Hawaii!

Coming up on two years ago, I reviewed a travel book about Hawaii and concluded,

"I think we definitely need a homeschool field trip to Hawaii before the next edition comes out, don't you? We could call it a unit study. Read some more Graham Salisbury books...study Pearl Harbor and volcanoes..."

Guess what? We're doing it.

Gosh, I sound so serious.

Insert happy Hawaii hula dance here ------> whee! <------

Well, we're in the middle of that stressful trip-planning time where, having bought the plane tickets, unless we want to spend 9 days at the airport, we now need a place to stay and a car. Travel tip: allow plenty of lead time when planning travel to a popular tourist destination during the high season. We've made some of the arrangements, some we've made twice and still have to cancel the outrageously expensive one, and then there's all these exciting things we really want to do but holy moly, that's a lot of hula moolah! And some of them are not only spendy but meeting with mixed reactions from certain members of the family. ("A 1-hour submarine trip 100 feet under water? Did you not see what happened in The Abyss??? And snorkeling--doesn't that require getting wet? And what about the sharks? And no, we're not going to Hilo, that's where the tsunami was in Night of the Howling Dogs!")

The kid is totally excited to go, he just doesn't want to actually do anything once we get there.

So, what I need is a book to read. Inspired by Care's review of Honolulu, it occurred to me that a good novel or memoir set in Hawaii is just the thing.

I thought of Michener's Hawaii, but it's a) lonnnnnng and b) written in 1959. If you want to try to convince me to read Michener, you have my permission, but I'm hoping for some other ideas as well. Any recommendations?

Also the kids and I need a book to read together once we finish The Scorch Trials. Preferably something set in Hawaii that doesn't involve death or destruction.

And if you haven't got a single idea, a simple "Yay, you're going to Hawaii!" would be helpful.

Green Books Campaign: Food Security for the Faint of Heart

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco- friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.

The campaign is organized for the second time by Eco-Libris, a green company working to make reading more sustainable. We invite you to join the discussion on "green" books and support books printed in an eco-friendly manner! A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have one book along with you, what would you pick? I always thought it was a toss-up between the complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes, the complete works of Shakespeare, and a blank book I could write in.

But maybe I should pick Food Security for the Faint of Heart--a book that might help me survive long enough to return to the stacks of books I left teetering on my bedside table. Between the advice about using plants as medicine, growing, finding, and storing food, and collecting safe water to drink, this book is a great resource packed into a portable 175-page paperback.

But what if a person doesn't expect to be stranded on an island anytime soon, you ask. What if they're not interested in stockpiling food for the apocalypse?

Most of us have had the electricity go out, or the water shut off, for longer than we'd like, and Robin Wheeler has tips for those situations, too. Knowing how to preserve food safely can be a real money-saver if the fridge or freezer stop working. And her tips on edible landscaping are inspiring (I've all but given up on growing a garden, but maybe I could manage not to kill native plants that provide berries or edible flowers?), reflecting her expertise as owner of a permaculture nursery in Canada.

Even if you don't live in an area where winter storms, earthquakes or hurricanes are likely events, FEMA lists any number of other disasters citizens should be prepared for, from flood to wildfire or worse. Really, a book like this is just one step beyond preparing the emergency supply kit we should all have at the ready. I'd stick it in my own (half-ready) kit, but I'm hoping to use the instructions for making homemade bouillon sometime before the next disaster strikes, so onto the cookbook shelf it goes.

All this and an eco-friendly format, too! This book was printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using vegetable-based ink and an FSC-approved cover.