WHAT I BELIEVE

The Birdseyes, subtitling their book ``Kids Talk about Faith,'' offer the religious beliefs and other interests of six students from Corvallis, Oregon, in short, first-person essays, along with Crum's full-color, snapshot-like photographs from the youngsters' daily lives. In a preface, the authors note the difficulty of deciding which religions to include. The six faiths they chose—Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and ``Native American''—are represented, respectively, by Min, Alex, Janani, Aly, Carmel, and Kaila. They are intelligent children, who share—despite the variety of faiths—a belief in a benevolent power, an acceptance of religious guidelines that prove useful in real life, and a firm sense of ethics. Their families are also presented in a generous light, making this a heartwarming and unexpectedly fascinating book. (further reading) (Picture book. 7-10)