Parenting | Government Book Talk

A Celebration of Moms

May 5, 2016

Whether it be a celebration of yourself as a mom, or your own mother or your sisters, friends as moms… these caring, multi-tasking individuals are blessed to be in our lives and deserve special extra pleasant treatments on their Mother’s Day holiday, May 8, 2016.

Mothers care for the young, the old, and the in-between…they guide us, they cook for us, they make sure that we have clothes on our backs and shelter. Some mothers may be away from home, while performing triple duty– to serve the security needs of the U.S.A. through their military or community policing careers; parenting roles/caring for their elderly parent(s); and even heading back to school to further their education.

In celebration of the roles of our Moms, here are some Federal Government resources to honor these special women in our lives as a way to show appreciation for their continuous caregiving of our family needs and to assist them in their regular activities.

Immunization Toolkit: Adult, Military and Childhood Immunizations 2014 –Now discounted and available at a special, lower price that can be found here.

The information in this Immunization Tool Kit (ITK) is based on national guidelines, peer-reviewed published medical literature, and clinical guidelines. It is a reference that should always be used with:

Manufacturers’ package inserts (approved by the Food and Drug Administration),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Information Statements (VIS),
Proper screening for individual patient health risk factors and medical problems,
Healthcare providers’ orders, and
DoD directives (Note: Where DoD guidance varies from CDC/FDA guidance, DoD guidance takes precedence).

Share the discovery and learning about eating healthy foods with your young children by downloading these free nutritional guides, complete with exciting interactive games and activities—Discover MyPlate Emergent Readers Series. Titles included in this series from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service: —Free interactive eBook downloads available from Apple iBookstore and US Government Online Bookstore –Use the ISBNs to search these platforms!

Discover MyPlate: A MyPlate Meal –ePub ISBN: 978016093136

Discover MyPlate: Dairy –ePub ISBN: 9780160931376

Discover MyPlate: Fruits –ePub ISBN: 9780160931383

Discover MyPlate: Grains –ePub ISBN: 9780160931390

Discover MyPlate: Protein –ePub ISBN: 9780160931406

Discover MyPlate: Vegetables –ePub ISBN: 978016093143

Deliciously Healthy Family Meals (Cookbook Print ISBN: 9780160912689) –recently discounted and available at a special lower price that can be found here.

Delightful kid-friendly healthy cookbook designed to help busy parents who want to make healthy meal preparation a family affair, Keep the Beat™ Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals features delicious, heart-healthy, kid-friendly recipes and also provides tips for involving children in meal preparation. The appendix is loaded with information on meal planning, cooking, and nutrition for families and children to help combat obesity and diabetes.

Another great healthy cookbook in the Keep the Beat ™ series, this cookbook showcases new dishes that were created especially for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) by a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef/ instructor and father of two. All the recipes were taste-tested with parents and school-aged children, and feature easy-to-follow instructions in numbered steps and detailed health information, such as calories, fat, cholesterol, total fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and more.

The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages (ePub ISBN: 9780160875892 )

Comprehensive health guide for women written in simple language and illustrated with many photographs, designed to appeal to a large audience of all cultural backgrounds, from teens to senior adults. This guidebook also contains full-color charts and diagrams to help readers understand their bodies and offers information not found in other women’s health resources, such as how to teach women to read a Prescription Drug Label, explore insurance options, and tips along with graphic representations for healthy eating and managing portion sizes, and more. Includes a glossary, extensive bibliography, additional resources, and a cross-referenced index

Apple iBookstore availability here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/healthy-woman-complete-guide/id594775035?ls=1&mt=11

Google Play availability here: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9780160875892&c=books&hl=en

Understanding Memory Loss

This easy-to-read booklet will help readers learn about the difference between mild forgetfulness and more serious memory problems such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; causes of memory problems and how they can be treated; and how to get help for serious memory loss. Includes vignettes, a resource list, and glossary. Free eBook download! —

ePub format eBook ISBN: 978016093013 –Available from: Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble Nook Bookstore, Google Play eBookstore, Overdrive, and US Government Online Bookstore

PDF format eBook ISBN: 9780160930140 – Available from the EBSCOhost database libraries, Academic Pub database, Rittenhouse R2 Digital Library, and US Government Online Bookstore

Funding Your Education: Federal Guide to Student Aid–Free eBook download!

