Outside of a Dog, #89

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

It’s not too early to be thinking about summer vacation, and the library has a large travel section with a wide variety of travel books, pamphlets, and guides. Listed below are titles that are just a little bit out of the ordinary.


Insiders’ Guide: Fun with the Family in Ohio - Zimmeth, Khristi S
Can’t afford a “big” vacation this summer? How about going just a little bit south of the Michigan border? This book gives readers a lot of doable suggestions for kid friendly places, many of which are quite inexpensive or even free.
917.71 Z WCV MTC MPL

50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America - Bond, Marybeth
Several information-packed chapters make up this entertaining guide to women’s travel by best-selling travel expert Marybeth Bond. The trip choices are varied and cover everything from a weekend in New York City to an arts festival in Savannah. Although those two suggestions may sound expensive, she also recommends a lot of destinations that are quite affordable.
917.304B WCV SHL SCS EPL SBL

Kids Love Interstate 75: A Family Travel Guide for Exploring the Best Kid-Tested Places Along I-75 from Michigan to Florida - Zavatsky. George and Michele
Travel minutes off the interstate to explore a wide variety of attractions, events, restaurants, parks, museums, and attractions. You can make a vacation out of just driving to your vacation!
917.304 Z WCV

Michigan Family Field Trips: Fun Sites for Kids - Field, Ellyce
Don’t let the title fool you, this book has a lot to offer for anyone at any age. Lots of traditional spots like Mackinac Island, Soo Locks, and Cranbook but also lots of hidden gems such as The Scrap Box, Windmill Island, and The Fridge are highlighted. Another helpful feature is that the author recommends a good place to eat as well as a related but close by “field trips”.
917.74F WCV WAM TPL SHL HPW

Eyewitness Travel: Canada - Bishop, Bruce
Publishing powerhouse DK (Dorling Kindersley) is best known for it's Eyewitness series of illustrated children's books, informing on everything from Knights (Juv 940.1 G) to Astronomy (520 R). Here, the Eyewitness books take a new direction: travel! This book features many gorgeous full-color photos of our neighbor to the North, and lots of details on places to go and things to do.
917.1 C WAM
917.1 E ROG

Outside of a Dog, #88

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx.

Did you know that Tuesday was named after the Norse god of victory Týr? Wednesday is after his slightly-more-famous comrade, Odin (Previously called Wodan, so Wednesday comes from Wodan’s Day), and Friday is Frigg’s Day (or Freyja’s Day). There are lots of other naming stories about the weekdays, in several cultures. This week, why not check out some mythology books and read up on everyday things named after great heroes?



Scandinavian Mythology – Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson
This edition is older than some, but presents a good look at Vikings and their lore for the common reader, rather than an academic’s eye. Check this out if you want a few good stories and a place to start from regarding Odin, Freyja, and their kin.
293 D WCV WAM


Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable, the Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne – Thomas Bulfinch
The go-to guide for myth is Thomas Bulfinch’s guide, which begins with coverage of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, with a side trip into Germanic tribe stories, then a chapter on King Arthur, and a chapter on the first great French Emperor Charlemagne. There’s so much information here, it can be hard to swallow, but start with the short story Prometheus and Pandora (about the legend of Pandora’s Box), and the stories will move quickly to the end.
291 B WCV WAM
Ref 291 B WDB


The Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths, Retold – Cynthia Rylant
Newbery winner Rylant (she won in 1993 for Missing May and has been writing since 1982) presents the stories of Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus, and Psyche in this audio, read by repeat audiobook voice Alyssa Bresnahan. While this is intended and suitable for children 6-11, adults can also enjoy these tales.
BKD Jfic Rylant WCV


American Indian Myths and Legends – Richard Erdoes
American Indians have some of the most important and revered myths in the world. This book showcases the "oral history" style – stories told from one person to another, handed down over years. Inside, there’s Trickster tales, creation myths, and tribe-specific stories.
398.2 E WCV


The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) – Rick Riordan
We’ve reviewed the Lightning Thief here before, and it’s become even more popular now that there’s a theatrical release movie about the demigod boy who might just save Olympus. Start here and follow the hero’s journey through five other novels; and, if you enjoy Riordan’s amusing style, look forward to the Kane Chronicles, due out in May, for a twist on Egyptian mythology.
Juv Pbk R WCV
YA Fic Riordan WAM WDB


