Once again, Children's Book Week has arrived. This will be the 89 th Annual Children's Book Week and the first time it has been commemorated in the month of May.

Each year Memorial Library contacts young people recommended by their teachers to read William Allen White nominated books and write reviews, in hopes that their peers will find the reviews interesting and want to read the books as well.

The William Allen White Award nominating committee selects books in two age ranges-third through fifth and sixth through eighth. This award is determined solely by the vote of Kansas students. In order to qualify to vote, a youngster must read at least two books from either one of the lists. This award, made in honor of Emporia journalist William Allen White, was instituted in 1954.

Lots of great books were nominated for both lists this year. Here is a sampling of those books. Enjoy!

Title: Phineas L. MacGuire Erupts
Author: Frances O'Roark Dowell
Reviewed by: Dawson B. Whitaker
7th grade - Benton Academy Homeschool

Phineas L. MacGuire was first published in 2006. This story occurs in modern times. The story is told in first-person participant, the protagonist. There are two chief characters. They are Phineas L. MacGuire, whose nickname is Mac. He is 11 years old and lives with his mom and step dad. He loves science. The other chief character is Ben, who is actually called Mac R. and lives with his mom and is a great artist.

The story begins with Mac's best friend moving. A new boy moved to their school. His name is Mac R. Mac R said that he was smarter than everyone else. Mac R says that all girls are dumb, but another boy says that girls are much smarter than boys. A girl came and pointed her pencil at Mac R. and exclaimed that girls can do everything boys can do and better. Mac R. and Mac got chosen by their wacky teacher (who wears wacky clothes and keeps a jar full of rubber frogs on her desk) to do a science experiment together. Mac R. wanted to do an experiment on volcanoes, but Mac wanted to do it about mold. At the end of the story, they ended up doing what Mac R. wanted to do, but they forgot to bring the baking soda.

The book caused only a few emotions in me. I felt angry when Mac R. said that girls are stupid. I know that they are very smart. When Mac was talking about mold, I felt disgusted. I did learn something new about God as well in this book. I saw God's providential care when Mac and Mac R. became friends because Mac R. (Ben) needed a friend. I was also more aware of human nature when Agatha did not believe that Mac R. was changed. The characters in the story seemed believable. I could relate because they are almost my age. I especially like Mac because he was very smart. This story has an enduring theme because it talks about friendship and that winning is not everything.

This report is 'in' and I'm 'out', concludes Dawson Whitaker.

Title: The Wright Three
Author: Blue Balliet
Report By: Ananda Coleman
Sherwood Academy

Reading is one of the best ways to spend a summer. One of the books I recommend for reading this summer is "The Wright Three," a William Allen White Award nominee, by Blue Balliet."The Wright Three" is an art-saving, spine chilling book that deals with important questions like the value of art and loyalty.

What makes art be art? What makes it qualify as a true masterpiece: something that should be protected and preserved? Can an entire house be a piece of art? These are questions everyone in Ms. Hussey's sixth grade class are wondering. Calder, Petra and Tommy are no exception.

Calder is determined to help Tommy and Petra become friends- after all, he knows them both well and they'd really make a great team together. However, Tommy and Petra are equally determined not to become friends. They want to be Calder's friend but as far as the other is concerned- it's a closed case.

When, the supposedly haunted Robie House designed by the late Frank Lloyd Wright is condemned to be chopped apart and sent to different museums around the world, Calder, Petra and Tommy as well as their teacher, the entire sixth grade class and most of the art-loving world are horrified: masterpieces should not be torn apart. And the Robie house is decidedly a work of art- it's symmetrical shape, art glass and an obvious flair of personality all qualify. Calder, Petra and Tommy unite- determined not to let this outrage go unnoticed, they protest against this awful decision and try their best to stop construction.

The three say they've put differences aside in order to save the house or have they truly decided? Tommy has his own dark secret. He's lied to keep it and for good reason (in his opinion) but, things are getting dangerous and he's not sure how long he can keep it up. Can he keep the secret and save the Robie house too? Secrets and lying to happen a lot between the three; how long can they work together like this? Strange things happen at the construction sight. Are they coincidental accidents and tricks of light or a series of strange events in a pattern? To Petra, the house is almost alive in its own sort of way and it seems to be trying to send a message to, well, her. What is it trying to say?

Then, there's the matter of Frank Lloyd Wright's code. Legend has it that he left part of himself in the Robie house. Can the code help them save the house? Calder is sure his pentominoes are the key to that code- if only he can crack it.

Can Calder, Petra and Tommy stand one another long enough to save the house? Or will they be silenced by those who seem determined not to let the Robie house survive? You can find out by reading Blue Balliet's masterful sequel "The Wright Three." You can find this, "Chasing Vermeer" (which features Calder and Petra as the main characters hot on the trail of an art thief) and many other wonderful books at the Liberal Memorial Library.