The weather has been less than spring-y, but that shouldn’t stop us from dreaming about those summer gardens.  The time to start planning is now!  The North Shore Library has some new books to get you going. Wisconsin Gardens and Landscapes (635.09775 S237 New) by Mary Lou Santovec. Get excited!  Discover some new ideas by visiting beautiful gardens.  This tour book of favorite garden spots will get your gardening juices flowing.  It is divided into areas of the state, so it is easy to find a garden nearby.  For each garden, information about design elements, highlighted plants, directions …

Dogs have taken quite a speaking role recently in some new adult fiction titles. In the Chet and Bernie mystery series by Spencer Quinn, Chet gets top billing.  For good reason, too.  After all, the story is told to us by Chet and it is always Chet that saves the day.  Both Chet and Bernie have great personalities – full of spunk, daring, lots of fun and just a bit off kilter.  As they join forces to solve a crime, we pull for the Private Investigator and his sidekick to put the bad guys in their place.  The unusual thing is that Chet is the dog, a dog with mismatched ears who failed to …

On Tuesday, from 6:30- 7:30 p.m., the North Shore Library will present a program in honor of a special lady from Wisconsin history, Cordelia Harvey.  Local author, Bob Kann, has written a fascinating new biography of Cordelia Harvey and will share what he has learned.   His book has been published by the Wisconsin Historical Society and will soon be a PBS special. She was like so many other Wisconsin women at the time – growing up in a small town and working as a school teacher.  Unremarkable really. But the man Cordelia married, Louis P. Harvey, went from also being a school teacher to being…

The week of April 2-9 is Money Smart Week at the North Shore Library.  Money Smart Week is a national initiative from the American Library Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to help consumers of all ages improve their financial literacy.  Not so “money smart” right now?  Come check out some books to help.  Some are even on display for you. Well-known author, Jane Bryant Quinn offers an overview of all things financial in her book Making the Most of Your Money Now (332.02401 Q7 New) including record-keeping, credit, paying for college and wise investments. After the financial …

The Book and Bake Sale is an annual event hosted by the Friends of the Library.  Books and media that have been donated to the Library or withdrawn from the collection are sold to the public at very reasonable prices. And then there are all the specially priced books.  These may be collector’s editions, beautiful “coffee table books” or autographed copies. There will be best sellers, current popular reads, romance paperbacks, travel books, history books, classics, children’s picture books, media ~ something for everyone!  There will be hundreds of different items. The sale will be held March …

March is Brain Injury Awareness month.  It is not a very cheery topic, but it is an important one – one that we often don’t understand well. Books often give us insights into a character’s emotions which can help us understand our own feelings as well as the feelings of those around us.  Young adults are at the point in their lives when the world widens to new situations and challenges.  I wondered how books in our Young Adult (YA) section deal with the tough issue of brain injury.  I discovered two which handle the issue from totally different perspectives. Patricia McCormick is a former …

If you have never tasted the sap right out of a maple tree, it is a treat you will not soon forget.  Maple syrup is made from boiling the sap to remove the water.  Nothing is added when making “real” maple syrup.  It just takes a lot of sap and a lot of boiling.  Forty gallons of sap make only one gallon of syrup.  But it is worth it!  In her book "Sugartime; The Hidden Pleasures of Making Maple Syrup with a Primer for the Novice Sugarer" (664.132 H376), Susan Carol Hauser describes waiting for that sweet drop straight from the tree, “Anticipation is rewarded… a drop of sap quivers on the lip…

There’s a lot of buzz around town about the new exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum -- “Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture for the 21st Century.”  The exhibit runs until May 15 and features never-before-shown drawings as well as rare home movies.  To get the most out of the exhibit, first read up on Wright’s architectural principals and what made the man tick. Stop by the North Shore Library, which has many books about this famous architect with strong Wisconsin connections. There are books about his architectural style and famous building in the 720’s section.  Try some of these: Frank…

“Green” = sustainability, conservation, nature, efficiency, healthy for the planet we all share. When we hear the word “green”, we might all think of different things.  GreenFest on March 5 from 12 p.m .until 3 p.m. at the North Shore Library is a sharing of ideas, resources and programs.  It will be a time to connect with others in our community and learn from each other.  Enter the raffle and you might win your own book about how to be green.  Whether you are retired, have a young family or are a student, there will be something to intrigue you.  Learn what is happening right here in the …

“February – There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm.  One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace. To avoid the first danger, one should plant a garden, preferably where there is no grocer to confuse the issue. To avoid the second, he should lay a split of good oak on the andirons, preferably where there is no furnace, and let it warm his shins while a February blizzard tosses the trees outside.” These are the words of Aldo Leopold in A Sand County Almanac (574 L587). Aldo Leopold knew land.  He recognized …

This is the time of year when our hearts (and commercials) turn to Saint Valentine.  The cute little children’s cards packaged in classroom-sized sets are a rather innocent interpretation from the origins of this holiday as described in Celebrations: A Joyous Guide to Holidays from Past to Present by Jim McCann and Jeanne Benedict (394.26 M122).  Saint Valentine is said to be the patron saint of love, betrothed couples, beekeepers, epilepsy, happy marriages, plague, travelers and young people.  Unfortunately, he was beheaded on Feb. 14.  No wonder there is such a variety of books with a …

Editor's note: This marks the debut of a new column provided by the North Shore Library, which serves Fox Point, Bayside, Glendale and River Hills. The North Shore Library is more than just  library. It is a gathering place for our community.  On March 5, the library will host an opportunity for all our friends and neighbors who share an interest in green and sustainable living to network and share their ideas with others. Organizations and businesses in the area are invited to have a table to share what they offer. We are calling it our "Green Fest" and all are welcome to come join in the …