"By comparison, today's Great Lakes are puny. But not so long ago, in North America's heartland, there was a lake so vast it swallowed most of Manitoba and surged through parts of Ontario, Saskatchewan, North and South Dakota and Minnesota. It's called Lake Agassiz and some believe it was the largest lake the world has ever known. Born of the melting sheets of ice that had covered Canada and the northern U.S. for millennia, it was a force of nature for 6,000 years. During that time, Lake Agassiz's waters carved huge valleys, blasted through solid rock to create canyons, and changed the climate of Europe for a thousand years. Today, we share its legacy--the seemingly endless prairie that was once lake bottom; the magnificent beaches along Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba; one of the largest river deltas in the world, and the meandering rivers that sometimes threaten springtime havoc. Yet most know little about this powerful architect of our landscape and our lives. Bill Redekop's Lake Aga

From the author of Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, now an original movie on Hallmark. “Sweet and resonant.” —People, “Best New Books” Pick A librarian’s discovery of a mysterious book sparks the journey of a lifetime. Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people—though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible. All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend—her grandmother Zelda—who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever. Filled with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending. Don’t miss Phaedra Patrick’s uplifting new novel, The Little Italian Hotel! Check out these other heartwarming stories from Phaedra Patrick: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone The Secrets of Love Story Bridge The Messy Lives of Book People

One Book, One Minnesota Selection for Summer 2021 Introducing Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman whose visions and grit help solve a brutal murder in this award-winning debut. 1970s, Red River Valley between North Dakota and Minnesota: Renee “Cash” Blackbear is 19 years old and tough as nails. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where she drives truck for local farmers, drinks beer, plays pool, and helps solve criminal investigations through the power of her visions. She has one friend, Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, who helped her out of the broken foster care system. One Saturday morning, Sheriff Wheaton is called to investigate a pile of rags in a field and finds the body of an Indian man. When Cash dreams about the dead man’s weathered house on the Red Lake Reservation, she knows that’s the place to start looking for answers. Together, Cash and Wheaton work to solve a murder that stretches across cultures in a rural community traumatized by racism, genocide, and oppression.

For fans of Penguin and Pinecone, this adorable new duo will warm your heart and tickle your funny bone. Now in an audio eBook edition that reads aloud as you turn the pages! Meet Croc! He is the strongest and fastest crocodile around. Meet Turtle! He agrees that Croc is the strongest and fastest. But what happens when Elephant lifts that heavy rock with ease? And when Cheetah speeds on by? Croc and Turtle might not be the strongest or the fastest, but they're definitely the best at something even more important . . . Introducing an utterly charming new duo, this humorous and heartwarming adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Amy Thielen, author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook The New Midwestern Table, traces her journey from Park Rapids, Minnesota, to cooking professionally under some of New York City's finest chefs -- including David Bouley, Daniel Boulud, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten -- and then back home again. A love of food and an overwhelming desire to get the hell out of small-town America drive Thielen to New York to seek out its intense culinary world, which she embraces enthusiastically, while her boyfriend finds success in its fickle art world. After years of living in the city, with frequent trips back home in the summertime, the couple eventually chooses life deep in the woods in a cabin Thielen's husband built by hand. There Aaron can practice his craft while Amy takes the skills she learned cooking professionally and turns them to undoing years of processed foods to uncover true Midwestern cooking, which begins simply with humble workhorse ingredients such as potatoes and onions.

America has more than 130,000 lakes of significant size. Ninety percent of all Americans live within fifty miles of a lake, and our 1.8 billion trips to watery places make them our top vacation choice. Yet despite this striking popularity, more than 45 percent of surveyed lakes and 80 percent of urban lakes do not meet water quality standards. For Love of Lakes weaves a delightful tapestry of history, science, emotion, and poetry for all who love lakes or enjoy nature writing. For Love of Lakes is an affectionate account documenting our species’ long relationship with lakes—their glacial origins, Thoreau and his environmental message, and the major perceptual shifts and advances in our understanding of lake ecology. This is a necessary and thoughtful book that addresses the stewardship void while providing improved understanding of our most treasured natural feature.

Minnesota's lakes may be its most famous features, but the glaciated countryside disguises a much longer history of volcanoes and plate collisions--not surprising when you learn that Minnesota was at the active edge of the fledgling North American continent for several billion years.

Quetico Park in northwestern Ontario celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009. Long-recognized as a gem among parks, Quetico contains some of the largest stands of old-growth red and white pine in Canada , as well as a diversity of fascinating lichens, carnivorous plants in specialized habitats. The author presents an insightful look into Quetico's natural history as he examines the adapations that have allowed moose, white-tailed deer, wolves and other mammals to survive. The human history of the park is also explored, beginning with the Objiwa living there when the area was designated as a park, followed by accounts of trappers, loggers, miners, park rangers, and poachers. Beginning with the retreat of the glaciers, the author combines his thorough research into Quetico's long and varied history with the threads of his own extensive involvement with the park. The result is a splendid tribute to a very special place.