I was pretty excited when I heard that the aurora borealis might be visible in our area.
Seeing the northern lights is a bucket list item for me, so the possibility of witnessing this display locally caused a bit of excitement in my household. But, alas, it was not to be. Oh well, this just means a fabulous trip northward at some point in my future. For now, I’ll have to be satisfied with looking at pictures of auroras, and as it so happens, the library can help me with this. “Auroras: Fire in the Sky” by Dan Bortolotti, “Exploring Auroras” by Karen Latchana Kenney and “Nature’s Light Spectacular” by Katy Flint are full of photographs and fascinating information about this natural phenomenon.
Another marvel of nature that isn’t visible in our neck of the woods are fireflies. My first (and only) firefly sighting took place during a visit to an island off the coast of Honduras. I might have been in my 40s then, but my reaction upon seeing them came straight out of a 5-year-old’s playbook: shouts of joy, clapping of hands — I think I even jumped up and down a little. Bucket list item? Check.
Like auroras, fireflies are best seen in person, but books about them are a great substitute when the real thing is hard to find. “Incredible Fireflies” by Susan Ashley, “Next Time You See a Firefly” by Emily R. Morgan and “Silent Sparks: The Wonderful World of Fireflies” by Sara Margery Lewis provide interesting firefly facts (including the inside scoop on why they glow), and there are plenty of pictures to enjoy.
