Explore fascinating true stories with us every month. From history and science, to biographies and current events, we will discuss a wide range of topics. Connect with fellow readers, share your thoughts, and expand your knowledge in a friendly, engaging environment.  

The Discoveries Non-Fiction Book Club will be reading World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil at their October 17th meeting.

"Beloved author Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s celebrated work of nonfiction, now including additional essays and illustrations in paperback.

As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a Kansas mental institution, where her Filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of Arizona, where she hiked with her Indian father; and the chillier climes of western New York and Ohio. But no matter where she was transplanted—no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape—she was able to turn to our world’s fierce and funny creatures for guidance.

'What the peacock can do,' she tells us, 'is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life.' The axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. Even in the strange and the unlovely, Nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. For it is this way with wonder: it requires that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world’s gifts.

Warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is a book of sustenance and joy" (www.milkweed.org).

All are welcome! Contact Melissa Wentworth with any questions: mwentworth@cwmars.org

No registration is necessary. Copies of each month’s book will be available at the Circulation Desk.