There might be books available on jobs at the post office, or taking the test necessary to work there. There are books on how the mail is delivered (mentioned in this very blog!) including the Pony Express. And kid's books, of course, on where a letter goes, but there sure wasn't much on the actual history ... and then I found How the Post Office Created America: a History, by Winifred Gallagher! The author said the same thing in her intro, too, which inspired her to write this book. Detailed and comprehensive this covers it all. Mostly quite good, it does get a bit dry in places (where politicians are/were involved). Even in the early days the Post Office hired women and minorities. Some postmasters were corrupt, others were noble and made sure the mail was delivered even if they did so themselves in dreadful conditions. I loved reading about the evolution of sorting the mail ... by hand or machine, on a train or conveyer belt, the addition of the zip code, and so forth. Oh, and the horse and rider seen on the patches of the past? It's not a pony express rider!

Here's a nice little history of the Pony Express for kids: Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the Pony Express, by Michael P. Spradlin with paintings by Layne Johnson. The possibility of delivering cross country mail in less than the several months it usually took was exciting! The first riders (one heading east, one west) left under banners and to cheers in St. Louis and Sacramento. Although not many records survived, the author was able to recreate that first ride. Be sure to read the more complete history at the back, too.

I am having excellent luck at ordering used books via amazon! (All right, I've only done it twice ... ) This time it was An American Postal Portrait: a Photographic Legacy from the U.S. Postal Service. It's a wonderful collection of old photos of post offices (one was a converted chicken coop in the Oklahoma territory) and the means of delivery. In WWI so many men left to fight that women where hired ... at the same pay as the men! There's a picture of Carrie Hurly, who sewed mail bags ... made up of 48 million seams. In 1923 51 horses were sent to France via the mail. There were miles and miles of pneumatic tubes running under the larger cities. In 1949 there was a post office in Vermont that straddled the Canadian border. There's a post office staffed by nuns (since 1899), their salary went to the convent. And, a wonderful discovery, a picture of the post office in Fairhaven, Washington!

For another look at the history of the post office, there's Neither Snow Nor Rain: a History of the United States Postal Service, by Devin Leonard. This book included chapters dealing with mail strikes and 'going postal' (and a discussion on why it happened) as well as less serious issues. Stamp collecting was considered a hobby for children until one popular President changed public opinion. There's a wonderful picture of a child in a mail bag ... there was a brief period of time when parcel post was cheaper than a train ticket! Again, a bit dry with the political stuff, but overall most interesting.

Reading Hermit With Dog

My Ohio family reported back to me that they ALL enjoyed books by Dr. Seuss, and the Berenstein Bears books by Stan and Jan Berenstein (my favorite here is Bears in the Night). When the kids were young they read the Boxcar Children books by Gertrude Chandler Warner, the Junie B Jones books by Barbara Park with illustrations by Denise Brunkus, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) and, of course, (!) all the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. The younger offspring also enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.

Two series I remember from so very long ago are not ones others remember, it seems. Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Snipp, Snapp, Snurr were books about Swedish triplets (girls and boys) and their adventures, or rather, "gentle misadventures" as one review put it. Perhaps these books stuck with me because there were three children so there was always some one to play (or fight) with?

My Maryland connections mention a few common titles from the Ohio Family: Narnia, Harry Potter, and Lemony Snicket, but the kids there also enjoyed the Black Stallion books (Walter Farley), and the Ramona books (Beverly Cleary). Two specific titles also made their list: Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram, and the much loved (or much hated, I've been told) Good Night, Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. There are now many versions of this book, and it is available in many languages. (Watch for more on GNM in a later post). :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog

I've been reading a lot of history books recently, but, on Crafty Reader's suggestion I switched back to the cozy mysteries I enjoy with Basket Case, by Nancy Haddock. It's the first in the Silver Six Crafting Mystery series. The Silver Six are senior citizens who have banded together to take care of each other, and pursue (and sell) some of their crafting projects (or, in the case of Fred, his 'fixit man' skills). When one of their own is accused of murder, they decide to solve the crime 'Jessica Fletcher style'. Loved the setting, and the families that went back for generations.

Canadian Reader not only recommended The Lake House, by Kate Morton, she left a copy with me when she was here for a visit! Once again the author spends a tale across time twining the past (WWI) and present (2004) together. Two missing person cases, decades apart, help return balance to a detective's life. Hard to put down!

