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Go Green

The Overstory

July 8, 2019 by Mr.Eric Leave a Comment

The Overstory by Richard Powers
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Adults

“The single best thing you can do for the world?  The problem begins with the word world.  It means two such opposite things.  The real one we cannot see.  The invented one we can’t escape.”- from The Overstory.

What would you say if I told you that this isn’t our planet?

Sure, we built things on it.  Raised our children on it.  Molded it to fit our every conceivable need.  But really, in the grand scheme of things, we are simply recent roommates to the rest of life that has existed for millennia on this planet before we showed up on its doorstep unannounced.  Showed up with bags in our hands and plans for a renovation.

Have you ever wondered why it feels so good to be in nature?  Why so many of us have images on our desktop of trees, water, sun and dirt?  Why so many movies and scenes in popular culture show the ocean, mountains, and forests so prominently?  It’s because to be in nature is to be in the realm of truth.  Where there are no lies, no misconceptions, no fake news, no hidden meanings or subtext.  Just truth.  A tree is a tree is a tree.  Our world, on the other hand, the one invented by humans, the one that teaches us all the rules of how we are supposed to act and what we should value, is in the realm of fiction.  It’s as invented as the wheel.

The Oversrtory, by Richard Powers, attempts to explain the ideas of truth and fiction from the perspective of trees.  If that seems like a heady concept, then you should strap in for one heck of a profound journey.  At face value, The Overstory is the story of nine geographical separate individuals that find their paths crossing throughout their lives.  What makes it unique is that Powers attempts to tell their stories through the lens of trees, where a human lifetime is a mere afternoon to a tree and one where the most significant of moments happen at a speed too slow for us to even comprehend.  To a tree your story doesn’t start with your birth, it starts generation’s before you were even conceived, with an ancestor that you’ve never thought of or even knew existed.  To a tree, the invented world that we live in is nothing short of perplexing.

We use bits of paper to buy food for our mouths.  Adorable.

We think that having (name the last purchase you made on Amazon) is important.  Silly.

We get into arguments about what people we’ve never met said on the internet.  Downright hilarious.

Although Powers argues that we can never fully escape the invented world, for it is too ingrained into what makes us “us”, we can attempt to glimpse the slivers of truth that we experience in nature.  We may never escape it, but trying to envision our day-to-day problems and worries through the perspective of a tree may help us to realize that many of those concerns aren’t as important as previously thought.  At its core, The Overstory attempts to answer the question “what would the world look like if we valued all life instead of just the life that looked, and talked and thought like us?”  If this type of deep question sounds like something you would like to explore further, then The Oversrtory may be the book for you.

Find it in the catalog.

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults Tagged With: Big Picture, Go Green, Life, Multiple Main Characters, Nature, Society, Time, Tough Stuff, Trees

Bob and Joss Take a Hike!

February 27, 2018 by Sara Leave a Comment

Submitted by Ms. Andrea!

Bob and Joss Take a Hike by Peter McCleery. Bob and Joss are back and picking up right where they left off in Bob and Joss Get Lost! This time they are sure to get things right… or are they? Join this two lovable characters as they explore the great outdoors. The lovable characters are sure to be a big hit, Bob with his boredom inducing adventures and subsequent panic attacks, and Joss with his laid back, easy going style. Grab the whole family and take an adventure with Bob and Joss in this laugh-out-loud book. See this book listed in our catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Friendship, Go Green, Humour, Picture Book

Pup and Bear

January 23, 2018 by Sara Leave a Comment

Submitted by Ms. Sue!

