The Friends of the Mary Willis Library will be talking about children's books this week

their February meeting. It seems like an appropriate time to tell about three juvenile books that I have read recently and highly recommend to readers young and -- well, older.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron won the Newbery award in 2006. Lucky, who is 10 years old, keeps a survival-kit backpack ready

all times. When her mother died, she came under the care of Brigitte, who happens to be the French former wife of her father. In addition to Brigette, significantfriends are Lincoln who ties knots, Miles, five-year-old searcher of cookies, and her dog, HMS Beagle. Lucky is resourceful and resilient, but she had not foreseen a dust storm that causes major changes.

The Newbery award is an annual recognition of the best books for children. Another recent winner is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. DiCamillo wrote Because of Winn-Dixie, which was a popular movie. In Despereaux, the protagonist is a tiny mouse with big ears who lives in a castle. Despised by the other mice because he loves music and talks to humans, he is banished to the dungeons, where the rats are expected to eat him. There's a beautiful princess in the castle, too, as well as a deaf serving girl. Even an evil rat is redeemed in this story of love.

Also by DiCamillo, and also about love, is The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Now the main character is a china rabbit. Edward lives contently, mostly admiring himself in his elegant clothes and taking his easy life with Abilene for granted. That life changes, however, when he goes with the family on a voyage to Europe and is accidentally thrown overboard.

Lying for a time on the bottom of the ocean, he is rescued by fishermen and begins a wandering life among kind and unkind humans. As the reader might suspect (though Edward cannot talk, he can think,) he gradually learns the value of love, given and received. It is quite an adventure, and the reader may even shed a tear or two.

All of these books are available at the Mary Willis Library. Do not make the mistake of thinking that children's books are only for children. (Look at Harry Potter.) A good book is a good book.