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Nature

Wonder Walkers

June 4, 2021 by Carla 2 Comments

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer
Format: Book
Who’s It For: Children

Do you enjoy going for nature walks? Do you explore and ask yourself questions about the world around you? If so, I suggest you treat yourself to this book! Wonder Walkers is gorgeously illustrated with collages and sprinkled with delightful questions.  Two children go for  a walk and delight in what they discover.  Are you looking for a book to read and discuss with a young person?  Consider this one! Whether you often traverse outdoors or enjoy beauty from afar, this is a great pick for readers of all ages!

Find it in the catalog!

Filed Under: New for Kids Tagged With: Adventure, Exploration, Hikes, Nature, Wonder

Summer Walk

July 29, 2020 by Erin 1 Comment

Title: Summer Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow
Format: Book
Who It’s For: Kids (And Adults)

Are you looking for an engaging read that not only sparks your child’s imagination but gets their body moving?   With these times of social distancing and isolation it can be difficult to find safe, fun ways for our littles, and no so littles, to connect with the outside world.

In Summer Walk, we have a rhyming tale of a summer adventure shared between Grammy and her grandkids.  The story walks us along as they discover and identify 24 insects.  The detailed pencil sketches of this family unit form an intricate backdrop for the bold and colorful featured insects.  Following the story, there are fun insect facts, as well as, a nature themed craft and activity you and your child can do together.  They become the perfect learning extensions when you get back from your own Summer walk.

I love this book not only because it is a doorway to the outdoors which seamlessly melds learning with doing, but because it reminds me of my own children and the time they spent making memories with their Grammy.

Find it in the catalog , check it out and begin making your own summer memories today!

Filed Under: Recommended for Kids Tagged With: Crafts, Insects, Nature, Picture Book, Rhyming

Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds

July 1, 2020 by Kati Leave a Comment

Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds by Amy Bryant Aiello & Kate Bryant
Photography by Kate Baldwin
Format: Book and Ebook
Who’s it for: Teens and Adults

A terrarium might just look like a jar of dirt and a few plants, and fundamentally…it is. But with a few extras and a bit of creativity, a terrarium can be a miniature world you can create yourself.

Terrarium Craft provides inspiration to help you create your own terrarium. The book explores four themes  (forest, beach, desert, and fantasy) and each entry comes with step-by-step instructions explaining how to assemble and care for your terrarium accompanied by beautiful photography. 

What I liked most about the book is that that the authors’ creations are from found and recycled materials. This book shows how to create beautiful scenes from within a variety of glass objects you may have around the house or something you will be able to pick up at a thrift store. The authors provide good instructions for choosing containers and explains planting materials to help you create the healthiest environment for your new plants.

Available in the Catalog and on Hoopla Digital for instant download!

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: crafting, Nature, plants, recycle, terrarium

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

The Shallows

May 29, 2019 by Kati Leave a Comment

The Shallows
Format: DVD
Who its for: Adults and Teens

Summer’s almost here! So while you’re planning your big, beach vacay, let’s talk about sharks!

In the movie The Shallows, despite the danger of surfing alone, Nancy decides to hit the waves. When a great white shark suddenly attacks, Nancy is forced to swim to a giant rock for safety. Left injured and stranded 200 yards from shore, Nancy must fight for her life as the deadly predator circles her in its feeding ground.

The Shallows sets the bar for what a shark attack thriller can be. Marketed as horror film, the movie is largely grounded in survival drama but also fantastical in its action and suspense. One of the things I appreciated most about this movie is that it gave the shark a purpose, a reason for its aggression that is almost believable.  I preferred this to the more common idea that sharks are mindless, bloodthirsty monsters (that roar?  I’m looking at you, Jaws).  Not to mention, the cinematography used in this movie is just…pretty. While you’re sweating on the edge of your seat, holding tight to your limbs, be sure to enjoy the vibrant colors and slow motion effects that make the film both terrifying and aesthetically pleasing.  Other than the CGI shark, Blake Lively’s performance is easily the best in the movie (of course she is pretty much the only person in the movie so that isn’t saying much).  If you’re feeling brave, dip your toes in and check out The Shallows. Find it in the catalog.

 

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: Animals, Nature, Ocean, Sharks, Survival, Thriller

Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds

March 18, 2019 by Kati Leave a Comment

Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens and Adults

This easily-skimmable, illustrated wildlife survival guide, both humorous and helpful, explains what to do (or not do) in a showdown with 50 of the most feared and frustrating of North America’s creatures and critters.  As humans encroach on nature’s stomping ground, these run-ins are becoming increasingly common.  From bunnies to bull sharks, cockroaches to cows, this guide is handy for urban, suburban, and outdoor adventurers alike.  The readers can feel empowered to contain a major critter crisis or diffuse a dangerous disaster as each page contains expert tips, fascinating facts, and harrowing true tales of real-life encounters.  What I’ve learned: never turn your back on a goose, assume every moose is a serial killer, and if the mountain lion attacks, “give ’em hell.” Find it in the catalog.

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: Adventure, Animals, Nature, Outdoors, Survival

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