Summer: A User’s Guide
By Suzanne Brown (Artisan, $19.95 paper)
You wouldn’t think anyone would need an instruction manual for the best three months of the year. But on occasion, even the craftiest sun worshiper can run out of ideas. Here the author uses tips, fun facts and illustrations to prompt warm-weather fun, even for readers who can’t make it to the idyllic East Coast settings pictured within the pages.
1. Winds between 5 and 15 m.p.h. are ideal for kite flying.
2. Balance is crucial for underwater handstands. Keep your face pointed straight ahead and your feet together with toes pointed.
3. Male fireflies flash repeatedly to alert females of their wonderfulness as mates. Their counterparts flash just once, from a perch, to signal a chosen male to join them.
4. To seed a watermelon, cut in half widthwise, then in quarters lengthwise. Slice through the flesh of the melon along the seed line and remove. Use a fork to scrape the seeds from the removed piece. Eat.
5. “Anyone who has ever spent time by the ocean knows that tracking the ebb and flow of the tides is important when planning water-related activities.” There is slightly less than 12.5 hours between the two high tides, so if the first is at 9 a.m., the second can be expected at 9:24 p.m.
