With everything going on in the world, children need a break from the tensions and worries that seem to plague us all through social media, news stories, conversations, etc. A wonderful way to diffuse the cares of the day is to read books to children. Topics can be at any level – fiction and non-fiction, soothing books, hilarious books, adventure – all the way down the line.

We all need an escape once in a while, and kids do too. Take a book every day and read it to the children in your life; it is a gift of immeasurable value.

Books to borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

“Geronimo Stilton: The Search for Sunken Treasure,” by Geronimo Stilton, illustrated by Larry Keyes and Mirellik, Scholastic, 122 pages

Read aloud: 7 years and over.

Do you read : 8 years and over.

Geronimo Stilton runs a newspaper, but what he really loves is writing adventure stories. When Aunt Sweetfur offers a sailing adventure to the Ratlapagos Islands, Geronimo agrees to go with her. She wants to visit the place where her long-lost husband, Grayfur, ventured in search of buried treasure; the place from which he never returned.

The excursion turns out to be much more than a trip down memory lane. After a crazy flight and sea voyage (which neither Geronimo likes), Geronimo, Aunt Sweetfur, and their companions find themselves searching the bottom of the ocean for the very treasure that Grayfur had. research. But it turns out they’re not the only ones hoping to get their hands on the treasure.

Loaded with illustrations, comedy, suspension, and a delicious surprise ending, it’s no wonder this series is a huge hit around the world.

Librarian’s Choice

Library: Stark County District Library, DeHoff Memorial Branch, 216 Hartford Ave. SE, Guangzhou

Executive Director: Mary Ellen Icaza

Senior Director of Public Services: Jen Welsh

Branch Manager : Jo Schofield

Picks this week: “My teacher is a monster” by Peter Brown; “I am the wolf and here I am” by Benedicto Guettier; “Ripley’s Fun Facts and Silly Stories”, by Ripley’s Believe It or Not

Books to buy

The following books are available at preferred bookstores.

“The Ice Cream Machine” by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Emily Hughes, Liniers, Nicole Miles, Seaerra Miller, Daniel Salmieri, Charles Santoso, Putnam, 2022, 366 pages, $17.99 hardcover

Read aloud: 8 to 12 years old.

Do you read : 8/9 – 12 years old.

Six hilarious and different stories are in this incredibly creative book, but each has the same name: The Ice Cream Machine. Why do you ask? Because each story is about ice cream and an ice cream maker, and each is very different from the others.

Meet a boy and his five-armed robot nanny who travel the world in search of the best ice cream to be found. Join two sisters determined to win an ice cream contest where the longtime winner has always been literally a huge pig. Learn the secrets of a young genius who invents a lucrative way to make the world’s freshest ice cream. And of course there is more.

There’s an ice cream truck salesman who embodies all forms of evil as he terrorizes the neighborhood kids. Then there’s a sorcerer’s apprentice who tries his best to conjure ice cream for a very important party with disastrous results. And join a kid from New Jersey, planet Earth, as he becomes part of an intergalactic experience where yes, ice cream is involved.

A hilarious set of stories, each illustrated by a different artist, “The Ice Cream Machine” is one of the most ingenious books to come out in a long time.

“Everything will be alright,” by Anna Dewdney, illustrated by Judy Schachner, Viking, 2022, 32 pages, $18.99 hardcover

Read aloud: From 2 to 5 years old.

Do you read : 6 to 7 years old.

Sometimes things don’t always go as they should, and the little bunny in this lovely book gets a little roughed up. Whether it’s a jelly sandwich when the bunny wanted cheese, a pesky sibling, a stubbed toe, a lost kite, mom and dad missing, fear and worry and more, friends and family will always be there to make it clear that everything will be fine.

A lovely book that encourages children to understand that even when things look bleak, they will soon turn around. Told in rhyme and perfectly complemented by expressive illustrations, “Everything Will Be Fine” is a reassuring story that will make children feel good everywhere.