A column about your Eden Valley Area Library
?ÄúA snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.?Äù
~ Markus Zusak, ?ÄúThe Book Thief?Äù
January is Winter Storm Preparation Month. It?Äôs always a good idea to be prepared. So remember to put that shovel and blanket in your car. And head off to the library to stock up on some good books or movies to have on hand when the snow piles up.
When the weather is at it?Äôs worst, pick up a couple of titles that point out how good you have it. ?ÄúThe Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic,?Äù by Gay Salisbury tells a remarkable story of 1925 Alaska. When diphtheria hit Nome and no antitoxin was available, dog teams and their mushers were the only hope of getting the lifesaving serum. Their journey inspired the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. To read with your kids, check out ?ÄúThe Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto,?Äù by Natalie Standiford.
Head back to 1920?Äôs Alaska with ?ÄúThe Snow Child,?Äù by Eowyn Ivey. One night in a bit of whimsy, new arrivals Jack and Mabel build a child out of snow. The next morning the child is gone, but can be seen running through the trees. Deemed one of the best books on Amazon, critics call it ?Äúbeautiful and precise?Ķmagical.?Äù Then David Guterson brings us the PEN/Faulkner Award-winning ?ÄúSnow Falling on Cedars.?Äù This ?Äúcourtroom drama set in the aftermath of the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII?Äù takes place in Puget Sound. On a thoroughly different note, read ?ÄúSnow Blind,?Äù by P.J. Tracy. When Minneapolis detectives find frozen bodies inside snowmen during a snowman-building contest in a local park, the Monkeewench team is called in to assist. Yikes!
Young adult readers might better understand the dangers of a snowstorm by reading Michael Northrup?Äôs ?ÄúTrapped.?Äù This thriller tells of a group of high school students forced to spend the night at school when a blizzard hits. It?Äôs all kind of cool until ?Äúthe power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders.?Äù And from favorite author, Gary Paulsen is the tale of a 14-year-old taking a 1400-mile journey by dog sled in ?ÄúDogsong.?Äù
Knowing how important it is to expose our children to books and reading, we recommend ?ÄúTogo,?Äù by Robert J. Blake. It tells the story of a rambunctious Siberian husky determined to be a sled dog. And award-winning author William Steig brings us ?ÄúBrave Irene,?Äù featuring a plucky heroine who braves a fierce storm to help out her ailing mother. After finishing the book, it might be a good time to discuss how to stay safe if caught in a snowstorm.
For your viewing pleasure, relive the 1980 U.S. ice hockey team?Äôs Olympic victory over the Soviet Union in ?ÄúMiracle.?Äù It stars Kurt Russell and is rated G. To quote Al Michaels, ?ÄúDo you believe in miracles??Äù For pure escapism watch Sylvester Stallone?Äôs ?ÄúCliffhanger,?Äù (rated R). And for the whole family, there is ?ÄúMarch of the Penguins,?Äù (rated G) where the emperor penguins of the South Pole journey to their traditional breeding grounds. Talk about good fathers! To finish out your snow day belt out ?ÄúLet it Go?Äù while watching ?ÄúFrozen,?Äù (rated PG).
On a serious note, remember to put all those safety essentials in your vehicles. For a comprehensive checklist go to the Farmer?Äôs Almanac site: www.almanac.com/content/emergency-car-kit. Stay warm and stay safe.