Bobbie's 2009 List of Regional Books to Consider for Your Library  
 

by Bobbie Cowgill, Reference Librarian, Information Services Department, La Crosse Public Library

All of This and Robins Too:  A Guide to 50 or So Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin.  Steve Betchkal.  Adarol Publishers (1325 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire, WI 54701, 715-832-7359).  Aug., 2008.  9780615246130.  $20.00. The author, based on his background as a birder for 40 years, discusses what he considers to be the best birding sites in Wisconsin. 

Best Rail Trails Wisconsin: More Than 50 Rail Trails Throughout the State.  Kevin Revolinski.  Falcon.  Jan., 2009.  9780762746767.  $15.95.  A comprehensive guide to the state’s 63 multi-use rail trails, with mile-by-mile descriptions, historical information and maps for the 20 best trails.

Birdscaping in the Midwest:  A Guide to Gardening with Native Plants to Attract Birds.  Mariette Nowak.  Itchy Cat Press.  June, 2007.  9780976145073.  $27.00.  Shows Midwest gardeners how to create outstanding bird habitats with native plants that offer food, cover and nesting sites for birds.  Includes helpful photos and landscape plans.

Booklover’s Guide to the Midwest:  A Literary Tour.  Greg Holden.  Clerisy Press.  May, 2008.  9781578603145.  $14.95.  Holden guides bibliophiles to this area’s most interesting literary sites.  Readers can explore Tom Sawyer’s cave, visit the setting of Hemingway’s Nick Adams stories and walk down the actual Main Street that Sinclair Lewis described in his classic novel.

Container Gardening for the Midwest.  William Aldrich.  Lone Pine International.   Feb., 2008.  9789768200426.  $19.95.  Includes  500 recommended plants, designs, planting tips and growing conditions.  Photos show what each plant looks like in a container.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  2 vol.  Robert Beymer.  Wilderness Press.  June, 2009.  $17.95 each.                 
     Eastern Region.  5^th ed.  9780899974613.
     Western Region.  7^th ed.  9780899974606.
This set covers the 50 entry points to the area , 1200 miles of canoe routes, 160 miles of portage trails and 2000 campsites in the more than 1 million acres in this wilderness area.   Day-to-day paddling distances, portage tips and difficulty ratings also included.

Cooking with Wild Berries & Fruit of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  Teresa Marrone.  Adventure Publications (MN).  Mar., 2009.  9781591932253.  $12.95.  Marrone provides unforgettable recipes.  This book is the perfect companion to Wild Berries & Fruit Field Guide of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan mentioned below.

Design Your Natural Midwest Garden.  Patricia Hill.  Trails Books.  Apr. 2007.  9781931599818.  $29.95.  Author has 25 years experience as a landscape gardener.  She has written an easy-to-follow instructional guide for gardening with native species in the upper Midwest.  Beautiful illustrations.

Edible Gardening for the Midwest.  Colleen Vanderlinden.  Lone Pine International.  Apr., 2009.  9789768200570.  $21.95.  This handy book features vegetables, herbs, fruits and seeds commonly grown by Midwest gardeners.  Includes planting and growing tips, recommended species and how to handle pests and problems.

Enduring Nations:  Native Americans in the Midwest.  R. David Edmunds.  University of Illinois Press.  June, 2008.  9780252075377.  $25.00.  Documents how tribal peoples have adapted to cultural change while shaping history of the Midwest.  This book explores the role of women, controversial tribal business enterprises and economies, social welfare practices and native peoples’ frequent displacement to locations such as reservations and urban centers.

Family Maps of….  County, Wisconsin: With Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries , Railroads, and More.   Gregory A. Boyd.  Arphax Publishing Company (Norman, OK).
                Buffalo County.  2006.  9781420303001.  $38.95.
                Monroe County.  2007.  9781420306958.  $38.95.
                Vernon County.  2008.  9781420309287.  $39.95.
This is a helpful series for genealogists and historians.  Each book includes 3 maps for each of the Congressional townships that make up the county: patent map and index, road map and a historical map that includes waterways, watercourses and railroads.  The surname/patent index and the surname/township index help identify the area of the county that the family lived in.

Field Guide to Backyard Birds of the Midwest.  Brian E. Small.  Cool Springs Press.  Sept. 2008.  9781591860075.  $9.95.  This handsome field guide has over 100 entries showcasing the 60 most popular birds in the Midwest.  Full color illustrations of male and female birds, instructions on the most effective placement of feeders and  migration pattern maps are featured.

Fill’er Up: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations.  James Draeger.  Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  Oct., 2008.  9780870203930.  $29.95.  The author celebrates one  of the key institutions responsible for the success of the automobile in the Badger State.   Discusses historical background  and showcases 59 stations from all over the state.   There are original black and white photos, as well as full-color pictures  of those stations as they look today.

