Today is Johnny Appleseed day, and since amazing apples are grown in Washington State I felt I could not let it pass without doing (or rather, reading) something!

Johnny Appleseed is an American folk hero, but, he was also a real person, so what is fact and what is fiction? The Real Johnny Appleseed, by Laurie Lawlor is nicely researched biography for younger readers that answers such questions.

Steven Kellog blends both fact and fiction in his book Johnny Appleseed: a Tall Tale Retold and Reillustrated. He explains a bit on how he did this at the back. Wonderful illustrations, of course. :-)

While a fictional story of his life, The Sun, the Rain, and the Appleseed: a Novel of Johnny Appleseed's Life by Lynda Durrant, was based on fact. It was thought that John Chapman had some sort of mental issue and this allowed the author to delve into that aspect of his character. We used to sing a grace about Johnny Appleseed that included the main title of this book. :-)

For a more local, and (somewhat) more recent look at the apple industry try Washington Apple Country with photographs by John Marshall and essays by Rick Steigmeyer. I learned about grafting, and non-toxic pest control. There is a golf course on what was once an apple orchard and there is a sort of 'island' shaped like an apple for one hole. (There's a sand trap, too). President Bush (the first one) played there. When the trees are in blossom, laundry might be hung to dry in the orchard to give the clothes, sheets, and towels a wonderful scent! This is a nice celebration of apples in Washington.

Sheila Connolly writes a mystery series set in an apple orchard. Meg Grey has lost her job and returned to help run the family farm. Start with One Bad Apple.

Reading Hermit With Dog