CHECK IT OUT:

Books with powerful protagonists are one of the best ways to provide children with the ability to identify with the strength of a character and learn how they too have the potential to rise beyond their own negative traits or situations.

Here is a small sample of children’s books, available at the Newport Beach Library, portraying characters with strong attributes.

“Ladybug Girl” by Jacky Davis and David Soman: Lulu enjoys zipping around in her ladybug outfit. One day, she dons her outfit and is looking for somebody in her house to play with her. But everybody is too busy to spend time with Lulu. Fortunately, Lulu soon discovers she and the family’s dog, Bingo, can create and conquer their own adventures outdoors (ages 4 to 8).

“Only Boy in Ballet Class” by Denise Gruska: Tucker loves to dance. He is enrolled in a ballet class with only girls and is so enamored with the art that he is often seen doing special ballet moves by his peers in school. Unfortunately, the other kids think he’s weird. The boys who play football especially make fun of him, and his ostracism at school is painful. One day, however, the players on a football team need another player or else they will have to forfeit. Tucker is asked to step in and prove that his dancing agility can serve the team. Tucker is subsequently accepted by his peers after his success (ages 4 to 8).

“Rickshaw Girl” by Mitali Perkins and Jamie Hogan: Naima’s family is struggling to make ends meet. So, Naima decides to disguise herself as a boy to drive the family’s rickshaw and raise money for her family. Unfortunately, she crashes the rickshaw and puts her family deeper in debt, so she has to come up with a way to make things better (ages 7 to 10).

“Donavan’s Double Trouble” by Monalisa Degross and Amy Bates: Donavan has plenty of worries. He’s failing math class, and his beloved Uncle Vic has recently returned home from combat in war and is now a paraplegic. Donavan feels sad and uncomfortable about his uncle. However, he eventually resolves these feelings and also overcomes his “math block.” This is an inspiring story that shows how children can cope with feelings of anger, embarrassment, and sadness about a disabled relative (ages 9 to 12).

“Waiting for Normal” by Leslie Connor: Addie has learned to cope with a family life that has never been what she would call “normal.” Her mother is unreliable and mentally ill. Her ex-stepfather, Dwight, looks out for her as best he can. As a result of her family life, Addie has learned to be very resourceful and longs for the “normal” home her stepsisters occupy with her stepfather. And although she struggles with dyslexia, she works hard at her school work and her music. The book is filled with hope and depicts how good people exist along with the wonderful possibilities all around us, even in unpromising circumstances (ages 9 to 12).

“Standard Hero Behavior” by John David Anderson: In this fantasy novel, Mason Quayle and his best friend, Cowel, are on a quest to find some heroes to save their village from the onslaught of orcs, goblins, trolls and other creatures. Along their journey, they meet a sword fighter, a swarm of deadly pixies, and a werewolf hit man. Mason’s journey also involves his wish to find out what happened to his father who disappeared more than 10 years ago. This is a tale of misadventure, humor and courage (ages 9 to 12).

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of the branches, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.