If you like short poems, especially those about nature and every day occurances, you’ll want to read the library’s collection of books by Kristine O’Connell George.  The author has published several books about observations in nature, such as” Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems” that tells the story of a hummingbird that built nest in the backyard becoming the focus of one family’s spring and summer.  The poems are enhanced by the realistic illustrations of Barry Moser.

“The Great Frog Race,” Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems,” and “Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems” are three volumes of poems about the wonders of being in the outdoors, taking note of the plants and animals, birds and insects that make up an ecosystem.  Kate Kiesler illustrated all three books in a calm combination of oil paints.  Try to visualize the illustration for the poem, ”Summer fills the empty space between two trees with a hammock.” It’s exactly like that.

“Little Dog Poems” and “Little Dog and Duncan” are two books about the same adorable girl and her dog, illustrated in detailed watercolors by June Otani.  George’s understated poems address the small pleasures of dog ownership and the special relationship children have with their dogs.  The second book includes a visit from Duncan, a very large dog who brings an unusual dynamic to the group.

“Emma Dilemma” is a book of big sister poems from a fourth grader to her preschool sister.  As with any sibling relationship, there are great times together and there are frustrating times when you want to be an only child.  Nancy Carpenter’s pen and ink watercolors pick up on the moods of both sisters, increasing the impact of these endearing poems.

“UP!” and “Book!” are both aimed at preschoolers who have their own way of looking at the simple things in life.  A visit to the park is a way to try out action words, while the small act of reading a book is only one of the things a youngster can use books for.

“Fold Me a Poem” is a series of poems centered around a child folding his own set of origami animals and thinking about the characteristics of each one.  The whole book is one ongoing illustration of bright acrylics by Lauren Stringer that moves from page to page as each animal takes a turn to inspire a poem.  Origami instructions can be found at www.laurenstringer.com.

“Swimming Upstream” is a collection of middle school poems accented with several full page spreads of pen and ink drawings by Debbie Tilley.  The first one depicts students in the hallway with one boy trying to remember his locker combination.  It matches a poem from page 10:  “I’ve got your numbers.  Twelve…eleven…twenty-one.  Why won’t you open?”  Anyone who’s been to middle school can relate to these thoughts on school, friends, and growing up.

Kristine O’Connell George will be featured at the Young Authors Conference the second week of May, with a special appearance at the Peter White Public Library on Tuesday, May 7^th at 6:30.  The event is open to the public.

Many architects, owners and contractors are trying to build environmentally friendly buildings.  Frank Lloyd Wright Natural Design, Organic Architecture is a beautifully illustrated look at Wright and his designs.  Wright’s desire to work and live with nature and to use it to create livable homes and cities is as relevant now as it was during his lifetime. 
            All Standing by Kathryn Miles is the remarkable story of the legendary Irish Famine ship called the Jeanie Johnston.  More than one million people fled Ireland to North America during the Potato Famine and more than 100,000 of them would die aboard one of the 5,000 “coffin ships” carrying them to a new land.  The remarkable crew of the Jeanie Johnston never lost a passenger or crew during 11 voyages to North America.
            Maryka Biaggio’s first novel Parlor Games is the tale of May Dugas, once named “the most dangerous woman in the world” by the Pinkerton Agency.  The novel opens in 1917 as May is facing trial for extortion in her hometown of Menominee, Michigan.  Is May as dangerous as agent Reed Dougherty claims or just an innocent caught in nefarious schemes not of her making?  You as the reader can decide.
            Larry McMurtry is known for his historic novels and screenplays.  He turns his attention to chronicling the life of infamous General George Armstrong Custer in his newest work.  Lavishly illustrated, this volume explores how the memory and legend of Custer were born in the aftermath of his battle against a large Lakota Cheyenne Village on June 25, 1876.  Custer redefines the reader’s understanding of the American West.
            The Best American Short Stories of 2012 by Tom Perrotta includes North Country by Roxane Gay.  She received her PhD. From MTU and serves as Co-Editor of PANK, MTU’s literary magazine.  She captures the spirit of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as seen from an outsider, in this eloquent short story.
            Minnesota’s rugged terrain is the setting for Lake Country by Sean Doolittle.  When Wade Benson was convicted for killing a young woman in a fatal auto accident after he fell asleep at the wheel, the judge handed down a controversial sentence.  Unfortunately, the victim’s brother decides to settle the score.  Only one man can try to derail the horrible revenge plot that threatens to spin out of control and take many innocent lives with it.
            Audiologists agree that Americans are suffering a national epidemic of hearing impairment.  Seventeen percent of the population or 50 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss.  For many, this condition hits between the ages of 19 and 44.  Katherine Bouton is one of the many for whom Shouting Won’t Help.  Using her personal experiences as a guide, Bouton discusses this invisible disability and offers advice and a wealth of information about hearing loss.
            Spring will be here someday and Foraged Flavor will get you ready to take advantage of nature’s bounty.  Authors Tama Matsuoka Wong and Eddy Leroux have compiled a book that will help foragers find fabulous ingredients from the backyard, woods or farmer’s market.  Arranged by season, the book includes drawings of each ingredient and recipes that make the most of its flavor and characteristics.
            Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin marks the 20 year anniversary of Rankin’s writing career.  For this riveting mystery he brings back Detective John Rebus who has never shied away from lost causes.  Nina Hazlitt is still mourning the loss of her daughter, after she disappeared years ago.  No sightings, no body and no clues have led everyone to call the disappearance unsolvable.  Two more women have disappeared from the same place, and Rebus is determined to put the pieces together to bring closure to the cold case.
             Anna Starmer has come to the rescue of the color-challenged among us with the Color Scheme Bible.  This book presents 200 distinctive color schemes inspired by nature, art, travel and objects.  This inspirational guide describes how colors interact and the effect they have on a room.  Each scheme features a main hue, accent colors and highlight colors.  Starmer explains how to use each color for walls, woodwork, upholstery and accessories to bring out the best in the room. 
             The Dummies books have helped millions of people conquer their fears about a myriad of subjects. Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan help the reader understand and enjoy wines and champagnes in Wine for Dummies.  This book explains grape varieties and wine styles, deciphers wine lists and labels, give hints for selecting and storing wine, pairing wine with foods and how to shop for wine and read restaurant wine lists.  Short chapters, lists and tables make this book easy-to-use as well as a complete introduction to what can be a complex topic.

