The Ninilchik Community Library has added several of these year's Battle of the Books titles, and whether a public or homeschool parent, the messages in many of these books are essential for young people to consider.
Classics like "Where the Red Fern Grows," about a boy and his two canine companions, teaches the perseverance of hardwork, the devotion and loyalty that comes from caring for dogs, and the pain that must be faced when you lose what you love most.
Novels like "Hatchet" teach that self-reliance and adapadability are essential for overcoming adversity, while "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," lets kids know the importance of embracing their differences and the community that comes from finding like-minded individuals.
Even new titles, such as "Project Hail Mary," inspire kids by getting them to see that curiosity and wonder, unexpected friendship, and a little bit of ingenuity, can often solve even the most hopeless problems.
And some, like the graphic novel "Last Kids on Earth," are just entertaining for children and sets them on the path of improving their literacy and reading for pleasure throughout their lives.
Come check them out, whether you want to read just one or to try to get through all of them.