O Canada

July 1 is Canada Day, our northern neighbors' version of July 4th. I was in Halifax a few years ago for the Canada Day parade and my heart still beats for those Royal Canadian Mounted Police on their tall horses, in their red jackets---so dashing. And the streets were lined with the very-unique-among-nations Canadian flag: no stripes, stars or shields for them, just a big red Maple Leaf! I also love the Canadian national anthem (in French or English, I've learned both versions) even more than our own---please don't call me unpatriotic, it's just more stirring to me and lots easier to sing.

So in honor of Canada Day, I wanted to mention a few items in the library's collections authored or performed by some of my favorite Canadians:

• Barenaked Ladies new children's music CD called Snacktime!


• Quebecois folk music by the group Le Vent du Nord called Dans Les Airs


• George Fisher's new travel book, Unforgettable Canada: 100 destinations


• the new Frommer's 2008 travel guide to Canada


• Kathy Reichs' new Temperance Brennan mystery novel, Devil Bones, debuts in August (Reichs isn't Canadian but Tempe is a forensic pathologist in Montreal)

So take a listen or do some reading, eh?