Have you been wondering what the end of the Mayan calendar will mean?  Many notable writers have been pondering the same thing and have written a batch of books about post-apocalyptic America that may pique your interest.

Ashes of the Earth: a Mystery of Post-Apocalyptic America by Eliot Pattison
Thirty years after a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors have formed a colony named Carthage on the on the edge of what was once Lake Ontario.  Ruled by a governor with absolute power, this fragile community is threatened by secret crimes, government censorship, tension between generations, and has a history of banishing those who suffer from radiation sickness.  Hadrian Boone, once a revered colony founder, investigates a murder that reveals criminal elements and unsettling secrets.  Pattison’s story highlights the need for societies to salvage ideas and values (instead of material riches) in order to rise up from the ashes.

Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway
London clock repairman Joe Spork finds himself in deep trouble after a friend asks him to fix an old machine which turns out to be a doomsday device linked to his father’s gangster past.  Pursued by monks, government agents, a serial killer and an Asian drug lord, Joe soon realizes he’ll need the help of Edie Banister, an elderly WWII superspy, to save the world from annihilation.  As the story unfolds we gradually learn that the doomsday machine was built to bring world peace by forcing us to speak only the truth.  However, in the wrong hands, truth-telling can prove deadly.

The Children of Men by P. D. James
Set in England in the year 2021, P. D. James’ novel suggests a bleak future devoid of children that is filled with despair and violence.  Central to the story is Theo Faron, an Oxford history professor who is approached by a group of dissidents who harbor a dangerous and marvelous secret: a young woman’s hidden pregnancy.

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Heller’s debut novel features a pilot named Hig who is about to embark on a journey of discovery.  After a flu pandemic has killed nearly everyone he knows, Hig has co-existed with his dog and a loner named Bangley for nine years at an abandoned airport in Colorado.  When he hears a voice on the radio, Hig becomes haunted by the thought of finding other survivors.  Flying a 1956 Cessna, Hig soon sets out on a six-week trip, gaining insights along the way about connection, love, and grace.

Flood by Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter’s daring novel is a postapocalyptic story about a world where rising tides mean high ground is rapidly becoming a rare and precious commodity. Set in the year 2016, this story follows the attempts of four political prisoners freed from captivity in Barcelona who search desperately for solutions to the world’s rising ocean levels.

The Omega Point: Beyond 2012 by Whitley Strieber
December 21, 2012 has come and gone without incident.  The year is now 2020 and energy from a supernova is disrupting the sun, creating solar storms that are ravaging the earth.  Even as the wealthy of the world hide in huge bunkers underground, they know they won’t survive long without some sort of miracle.  The world’s hope seems to lie with one man, David Ford, a psychologist at the exclusive Acton Clinic.  He and many of his patients were once classmates at a center which preceded the clinic where Herbert Acton taught them a science so ancient its truths have passed into the realm of mysticism.   Esoteric knowledge brought by time travelers from an ancient civilization may prove essential to the world’s survival.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Set in the year 2025, this novel portrays a world in decline overwhelmed by pressures of global warming, pollution, ethnic conflict and other problems.  Young, black, eighteen-year-old Lauren Olamina flees her walled Californian community when it is overrun by a desperate mob of pyro addicts called “paints” who seek water and work.  Joining other refugees who are flooding north, Lauren is buoyed by her faith in a philosophy/religion called Earthseed, which she believes will one day carry people up to the stars.