.

A classic that has enchanted readers for nearly a century tops Patrick

Bartolic’s list. Of Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind in the Willows” he says,

“All chapters are great, but the first chapter, where Ratty and Mole

meet, is the most splendid, even though the great Toad has not yet

appeared.” Other recommendations include J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”

(“a must-read for young teens”) and such inspiring life stories as Kahlil

Gibran’s “Prophet” and Mother Teresa’s “A Simple Path.”

A planned adventure inspires Bob Knox’s pick: David McCullough’s “Path

Between the Seas,” an epic chronicle of the Panama Canal. As a treat for

children and parents, this trustee recommends “Guess How Much I Love

You,” Sam McBratney’s simple bedtime story of sweet familial love.

For Catherine Saar, Jung Chang’s “Wild Swans” was the year’s best

read. “The book traces three generations of women through China,” she

explains. “I found the realities of living in China, as detailed by

Chang, to be far more frightening than I had ever imagined.”

The realities of change and how we deal with it are the focus of Walt

Howald’s literary choice for the year: “Who Moved My Cheese?” The amusing

parable about two mice and two tiny people caught in a maze, searching

for cheese, reminded this trustee that we must continually refine ideas

about what we want in life.

Another imaginary game of chase forms the plot of “The Runaway Bunny,”

Howald’s childhood favorite. Since 1942, Margaret Wise Brown’s classic

about a baby bunny testing his mother’s love has provided tiny book

lovers with a sense of peace and security.

Along with library trustees, Newport Beach City Manager Homer Bludau

makes time for leisure reading. “The next book I’m looking forward to

getting into is ‘The Fifties’ by David Halberstam,” he reveals. “I read

‘The Best and the Brightest,’ his first big seller, and thought it was

excellent.

“My favorite children’s book is ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ by Margery

Williams. I like it because it has levels of meanings that can appeal to

all ages. It is such a sweet story, yet with a powerful message. Once I

get into a book, I make time to read it as quickly as I can” -- a fine

goal for Children’s Book Week and beyond.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org.