Have you made the 'upgrade' to Windows 10? I'm using the term loosely as I did so recently and I can't say as I like it much. Still, the son of a good friend told his mom (who passed it on to me) ... It's good for those of us of a certain age to keep up! I have a wonderful IT guy to help, and he answers all my questions and concerns with grace and patience. He also recommended a book: Windows 10 the missing manual (the book that should have been in the box) by David Pogue. It's a big book, but you can pick the sections you need. The author has a nice style, and it's not as technical a read as I've experienced with other such books.

Reading Hermit With Dog

Today is National Lighthouse Day (and yes, we did this last year, too). ;-)

If you are interested in lighthouses, and want to learn more about them, read Brilliant

Beacons: a History of the American Lighthouse, by Eric Jay Dolin. It's all here ... from how high to build a lighthouse (if the area was foggy, it'd be shorter). How to make the light (or foghorn) differ so ships could identify where they were by that. How to make the light brighter, and show further out at sea. Most keepers were married and their families lived with them wherever the lighthouse was situated. There were gardens (many helped provide food during wars) and livestock (and pets .... see (bk from earlier blog)), of course. Many keepers were women ... wives and daughters of the keeper, many held the job in their own right (it could be passed on to the wife, etc. if the keeper died). Sometimes the job would be passed down for several generations and these families would intermarry. These days there is less need for lighthouses so some have passed into private hands (often as a bed and breakfast) while others belong to the parks and are a tourist destination.

Eva Gates is the author of the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. I loved her description in the author's note that the interior of her lighthouse library is her version of the TARDIS from Doctor Who! Reading Up a Storm was a nice read after learning the history of lighthouses. I will admit that I didn't care for some of the characters, but I loved the cat!

There are several other books about lighthouses in the August 7th post from 2015,and a one on the post of December 15 2015. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog

Here are a few more books along the 'pun' trail. :-) (See the post of June 13, 2015)

Have a Little Pun: an Illustrated Play on Words, by Frida Clements is a nice little book of (obviously) puns! I didn't 'get' all of them, but mostly I really enjoyed this book. (I'm rather fond of 'don't carrot all' for some reason)!

Don't try to read this all at once, it'd be overwhelming! That being said, if you want a chuckle, or a groan, or need a pun because the in-laws are coming for dinner, then keep A Freudian Slip Is When You Say One Thing But Mean Your Mother: 879 Funny, Funky, Hip, and Hilarious Puns, by Gary Blake tucked in a convenient drawer.

The only play on words here was the title: Read and Buried, by Erika Chase. It's part of the Ashton Corners Book Club series. A well known author comes to town, pretty much invites himself to the book club meeting, and then gets killed. Who was he really? And why the interest in the citizens of this small town?

Reading Hermit With Dog

Constant Reader loved the Little Golden Books as a child, and especially Saggy Baggy Elephant, and The Pokey Little Puppy. First published in 1942, the Little Golden Books were designed to be good books, with good illustrations, good bindings, all at a good price. Wikipedia also reported that The Pokey Little Puppy is the best selling children's book of all time (2001 stats). Another favorite here was Peppermint, by Dorothy Grider and illustrated by Raymond Burns. I looked this one up and it seems it is out of print and hard to find, but many of the reviews mention how much they loved it as a child and want to read it to their kids. Constant Reader was not so keen on the Peter Rabbit stories. Neither was I. Seems sometimes great minds think alike, even at a young age. ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog

Do you know when the song "The Train They Call the City of New Orleans" first came out? I thought I had a general idea, but I was wrong, really, really wrong! (It is much newer than I thought). I remember the John Denver version the best, but others sang it as well, including Arlo Guthrie. It is beautifully rendered in The Train They Call the City of New Orleans, by Steve Goodman and illustrated by Michael McCurdy.

I was looking for more books illustrating songs, but Home on the Range: John A. Lomax and His Cowboy Songs, by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by S.D. Schindler was so much more! Told at first that no one would be interested in these songs of the common people, Lomax fortunately did not give up and went on to collect the songs sung on the prairie, around camp fires on cattle drives and so forth. We are lucky he did!

I loved the illustrations by Renee Graef, in Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Things, they were soft and gentle and beautifully detailed. Of course, now I'll be humming this song for the rest of the day! (Could be worse, at least this is not one of those annoying songs). ;-)

I knew there were lots of verses to the song "My Country 'Tis of Thee", but, I did not know there were so many. (Or, that the tune has been used for national anthems in dozens of countries). My Country, 'Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights, by Claire Rudolf Murphy and illustrated by Bryan Collier tracks just how this tune was used ... from independence from England, to freeing the slaves, votes for women, and equal rights ... a most interesting book.

Reading Hermit With Dog