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks, illustrated by Naoko Stoop. The Arctic is a big place. The Arctic wolves know that the Big Freeze is on its way. They shelter in a snowdrift. When the bitter-cold turns warm and the Big Melt begins, one lone little wolf pup finds himself afloat on a sheet of ice. He slides into the water and swims and swims until he finally reaches land. He pulls himself onto a snowbank and falls asleep. When he wakes he is face to face with Polar bear. “Will you eat me?” he asks. “Not this bear.” She takes him to her den where she licks him, cleans him, feeds, and keeps him warm. “I am not your mother but I can keep you safe.” Another Big Freeze comes and goes. The bear nudges the wolf who is not a pup anymore. The wolf nuzzles back. Then the wolf sets out into the big wide world. The wolf finds other wolves. Soon he is leading his own pack when he comes across a polar bear cub huddled in a snowdrift. “Where is your mother?” But the cub didn’t know. The wolf sniffs the cub and rubs its fur with a wet nose. “I am not your mother,” said the wolf, “but I can cuddle you and keep you warm.” See this book listed in our catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Animals, Go Green, Picture Book, Seasons, Weather

If You Plant a Seed

October 20, 2017 by Sara Leave a Comment

Submitted by Ms. Karen!

If You Plant a Seed written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. I love books about growing things so it is no wonder I love this book, with its simple presentation of how seeds provide us with food. However it is just as much about growing people, and communities, through even the smallest “seeds” of kindness. Mouse and Rabbit dream of a garden and plant a few seeds. When the plants are grown, the birds arrive, super-interested in eating some of their yummy veggies. Rabbit and Mouse refuse, and an argument quickly ensues, which devolves into an all-out fight, destroying the little garden in the process. Sadness, despair, and resentment all abound, until little Mouse decides to offer the last unbroken tomato to… their enemies, the birds! You’ll love how this one small act of kindness, recognized and returned, changes everything and gives Rabbit and Mouse a garden beyond their wildest dreams with lots of new friends thrown into the bargain. There are very few words here; the ground-eye view paintings of the animals and birds carry most of the story. The close-ups of plants and animals are astonishing! We can see the wonder on an animal’s face as it gazes at a new seedling, and feel the anger and tension that erupt into violence when the creatures “plant seeds of selfishness” and refuse to share. By turns sweetly funny, sad, and heartwarming, If You Plant a Seed gently encourages readers of all ages to use their power for kindness and compassion with its non-preachy, beautifully told story. This author also wrote Baby Bear and We Are the Ship. See this book listed in our catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Emotions, Go Green, Picture Book

1 Big Salad

November 10, 2016 by Sara Leave a Comment

Submitted by Ms. Sam!

1 Big Salad by Juana Medina is a delicious counting book that kids and adults will equally love with it’s nutritious fun elements. From 1 through 10, each ingredient for the big salad is depicted as a fun little animal. We begin with 1 Avocado Deer and move to 4 Carrot Horses to 7 Radicchio Lions to 10 Clementine Kitties. Each page will help kiddos practice their counting skills as well as use their imagination to see the fruit/veggie animals. All ten ingredients make up a wonderfully healthy salad that might even grab the attention of the pickiest eaters. There is also a quick and simple recipe for salad dressing in the back! See this book listed in our catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Counting, Food, Go Green, Humour, Picture Book, True Stories

A Piece of Home

October 24, 2016 by Sara Leave a Comment

Submitted by Ms. Sue!

A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. In Korea Hee Jun was ordinary. Hee Jun and his family have just moved from Korea to West Virginia. In Korea, his grandmother was a wonderful teacher and could find the extraordinary out of the ordinary especially in her garden. At school he was just like everyone else. His father accepted a position in a West Virginia school and the family has moved. Grandmother seems different too and her eyes don’t gleam anymore. Here, he is different. As time goes by, he am surprised. He learns new words like bathroom and please. He makes friends. Grandmother and little sister Se Ra are learning too. Se Ra’s teacher gets advice from Grandmother. One day when my friend Steve invites him over, they discover a plant in Steve’s mom’s garden, a “Rose of Sharon.” It’s the same as a plant Grandmother had in Korea called Mugunghwa. Steve’s mom sends a blossom and a shoot home for Grandmother. “A piece of Heaven,” Grandmother says. “A piece of home.” She plants the shoot and at summers end, she sews a blossom onto her new teacher friend’s wedding dress, like the family did in Korea. See this book listed in our catalog 

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Family, Foreign Culture, Go Green, Picture Book, School, Tough Stuff

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