Flavor of Wisconsin: An Informal  History of Food and Eating in the Badger State.  2^nd ed.  rev & expanded.  Heva  Hachten.  Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  Apr., 2009.  $29.95.  This Wisconsin cooking classic has recently been updated.  It includes information about the history of food and eating  in Wisconsin and over 400 authentic historical recipes  that were gathered from all over the state.   

Hungry for Wisconsin: A Tasty Guide for  Travelers.  Mary Bergin.  Itchy Cat Press.  Oct., 2008.  9780981516103.  $25.00.  Bergin has written a guide for the hungry traveler looking for good food.  Wisconsin cities, towns and villages have  great restaurants that offer wonderful culinary experiences  and others that provide good down home comfort food.

Great Lakes Indian Accommodation and Resistance During the Early Reservation Years, 1850-1900.  Edmund J. Danziger, Jr.  University of Michigan Press.  May, 2009.  9780472096909.  $60.00.  Utilizing eyewitness accounts from the 1800’s, Danziger explores not only how Native Americans adapted to their new circumstances, but also the ways that the astute Great Lakes chiefs, councils and clan mothers fought to protect their homelands and preserve the identity of their tribe.

Great Lakes Nature Guide.  James Maccormac.  Lone Pine International.  Apr., 2009.  9789768200518.  $19.95.  This handy companion for the amateur naturalist features over 400 species of plants and animals in the region.  The extensive natural history  includes animal behavior, ecology and range of species and native uses. 

Great Year-Round Grilling in the Midwest: *The Flavors* the Culinary Traditions* the Techniques*.  Ellen Brown.  Lyons Press.  Apr., 2009.  9781599214818.  $19.95.  One of a 5 volume series celebrating the diversity of American Regional cooking.  Contains over 300 recipes that celebrate the old adage that “everything tastes better when cooked outdoors”.

Green Bay Packers: The Complete Illustrated History.  Don Gulbrandsen.  Voyageur Press (MN).  June, 2008.  9780760335055.  $30.00.  This book is the first comprehensive history of our state’s professional football team.  Publisher’s Weekly (Oct. 1, 2007) said “Even the most devoted cheeseheads will find something new and fascinating in this book.”

Herb Gardening for the Midwest.  Debra Knapke.  Lone Pine International.   Apr., 2008.  9789768200389.  $19.95.   Knapke discusses herb garden design, basic  plant information, recommended species, how to store and use herbs.  She uses full color photos throughout.

Hiking Minnesota: A Guide to the State’s Greatest Hiking Adventures.  2^nd ed.  Mary Jo Mosher.  Falcon.  May, 2009.  9780762740994.  &18.95.  Describes 40 great hikes, highlighting the history and geography of each route.  For each route there are exhaustively detailed trail descriptions, elevation profiles, trail contacts, mile-by-mile directional cues and GPS-quality maps.

Hmong in Minnesota.  Chia Vang.  Minnesota Historical Society Press.  Jan., 2008.  9780873515986.  $13.95. Vang tells stories regarding how the Hmong immigrants learned to adapt  to Minnesota’s  unexpectedly cold weather and  the strange food, but appreciated the kindness of their hosts.  She conveys the Hmong population’s struggle to adjust to their new environment  and government while maintaining their cultural practices.

Hooked on Minnesota:  Guide to the Good Life.  Dick Hill.  Beavers Pond Press.  Oct., 2008.  9781592982608.  $14.95.  Fascinating and entertaining  guide to places to go and things to do in Minnesota.

Milwaukee Braves: Heroes and Heartbreak.  William Povletich.  Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  Mar., 2009.  9780870204234.  $24.95.  Povletich tells the story of the astonishing  Milwaukee Braves, who for 13 years never had a losing season, but fell on hard times after their landmark 1957 World Series win.

Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook:  Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes.  Renewing the Countryside.   Voyageur Press.  May, 2008,  9780760331422.  $29.95. Author includes 100 recipes from 35 of Minnesota’s outstanding restaurants with a special commitment to locally grown, organic, sustainable cookery.  This photography-rich book tells the stories of the chefs and restaurants featured.

My Kind of  County: Door County, Wisconsin.  John Fraser Hart.  Center for American Places.  Mar., 2009.  9781930066861.  $27.50.  The author knows his subject well---he has had a summer home in Door County for over 50 years.  Detailed maps and vibrant photos help him tell the story of the physical geography and cultural history of the region.  Will appeal to residents and visitors alike.

On the Hunt: The History of Deer Hunting in Wisconsin.  Robert C. Willging. Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  Jan.,  2009.  9780870204050.  $26.95.  Willging tells the story of how the annual deer hunting tradition has become the mainstay in the lives of generations of Wisconsinites.  He chronicles the people, practices and traditions that make deer hunting an intrinsic Wisconsin tradition.

