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Reading Rescue, June 2008:
Traveling this Summer
 By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
School is out, the days are hot, and it stays light out
longer. It must be summer! With the prices souring on everything from
ice cream to gasoline, it just might be a good year to stay around the
house. Horrors! Yes, I said, stay home, but it doesn't have to be
boring. There are super travel books, videos and DVDs at your library!
Steve Watkins wrote the book, Unforgettable Journeys
to Take Before you Die, (910.7 WAT). This book will take you on
thirty awe-inspiring and incredible journeys. It is a book you can day
dream by or one that will help you plan your next vacation. These are
trips of a lifetime and include: the mysterious Ruta Maya from Mexico to
Honduras; an expedition across Antarctica that follows the path made by
Ernest Shackleton; travel on the Orient Express from Singapore to
Bangkok; and so much more. This book will inspire you and make your
imagination work overtime. If you have ever read Murder on the Orient
Express by Agatha Christie, you can see yourself on the train! Any
way you see it, this book will inspire you whether you are an armchair
tourist or an intrepid traveler.
New York City isn't that far away and Frommer's New
York City with Kids (917.4 HUG) by Holly Hughes will help you to
plan a great family vacation. Using this book is like having a very good
friend showing you around New York City. There is news about hotels and
restaurants including price ranges. And, this book will also tell you if
the business is kid-friendly. It also includes maps and where to find
interactive museums, children's entertainment, kid-friendly shopping,
plus the best parks and places to stay. There are suggestions for
itineraries for each age group to make the trip easier and a lot more
fun! Let this wonderful book help you with your next trip to New York
City.
There is a tremendous amount of commercials on
television for Walt Disney World. If you plan to go there, The
Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World ( 917.59 SCH) by Bob Schlinger
will be of value. The author provides tips about restaurants and hotels.
There are also valuable tips so that you won't be standing for up to
four hours in a line to enjoy a ride or attraction. The attractions are
rated for each age group and that can save you a lot of time and energy.
If this is your kind of vacation, be sure to check out this book!
Want a real change of pace? Think about traveling to
Scotland. Scotland for Dummies (914.1104 SHE) by Barry Shelby
will be your guide to plan the trip or to just see what Scotland has to
offer you and your family if you make the trip. Get the scoop on
Edinburgh with its intriguing winding alleyways, see where the best
place is to get a pint, and stand in awe of the castles, cathedrals and
historical sites. Think about enjoying a game of golf in the country
credited for its development. Find out where to shop for everything from
fine wool knits to precious paper weights. The book also refers to the
best places to stay and where to eat. Whether you want to enjoy the
nightlife or the legendary Loch Ness Monster, this guide will let you
feel the flavor of Scotland. As you read, you will imagine that you hear
the enchanting sounds of bagpipes!
If your heritage is something that intrigues your
imagination than try reading Under the Southern Sun (914. 5 PAO)
by Paul Paolicelli. The author wanted to learn about his heritage. He
was of the last generation of Italian Americans to have direct memory of
the ties with great diaspora (the scattered -- people leaving Italy)
from Italy during the end of the nineteen century and the early
twentieth century. This book reads a lot like a journal. It is
interesting, and there is a lot of information on Southern Italy. Many
of the oldest cities in Italy are in the south. The book is interesting,
and you will feel the culture of Italy.
Another good book about Italy is Under the Tuscan Sun
(92 Mayes) by Frances Mayes. The author bought and renovated an
abandoned villa in Tuscany. She finds great pleasure in the beautiful
area where everyday chores are even enjoyed! There are some good recipes
in this book that the author has made and loved. She shares her love of
the area and is at home in the Italian as well as the American culture.
This book is enjoyable and will make you want to see Tuscany.
Emily Kaufman's The Travel Mom’s Ultimate Family
Travel Book (790.1 KAU) is a good read for anyone traveling with
family. A family vacation is a way to bring a family closer together,
but it takes a tremendous amount of planning to make it work. Also, the
right mind-set is needed to make it all worth while. Family vacations
add a lot of memories and are ones to be cherished. This book will help
to take away some of the stress and anxiety for those planning family
trips.
A fabulous new book in our collection is Queen of the
Road: The True Tales of 47 States (917.304 ORI) by Doreen Orion. You
will have a great time reading this book. Can you picture yourself
traveling in a converted bus with your wilderness-loving husband and a
sixty-pound dog? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you weren't a
self-proclaimed "princess" who is a grouchy couch potato and shoe
addict! This is our author, and she surprised her herself and her
husband by agreeing to go on this cross-country trip. Believe me, you
will laugh out loud as you read. Doreen does learn to appreciate the
simple life and ends up having a great time. She also finds that
spending time with her husband makes her marriage stronger. This is a
funny, enjoyable book that we highly recommend.
The library has in the collection many wonderful DVDs
and videos that feature places to go and enjoy. Rick Sebak narrates
Pittsburgh A to Z (DVD 917.4886 PIT). He gives a great overview of
Pittsburgh including places that have really changed such as the
Westinghouse in Wilmerding. Mr. Sebak talks about Kennywood, Zambelli
fireworks and so much more that you can see and do in Pittsburgh. You
can "see Pittsburgh without the traffic!" There are many more Pittsburgh
DVDs and videos in the collection including The Strip Show,
North Side Story, South Side, Things that Aren't Here
Anymore and more. National Geographic's, The Quest for the Lost
Tombs (DVD 932 EGY) is about the latest discoveries of tombs in
Egypt. The tombs of Tutankhauman, Ramses II, Cliffside Tombs and Valley
of the Mummies are featured. If a trip to Egypt is not in your future,
then this DVD will take you there and back for the price of a check-out.
There are several "Going Places" videos in the library.
Going Places: Santa Fe and Taos is a video that takes you on a
whirlwind tour of the world's most popular vacation spots. Going
Places: Turkey is a video takes you to the fabled land of the Orient
where East and West come together. See Istanbul and the Byzantine
churches along with the cave dwelling of Cappadocia and the ruins of
Ephesis.
National parks are usually great places to vacation, and
the library has videos on several. They include the Grand Canyon,
Yellowstone, Yosemite and more. All show the features of these wonderful
parks and may help you to make plans for a "park" vacation.
Enjoy the beautiful weather and these great materials.
It won't be the same as actually going away, but it may help you to
enjoy a rainy summer day or to plan a trip for next year. Pop the
popcorn, turn down the light, and enjoy some of these great travel
videos and DVDs, or if you have a pool or a nice shady patio, lay back
and enjoy these awesome books. Maybe someday you will take an exotic
cruise or a very extravagant vacation, but in the mean time, enjoy the
materials in your library.
As always, if you have suggestions or questions, please
either e-mail mfulmer@pennlib.org
or phone 724-744-4414. Remember to have the children sign-up for Summer
Reading. They can earn tickets for wonderful prizes as they enjoy
reading. The library has programs each Monday; please call or come in to
sign-up for the programs. Also, on Wednesdays, there are programs and on
Thursdays, two story times. For the adults, on Tuesday, July 22nd, Alan
Irvine, Pennsylvania Humanities Council Speaker and storyteller, will
talk about the Forbes Expedition at the library at 6:30 pm. Alan Irvine
is a true storyteller, and you will be spell-bound!
See you in the library!
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