By Anne Gerlach/Adult Services Librarian/Montgomery County Public Libraries/ White Oak Library
They talk about April showers — and I’m viewing wet twilight while writing for this early-and-mid-summer season’s edition. You’d think I’d chat up guidebooks and travelogues at this point — and in a way you’re right, though probably not how you’d expect. Did you know June is National Ocean Month and July 2 is World UFO Day? Enjoy some armchair travel by checking out these adventures, real and imagined, encountering creatures and phenomena within the aquatic expanse and beyond our earthly realm. May this pinch of picks be a good catch of stellar reads!
“Around the Ocean in 80 Fish & Other Sea Life”
By Dr. Helen Scales
Did you know that cuttlefish bones were once used as an additive in toothpaste — and is given as a calcium supplement to pet birds, hermit crabs, chinchillas and snails? Or that sturgeon swim bladders were once made into isinglass for glue in ancient Egypt, mending wounds in ancient Rome and as part of the British brewing process for making a clear pint? Follow marine biologist, writer, and Cambridge University educator Dr. Scales throughout the world’s oceans and discover some of the most fascinating creatures living in them. Arranged by dominant geographic location indicated in an outlined Table of Contents, each inhabitant has a minimum two-page spread with watercolor illustrations, scientific name, noteworthy historical, religious or cultural references, biological abilities or environmental features and its uses for humanity. Rounding out the book is a section of resources for further reading and a detailed index. A book worth diving into!
“Eat Like a Fish”
By Bren Smith
Follow Bren Smith’s journey from traveling teenage fisherman to pioneering 3D ocean farming and winning the Buckminster Fuller Challenge for ecological design.
“The Road to Roswell”
By Connie Willis
Francie’s best friend is flighty, but a UFO-themed wedding?? Yet who knew how far out Francie’s trip to Roswell would become?
“Light Years from Home”
By Mike Chen
What happened on that fateful camping trip when Evie’s father and brother disappeared Can she and her sister make peace while preventing an intergalactic war?