Perennials for Midwestern Gardens: Proven Plants for the Heartland.  Anthony W.  Kahtz.  Timber.  May 2008.  9780881928938.  $29.95.  Kahtz identifies plants that are noted for their ornamental beauty and ease of growth and maintenance.  These plants also can withstand this region’s rugged weather.  Each profile includes a color photo and growing details, including plant hardiness.

Picturing Indians: Photographic Encounters and Tourist Fantasies in H. H. Bennett’s Wisconsin Dells.  Steven D. Hoelscher.  University Of Wisconsin Press.  Sept., 2008.  9780299226046.  $24.95.  After Bennett built his reputation on his photos of the scenery in the Dells in the late nineteenth century, he looked for new subjects.  He built a relationship with the native people of the area, the Ho-Chunk, who were trying to find a way to survive in the increasingly tourist driven economy of the Dells.  Hoelscher tells the story of this complicated relationship.  And he compares Bennett’s nineteenth century photos of the Ho-Chunk with present day photos taken by Ho-Chunk photographer Tom Jones.

Ships in Trouble: The Great Lakes.  Skip Gillham.  Vanwell Looking Back Press.  Feb., 2009.  $22.95 each.
                1850-1930.  9781550689266.  Looks back at some of the mishaps and disasters of ships
                that sailed on the Great Lakes long ago. 
                1880-1950.  9781550689389.  The second volume of this set covers the period of both World
                Wars.  It concentrates on the day-to-day challenges of navigating the confines of the Great      
                Lakes with more ships, fewer navigation aids and different traffic rules than there are today.

Spooky Wisconsin: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings and Other Local Lore.  S. E. Schlosser.  Globe Pequot Press.  Aug., 2008.  9780762745623.  $12.95.  Schlosser covers the spooky stories of the Badger State:  Paul Bunyan and Babe, the shrouded horseman of Milwaukee, the troll of Mount Horeb, the dark horse of the Dells and more.

UFO Wisconsin: A Progress Report.  Noah Voss.  Unexplained Research Publishing.  Apr., 2008.  9780976209973.  $14.95.  The definitive guide to all things UFO in, on and above Wisconsin.

Vanishing Present:  Wisconsin’s Changing Lands, Waters, and Wildlife.  Donald M. Waller.  University of Chicago Press.  Sept., 2008.  9780226871714.  $40.00.  Fifty scientists,  naturalists and policy experts  have written  on how human pressures  on Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife have redefined the state’s present day ecology  and predict an impoverished future without change.

Wild Berries & Fruit Field Guide of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  Teresa Marrone.  Adventure Publications (MN).  Mar., 2009,  9781591932246.  $14.95.  This incomparable new field guide gives every detail needed to locate the region’s berries and fruit.  It is a companion to Cooking With Wild Berries & Fruit of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, discussed above.

Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters: Hiking Through the Seasons.  Betty Vos  Hemstad.   Minnesota Historical Society Press.  May, 2009.  9780873516471.  $22.95.  This guide was written by a longtime nature photographer, who spends her summers near the Boundary Waters.  It is organized by season and then by color, which makes it a great companion for a walk in the woods.  Includes full-color photos  of 120 flowers taken during each season, from bud to flower to seedpod.

Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region:  A Comprehensive  Field Guide.  2^nd ed.  Merel  R. Black.  University of Wisconsin Press.  Mar. 2009.  9780299230548.  $29.95.  Black describes more than 1,100 species, including many rare and previously overlooked flowers.  The entries include 2,100 color photos, 300 drawings, Wisconsin distribution maps, name derivation and more.

Wisconsin (On-the Road Histories).  Mark D. Van Ells.  Interlink Books.  Aug., 2008.  9781566566735.  $20.00.  Van Ells takes us through Wisconsin’s history from the days of the wooly mammoths to the brutal  Black Hawk War and the famous Vietnam protests at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He includes recommended museums, state parks and other attractions.

Wisconsin Barns.  Nancy Schumm-Burgess.  Farcountry Press.  Mar., 2009.  9781560374831.  $14.95.  This book is the result of a two year project to document Wisconsin’s iconic barns.  Includes  photos and background on the structures, including a rare log barn from the 1840’s, a barn that once served as a stagecoach stop and one that was designed by famed African – American architect Algie Shivers.

Wisconsin Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff.  3^rd ed.  Michael Feldman.  Globe Pequot Press.  Apr., 2009.  Popular Public Radio show host Michael Feldman introduces  a new edition of Wisconsin’s weirdest, wackiest and most outrageous people, places and things.  Read about a worm that plays basketball, a man who owes his life to a foam rubber cheesehead and the best place to eat chicken served in a hubcap.

Wisconsin’s Ghosts.  Sherry Strub.  Schiffer Publishing.  Feb., 2009.  9780764332098.  $14.99.  This ghostly tour of Wisconsin discusses some truly frightening spirits.  It takes the reader from Chances Restaurant in Rochester, where ghosts make food disappear and turn stove burners on and off to desk tossing ghosts at two haunted schools and many others.

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