International Mountain Day takes place on Dec. 11. Internationally, the world has some spectacular peaks, but right here in the Pacific Northwest we can claim quite a few majestic elevations of our own.
Whenever I am out and about, I get a thrill spotting one of our local mountains. I didn’t grow up in particularly flat regions — and I was used to seeing mountains wherever we lived — but the mountains of Washington and Oregon are in a category of their own, and I love that on clear days Mount Hood and/or Mount St. Helens greet me as I make my way home.
The hills are definitely alive around the world, and I think paying tribute to Earth’s rocky giants through the magic of books is an excellent way to spend some quality reading time. The library has a wide range of mountain-themed reads, so be sure to mount an expedition through the library’s collection. I’ve included a couple of children’s books in today’s reading list, so I hope that all ages can find something to “peak” their interest.
- “Exceptional Mountains: A Cultural History of the Pacific Northwest Volcanoes” by O. Alan Weltzien.
- “How to Make a Mountain: In Just 9 Simple Steps and Only 100 Million Years!” written by Amy Huntington, illustrated by Nancy Lemon. (children’s nonfiction)
- “Mount Rainier: Notes & Images from Our Iconic Mountain” by John Harlin III.
- “The Mountains are Calling: Year-Round Adventures in the Olympics and West Cascades” by Nancy Blakey.
- “Mountains of the World” written and illustrated by Dieter Braun. (children’s nonfiction)
- “On Mount Hood: A Biography of Oregon’s Perilous Peak” by Jon Bell.