Odd and the Frost Giants – Neil Gaiman
It’s no surprise that we’re big fans of National Library Week Honorary Chair Neil Gaiman here at the libraries. This short novella, written for the UK’s World Book Day in 2008, was sold for $1 to promote the charity Book Aid International, and released stateside shortly after. Here, young Norse boy Odd (whose name isn’t "strange or unusual...not in that time or place") goes on a journey to save three tricked Norse Gods from the frost giants. While it’s a short story, it showcases the author’s unique myth-telling talent and sense of fun.
Jfic Gaiman WCV
electronic resource (WPL) - Overdrive WMA audiobook
electronic resource (WPL) - Adobe EPUB eBook

The Business of Fancydancing – Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie is the first name to come up in many discussions of modern Native American storytellers. Probably most famous for his short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, and the movie, "Smoke Signals" that followed, the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene author has been writing for a number of years. His classic humor about the Native American lifestyle, both traditional and contemporary, is well worth reading.
811 Alexie WAM
811.54 A WMB

Outside of a Dog, #87

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Butch Cassidy, known for his membership in both the Wild Bunch and the Hole in the Wall Gang, was born today in 1866. The Warren Public Libraries and the Suburban Library Cooperative have lots of books and movies on the Western way - come on in and see what you'd like to ride away with!

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford (1969)
This wild ride of a movie, now more than 40 years old, is a classic Western that has never lost popularity. Newman plays the role of Butch as a visionary, plotting heists and robbing banks for fun and profit, and Redford, as the gun-toting Sundance Kid, evens out the outlaw's crazy plans.
DVD Wes Butch WCV
DVD Butch WAM

The Outlaw Trail: a history of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch - Charles Kelly
The Outlaw Trail was a string of places throughout the western States that provided cover, shelter and hideout for the Wild Bunch and many other bandits, and author Kelly brings these places to life in this book.
Bio Cassidy WCV WAM

The Authentic Life of Billy, the kid: the noted desperado of the Southwest, whose deeds and daring and blood made his name a terror in New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico - Pat F. Garrett
As if the impressive title weren't enough to convince you, outlaw Billy the Kid was one impressively bad villain. Read here about his many jobs, cons, and shootouts as he escaped the law time after time... until the author of this book, Sheriff and Billy's killer, caught up to him.
Bio Billy WCV WDB

Women of the West - Dorothy Levenson
Butch, Billy, the Sundance Kid and the Tall Texan weren't the only desperadoes who lived for the thrill of the kill and the money that came with it. Here, Levenson talks about these outlaws' female counterparts, including Calamity Jane, Belle Starr, and Laura Bullion.
Juv 923.9 L WCV
Juv 920.72 L WAM

Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour - Louis L'Amour
Few authors are as well-known for Westerns as L'Amour, who, at the time, called his work "frontier stories." Throughout his life (and after his death in 1988), L'Amour published more than 100 novels, including nonfiction and short story collections like this one.
Wes SS L'Amour WMB

Best Western Stories of John Jakes - John Jakes
Best known for his long sagas like North and South and the Kent Family Chronicles, Jakes rivals L'Amour for popularity among Western authors, though in a different way. While L'Amour's work tended to be about the outlaws, Jakes preferred to tell about families and the Civil War. Give this a read and see which style of adventure you prefer.
Wes Jakes WCV

Outside of a Dog, #86

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Income tax forms are due to the government next week, and lots of people are still rushing to figure and fill them out! If you're one of those taxpayers who rushes to the post office to get it mailed by midnight, one of these books may be for you!


J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2009 - J.K. Lasser Institutes
336.24 J 2009 WCV


Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep what you earn - Stephen Fishman
343.73 F WCV

J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2008 - J.K. Lasser Institutes
Ref 336.24 J WMB

Taxe$ for Dummie$ - Eric Tyson
343.7305 T WAM

New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning - J.K. Lasser Institutes
343.73053 L WCV

Complete Idiot's Guide to Tax Deductions - Lisa Collins
336.242 C WDB

Remember, if you need a tax form and just can't find it, a reference librarian can print one out for you.