June 9th is World Ocean Day. It is a day to focus on the conservation of the oceans. I have several books on the oceans.
The first is “The Life of the Ocean” by N.J. Berrill, 1966. This book was part of a series of books “Our Living World of Nature” that was developed with the World Book Encyclopedia. My mom bought these books monthly for us, when in grade school. They all had great pictures, and very interesting stories.
The Ocean book was broken into several topics. First was ‘winds and how the oceans moved’, ‘below the surface’, the bountiful ocean’, and ‘the ocean floor’. There was then a large appendix. My brother and I used this, and the other books from the set, for lots of reports in Junior High. They were all well read.
I also have a similar set of books by Time-Life Life Nature Library that I bought in High School. My mom introduced me to a used book store in Waukegan, that a good friend of hers volunteered at. These books (I have twenty of the twenty five book set) have also been used frequently. This one is “The Sea” by Leanard Engel 1973. It also has great pictures and illustrations about the Sea (oceans), including a bunch of prehistoric animals, as well as the seas today.
June 8th is also National Thomas Paine Day, and Freethinker’s Day. Thomas Paine died on June 8, 1809.
I have the book “Student’s History of the United States” by Edward Channing, 1913. In it are several stories about Thomas Paine. He helped sway the people towards independance with his pamphlets Common Sense and The American Crisis. Both of these pamphlets were printed in 1776. Common Sense was about why America should be independant from England; and the American Crisis was about inspiring soldiers during the war. It was said that George Washington had this read to his soldiers:
“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”
A few other quotes are quite notable:
“Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” – Thomas Paine
“I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace.” -Thomas Paine
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 