By Evangeline Cessna

Here are books available at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

“Watch My Baby Grow” is a child development book from DK Books. This beautifully photographed book follows little Melisa through her first year of life. Using a ridiculously cute toy rabbit as a measure, the DK book team measure how Melisa grows throughout the year. Each chapter covers a different aspect of child development to help parents learn what to expect from their own baby. Following the introduction and the photo-journal pages is the chapter all about the Newborn. You learn what milestones a newborn reaches, how he/she bonds with mom, what nutritional needs she has, and the development of the baby’s motor skills. Other chapters tell how the baby’s senses develop throughout the first year, what nutritional needs she has at each stage, how she learns new things about the environment, how the baby develops communication skills, and how she develops her own personality to become an individual.

Also new from DK Books is “Help Your Baby to Sleep” which offers practical sleep solutions for newborns to toddlers. Childcare expert and mother of two Judy Barratt, offers practical strategies and real-life answers for those parents struggling to get their little ones to bed. All parents want a good night’s sleep, not only for themselves, but also for their child. Every family is different, and what works for one baby or toddler doesn’t always work for another. This candid guide teaches you how to set up healthy sleep habits at every age and stage of development. You’ll learn how to deal with newborns that don’t recognize the difference between night and day, as well as the three year old that refuses to stay in his bed. There is also a troubleshooting chapter that covers a wide array of problems and tells you which solutions to try.

“Your Child in the Hospital: A Practical Guide for Parents” is by Nancy Keene. Every year, millions of parents take their child to the hospital for stitches, outpatient surgery, or even longer stays. This guide is designed with helpful tips and tried-and-true wisdom that can help to make any visit to the hospital easier for both parents and their children. It explains how to prepare your child for the trip, how to cope with the procedures, and plan for surgery. You will also learn ways to better communicate with the doctors and nurses and to deal with the bills and insurance companies. Woven throughout the tips are encouraging stories from parents who have been through the experience of having a child in the hospital. Also included is a packing list, hospital journal for children, and helpful resources for parents. These may all be photocopied for your own personal use.

“Children of Katrina” is a book by Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek. Both of the authors are conducted long-term studies with some of the children displaced by hurricane Katrina in 2005. They followed these children for a decade and examined all aspects of their lives to find out how they responded to the stress of the initial evacuation as well as how they fared in the long run. They find that these children followed three different post-disaster trajectories — declining, finding equilibrium, and fluctuating — as they tried to regain some stability. These often heartbreaking stories illustrate how a devastating disaster affects individual health and well-being, family situations, housing and neighborhood arrangements, peer relationships, schooling, and extracurricular activities.

“Pound for Pound: a Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life” is by Shannon Kopp. For eight years, the author battled with bulimia and its endless cycle of binging and purging. She was overwhelmed by promises unfulfilled—to herself, to her family, but, mostly to her future. At the age of twenty-four, she found a job working at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA caring for shelter dogs.

With the help of some extraordinary homeless animals, Shannon found the will to heal and the courage to forgive herself. She learned that out of suffering, something as beautiful as compassion is born. She reminds us that animals are more than friends or companions; they can teach us how to let go of past mistakes, relish the here-and-now, and live our life with joy.