Did You Know?

Physicist Libbrecht details the creation of snowflakes and photographer Rasumussen provides amazing photographs. You will never look at snowflakes in the same way.

The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty by Kenneth George Libbrecht and Patricia Rasmussen. Stillwater, Minn.: Voyageur Press: 2003.
Call number: 030770

The White Hurricane of November 7, 1913 became the worst Great Lakes storm on record: twelve ships sank, and thirty-one more were stranded on rocks and beaches. In this account, nautical writer Brown uses firsthand accounts and contemporary newspaper reports to re-create the desperate struggles of man vs. the lakes.

White Hurricane: A Great Lakes November Gale and America’s Deadliest Maritime Disaster by David G. Brown. Camden, Maine: International Marine and McGraw-Hill: 2002.
Call number: 030762

The first comprehensive guide to Wisconsin geology contains thirty-five road guides that interpret the geology visible from highways and parks around the state. This books offers a fascinating look at our geologic history and should be kept in the car or backpack for quick reference as you travel the state.

Roadside Geology of Wisconsin by Robert H. Dott and John W. Attig. Missoula, Mont: Mountain Press Pub.: 2004.
Call No. 061394

Stonehouse’s book is a not-so-serious investigation of truly believed superstitions and stories that have become a part of the lore of the Great Lakes from the 1700s to today. The stories range from ghosts on ships and in lighthouses to sea serpents and underwater spirits. The companion to Stonehouse’s first collection offers more ghost tales from the Great Lakes region. Like the first volume, it is not a scholarly treatment of the subject, but a light, enjoyable read.

Haunted Lakes: Great Lakes Ghost Stories, Superstitions and Sea Serpents by Frederick Stonehouse. Duluth, Minn.: Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc.: 1997.
Call No. 071067

Haunted Lakes II: More Great Lakes Ghost Stories by Frederick Stonehouse. Duluth, Minn: Lake Superior Port Cities: 2000.
Call No. 071068

Most people are stunned to learn that there are some 35,000 islands in the Great Lakes, ranging from a large stone with its top above water level to the world’s largest freshwater island, Manitoulin. Islands: Great Lakes’ Stories focuses on 18 of these islands with their histories and personalities.

Islands: Great Lakes’ Stories by Gerry Volgenau. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Ann Arbor Media Group: 2005.
Call No. 071152

More than three dozen selections of autobiography, fiction, letters, newspaper accounts, and poetry are included in this anthology devoted to women who lived along or traveled the Great Lakes from 1789 to the present. The collection includes writings by women pioneers, travelers, fur traders and lighthouse keepers as well as American Indian myths. You are sure to learn something you didn’t know while being entertained by these often courageous women.

The Women’s Great Lakes Reader by Victoria Brehm. Tustin, Mich.: Ladyslipper Press: 2000.
Call No. 071109

In this thorough and thoughtful book, the author explores some of the most difficult questions regarding water on our planet by talking with the people who are working to answer them. Her analysis is engaging and insightful.

Water Wars: Drought, Flood, Folly, and the Politics of Thirst by Diane Raines Ward. New York: Riverhead Books: 2002.
Call No. 130520

Though published four decades ago, this is still considered to be the definitive work on the history of car ferries designed to transport railroad cars across the lakes in the days before tunnels and bridges had been built for this purpose. Highly readable and informative.

The Great Lakes Car Ferries by George Woodman Hilton. Berkeley, Calif.: Howell-North: 1962. [
all No. 191091

This indispensable book helps minimize the problems faced in building and maintaining a water feature with its wealth of practical ideas and tips for both the amateur and experienced gardener.

The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to Designing and Maintaining Water Gardens by Philip Swindells. Boston: Bullfinch Press: 2002.
Call No. 240537

Indian mounds are a part of the Wisconsin landscape and this book seeks to answer questions about their creation and significance. Complete with maps and directions to the mounds that are open to the public.

Indian Mounds of Wisconsin by Robert A. Birmingham and Leslie E. Eisenberg. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press: 2000.
Call No. 271314

Creative and savory recipes complement important information about the health and safety of our oceans and the creatures in them. Enjoy the flavors and health benefits of seafood while making these ocean-friendly dishes.

One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook by Carole C. Baldwin and Julie H. Mounts. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books: 2003.
Call No. 281315

With a focus on oral traditions and primary sources, this collection explores Wisconsin history from a Native American perspective. Includes tribal histories and photographs of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Oneida, Menominee, Mohican, Ho-Chunk, and Brothertown Indians.

Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal by Patty Loew. Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society Press: 2001.
Call No. 271289

A search for the endangered beluga whales of Cook Inlet, Alaska, becomes a personal journey and an expose of the forces arrayed against this fascinating–and troubled–species.

Beluga Days: Tracking A White Whale’s Truths by Nancy Lord. New York: Counterpoint: 2004.
Call No. 281275

Anyone who has witnessed the work of a beaver first hand has seen how quickly this animal can dramatically shape the landscape and how humans can react to these changes. This book combines natural and social history to examine the significance of beavers and answer questions about their fascinating behavior.

The Beaver: Natural History of a Wetlands Engineer by Dietland Muller-Schwarze and Lixing Sun. Ithaca, N.Y: Comstock Pub. Associates: 2003.
Call No. 281403