Now Read This: Ohio Authors Provide Page-Turning Tales

Recently, I've been recommending a couple of books with Ohio connections. That got me thinking... hey, it's summer! What better time to slip into the hammock with a thick book and a tall drink? Enjoy...

The celebrated tribute to Eleanor Ryan, The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio is subtitled, "How my mother raised ten kids on 25 words or less," and it delivers a delightful story of motherhood and hope, of luck and love. Pick it up online (see link on main topic page) or at the library. Then grab a glass of KoolAid or Dr. Pepper (you'll see why as you start to read) and enjoy this warm and surprisingly upbeat story.

My second-most-recommended book of late is an oldie-but-a-goodie. Beaded Moccasins by Lynda Durrant of Medina, Ohio is a fictionalized account of Mary Campbell's experience of being kidnapped by Delaware Indians during the French and Indian War. The young girl was forced to walk with the tribe from her home in Pennsylvania to the banks of the Cuyahoga River, where she lived in a cave in what is now a Summit County Metropark.

Durrant's story-brought to life with realistic dialog-is all the better for her careful research and inclusion of many Delaware Indian phrases. This is the best kind of historical fiction: factual AND reader-friendly. While the book was written with young adult readers in mind (I'd say it's appropriate for readers from age 9 or 10 and up) it is engrossing for adults of all ages.

Guidebooks for Get-up-and-Go Types
Take a hike. Take a road trip. If you're not the type to take summer lying down, you might enjoy one or several of these great Ohio guidebooks.

OHIO Handbook by David Wright
A Moon Travel Handbook, this is my top pick for a general guide to the state. The book is small enough to fit in the glove compartment (even a crowded one) and yet it's packed with all the info you need to feel like a wise traveler, wherever in the state you are. Smart organization by geographic region is complemented with sidebars and features on special topics ranging from Ohio's Canals and Covered Bridges to Off-Road Bicycling and Auto Racing. Each section includes restaurant, shopping, lodging and special event information. Sprinkled with maps that are good for planning purposes, you'll still need to take along a good roadmap. (Better clean out the glove compartment, after all.)

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Cleveland by Diane Stresing

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