This guide provides a description of Federal Student Aid programs and the application process. Readers will find information on federal student aid as a source for funding postsecondary education, and know where to go for more detailed information.

Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid speaks to high school students, college students, adults, and parents interested in finding out about financial aid from the federal government to help pay for education expenses at an eligible college, technical school, vocational school, or graduate school.

ePub format eBook ISBN: 9780160926235 –Available from Apple iBookstore, Google Play eBookstore, Barnes and Noble Nook Bookstore, Overdrive, and US Government Online Bookstore

MOBI format eBook ISBN: 9780160926242 –only available for Free download from US Government Online Bookstore

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and more.

Leave a Comment » | Consumers, ebooks, Family, Gifts, Parenting, Women | Tagged: aging, aging women, caregiving, college education, cooking, daughter, dementia, family care, female, female cops, female police officers, females, food choices, food groups, graduate education, grandmother, healthy cooking, healthy eating, healthy food choices, healthy women, households, memory loss, military housing, military women, Mom, Moms, Mother, mothers, nutrition, parent, returning to school, senile, senility, Women, women in the military, women officers | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

This National Park Week, Be a Junior Ranger!

April 14, 2016

April 16-24 is National Park week and 2016 is the National Park Service’s (NPS) centennial year. National parks symbolize America’s spirit of discovery. Although protected today, parks need stewardship for tomorrow. The NPS activity-based Junior Ranger program aims to turn young visitors into lifelong enthusiasts. GPO makes available several park-specific booklets to help 5- to 12-year-olds explore “America’s best idea.”

The White House Junior Ranger Activity Guide

Home. Workplace. Museum. And National Park! The White House, home to every president and first family since 1800, is the only building in the world that fits all those categories. Since 1933, The White House has operated under the National Park System. That piece of presidential acreage sees millions of visitors each year. Now there’s a new fact-filled White House guide that appeals to both kids and adults.

This booklet drops some great presidential trivia. Abigail Adams used the East Room to hang laundry. Dolly Madison saved a famous painting of George Washington from the War of 1812 fire. Edith Wilson was the first to showcase custom patterned china. All White House occupants leave a visible impression but first ladies drive the story of expansion, design, and entertainment. Beyond aesthetics, the booklet points out that first ladies were “champions for change.” President Harry Truman understood this well. He often introduced First Lady Elizabeth Truman as “the Boss.”

The booklet includes several pages of post-tour activities, including a President’s Park walking map, first family puzzle, and the ABC’s of architecture. Tip for parents: kids can present their booklet to a White House Visitor Center to be sworn in as a badged and certified Junior Ranger!

Redwood National and State Parks Junior Ranger Activity Booklet

Redwood Trees looking up Source: www.nps.gov

Redwood Trees looking up: http://www.nps.gov

Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. Living fossil records. But decades of commercial logging nearly decimated old-growth redwood forests of the North Coast region. In this booklet, Ranger Jim points out that “about 95% of the original coast redwood forest was cut down.” Although that statistic is dismaying, take heart. NPS is the capable caretaker of those special giants.

The booklet has dozens of activities families can complete while exploring redwood areas. Play tide pool bingo, be a tree detective, and fish for the right color. Write your observations in the ranger beach report. Solve the octopus tree mystery. Keep track of badge points. The fun and fascination are as endless as the redwoods are tall.

Next time you visit a national park, take a fact-filled activity booklet along!

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PUBLICATIONS?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Parenting, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: National Park Service 100th anniversary, National Park Service’s centennial, National Park Week, National Parks, national parks books, nps, NPS 100th anniversary, NPS books, U.S. national parks | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

A Strategy to Protect Our Children

April 7, 2016

“Every day, four to eight children in the United States die from abuse or neglect at the hands of their parents or caretakers. No one knows the exact number, and there has been little progress in preventing these tragic deaths. Most of the children who die are infants or toddlers.”

