I was pretty excited when I heard the aurora borealis might be visible in our area. Seeing the northern lights is a bucket list item for me, so the possibility of witnessing this display locally caused a bit of excitement in my household. But, alas, it was not to be. Oh well, this just means a fabulous trip northward at some point in my future. For now, I’ll have to be satisfied with looking at pictures of auroras, and as it so happens, the library can help me with this. Auroras: Fire in the Sky by Dan Bortolotti, Exploring Auroras by Karen Latchana Kenney, and Nature’s Light Spectacular by Katy Flint are full of photographs and fascinating information about this natural phenomenon.
Another marvel of nature that isn’t visible in our neck of the woods are fireflies. My first (and only) firefly sighting took place during a visit to an island located off the coast of Honduras. I might have been in my forties then, but my reaction upon seeing them came straight out of a five-year-old’s playbook: shouts of joy, clapping of hands—I think I even jumped up and down a little. Bucket list item? Check.
Like auroras, fireflies are best seen in person, but books about them are a great substitute when the real thing is hard to find. Incredible Fireflies by Susan Ashley, Next Time You See a Firefly by Emily R. Morgan, and Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies by Sara Margery Lewis provide interesting firefly facts (including the inside scoop on why they glow), and there are plenty of pictures to enjoy.
- Auroras: Fire in the Sky by Dan Bortolotti, photographs by Yuichi Takasaka.
- Exploring Auroras by Karen Latchana Kenney.
- Incredible Fireflies by Susan Ashley.
- Nature’s Light Spectacular written by Katy Flint, illustrated by Cornelia Li.
- Next Time You See a Firefly by Emily R. Morgan.
- Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies by Sara Margery Lewis.
New at the Library
Fiction
- The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams.
- The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt.
- White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link.
Nonfiction
- Creative Stained Glass: 17 Step-By-Step Projects for Stunning Glass Art and Gifts by Noor Springael.
- Graveyard of the Pacific: Shipwreck and Survival on America’s Deadliest Waterway by Randall Sullivan.
- How to Raise a Happy Cat: So They Love You More Than Anyone Else by Sophie Collins.
Children
- The Ancient Worlds Atlas: A Pictorial Guide to Past Civilizations by Anne Millard, illustrated by Russell Barnett.
- Bea and the New Deal Horse by Laura Elliott.
- The Loud Librarian by written by Jenna Beatrice, illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones.
This is just a small sampling of the many new titles added each week to the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries collection. Find more in our catalog, or call 360-906-5000 to reserve titles or find additional listings.
Jan Johnston, Collection Manager
Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries
You can email Jan at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