—from “Within Our Reach A National Strategy to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities”

In 2013, Congress took notice of those concerning stats like ones above. It passed the Protect Our Kids Act and assembled the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF). Over a two-year period, a team of a dozen commissioners put their public and private sector expertise to task. Their nationwide review of practices and programs revealed that no state has a “sufficiently comprehensive plan to eliminate” child abuse and maltreatment fatalities. So, the commission used what it learned to judiciously recommend a foresighted national strategy.

In time for National Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, GPO makes available the commission’s final report in both digital and print formats.

In “Within Our Reach A National Strategy to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities,” Chairman David Sanders writes, “If we as a nation do nothing different to prevent child abuse and neglect fatalities, somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 U.S. children will die from maltreatment.” He calls for a proactive, not reactive, approach to eliminate child abuse and neglect fatalities. That’s exactly what this policy guidance document aims to do—fundamentally reform old practices and make prevention standard practice.

Several of the chapters dig into the complex conditions that make children vulnerable, especially in disproportionately affected minority communities. Until quality services are made equitably available, opportunities to decrease child fatalities will be missed. Another focus is the “disparity between federal legislation on child safety and the impact at the local level.” Proposed solutions include more multi-disciplinary, real-time data sharing and accountable leadership. Notably, the commission recommends the Children’s Bureau be elevated as a direct report to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Image excerpt from CECANF Report.

The commission acknowledges that without a way forward, its final report is dead on arrival. So, it recommends that the U.S. government critically review child maltreatment deaths going back five years. The report concludes that “an immediate safety analysis of children who died in the past…will create a national learning community to better protect children and prevent fatalities” in the future.

The commission’s strategy lays out a lot of reasonable action steps. Grounded in practicable research, it’s an earnest effort to produce evidence-based results. Results “within our reach” that will manifestly save children’s lives.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS REPORT?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Commission report, Congress, ebooks, Family, Parenting | Tagged: chil, child abuse, child abuse prevention, Child Abuse Prevention Month, child safety, child welfare, childhood abuse, childhood safety, National Child Abuse Prevention Month | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Steppin’ It Up With College Planning

February 18, 2016

Planning for college is a towering task. Paying for college can be a monumental challenge. My head hurts! I can hardly imagine any of it makes sense to middle and high school students. Until My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College came along.

The Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid folks have assembled a top-shelf e-Pub booklet to frame the big, scary questions without oversimplifying them. The layout is arranged in a series of prompts, mythbusters, and graphics for the college and vocational school-bound. It tackles the “when should I begin thinking of college?” and “what can a college education do for me?” and “how will I pay for college?” sort of FAQs. And it features a nifty comparison of vocational, technical, and professional career choices as well.

The workbook is certainly not designed to replace traditional guidance counseling. The goal here is to get middle schoolers to start asking questions now that will make professional career planning less intimidating. As is often the case when undertaking something new, school kids might not even know what questions to ask. Give them a tailor-made activity book, such as My Future, My Way, and post-high school success will be that much more attainable.

Equipped with a few new life skills, 6th through 9th graders will hopefully be compelled to build a mentorship network. The workbook calls it a “college support team”—the people who can help youngsters get to college. It’s a sensible suggestion that doesn’t get enough airtime amid the all too important talk of money planning, test scores, and scholarships. Charts and checklists are great. Caring, informed people are better. As the booklet rightly points out, “Getting ready for college may seem like a lot to handle, but you don’t have to do it alone!”

Now my head doesn’t hurt as much! All joking aside, it’s nice to see real answers placed in the hands of students. A bit of good guidance is the sure footing needed for those first steps toward college.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

1 Comment | Children, Consumers, Department of Education, Family, Parenting | Tagged: American education, college, college education, college planning, Department of Education, education, education resources | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Elmo’s Fire-Safe World

February 2, 2016

Image source: http://www.sesameworkshop.org/

Happy Birthday, Elmo! Image source: www.sesameworkshop.org/

E-L-M-O! Any toddler goes bananas for that fuzzy mass who refers to himself only in third-person. Whenever my two-year-old niece sees a TV screen, she demands that Elmo appear like he’s some kind of omnipresent wizard. The falsetto-voiced Sesame Street pundit celebrates his birthday on February 3^rd (he always turns 3 ½ that day). Insert high-decibel squeal of pre-K apostles who endorse the fire-engine red Muppet as their life coach. Fortunately for you, that’s a sound that cannot be conveyed in writing. So, instead, I will use this time to talk about Elmo and friend’s empowering fire safety message.

The message takes the form of the “Sesame Street Fire Safety Program Family Guide” from Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration. Family coloring book. Fire literacy primer. A get-it-together-you-grown-ups safety guide. It’s all those things. FEMA and Sesame Street really deliver. Everybody do the Elmo happy dance! Yes, all of you. Hordes of zealous preschoolers are watching.

This guide is not just about Elmo. A proper shout out goes to Cookie Monster, Grover, and Telly Monster. Together, the fire brigade educates with catchphrases like “hot, hot, stay away. hot, hot, not for play” and “get outside and stay outside!” The playbook covers how to avoid hot things that burn, make a home escape map, family practice time, and simple steps to follow if the smoke alarm sounds. For parents and caregivers, there are kitchen safety tips for you, too.

Start a healthy discussion around a scary thing like a fire emergency. Demonstrate that preparation and prevention are skills that the entire family can work on together. Cultivate lifelong fire safety habits. Make it a fun process. As the guide says, “fire safety begins at home. The simple steps you take can make a big difference in staying safe from fires.”

So, grab a copy of “Sesame Street Fire Safety Program Family Guide” for your family. Think of it as a conversation starter to reduce the risk of a fire-starter. And remember, it’s Elmo’s fire-safe world. We just live in it.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

4 Comments | Children, Consumers, Family, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, Parenting | Tagged: Elmo, Elmo's birthday, Elmo's fire safety family guide, Elmo's fire safety guide, fire safety, Fire Safety Family Guide, home fire safety | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

60 Years of Tracking “Big Red One”

December 22, 2015

‘Twas Christmas eve 1955 when a misprinted Sears Roebuck & Co. newspaper ad directed kids to a top secret Soviet alert hotline instead of Santa’s direct dial. Wrong red phone! On the receiving end, an Air Force colonel played along and a team of Cold War-era serviceman became North Pole elves. And that’s how the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) eventually became the Santa tracking agency.

NORAD is a bi-national U.S. and Canadian organization with the mission of aerospace warning and control in the defense of North America. But its most famous and favorite mission is watching the winter skies for the “big red one.” “Guarding What You Value Most: North American Aerospace Defense Command Celebrating 50 Years,” available thru GPO in hardcover and eBook editions, touches upon how NORAD triangulates Kris Kringle’s course. The publication proudly states that “using the same technology used to perform their day-to-day mission— satellites, high-powered radars and jet fighters— NORAD tracks Santa Claus as he makes his Yuletide journey around the world.”

That sleigh of different high-tech systems is used to read Rudolph’s infrared nose signature, capture high-speed video around the globe, and provide Santa and his reindeer with a NORAD fighter pilot escort. Fun fact to impress people at your holiday party: satellites and radar once clocked Santa’s flying delivery cart at 100 times faster than the Japanese bullet train.

Santa positioning updates were originally delivered over the radio and through the Santa Tracking hotline. In 1997, the operation joined the worldwide interwebs. A few years ago, NORAD teamed up with tech companies to release a set of free apps. If you download the tracking app, that ding from your phone could be a radar ping showing the globetrotting sleigh’s whereabouts.

Want to track jolly St. Nick and his sleigh-pullers on Christmas Eve? Visit NORAD’s multilingual Santa site. It’s soundtracked with some pretty groovy holiday music, too. And while clicking around, do visit GPO’s bookstore. There’s a NORAD history publication there waiting for you. Unlike Santa, it requires no high-tech tracking.

How do I obtain Guarding What You Value Most: North American Aerospace Defense Command Celebrating 50 Years?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Aviation, Children, Consumers, Department of Defense, Innovation, NORAD, Parenting, Teachers and teaching | Tagged: big red, big red one, NORAD, norad mission, NORAD Santa, norad santa claus, norad santa tracker, Santa tracker, Santa tracking, tracking Santa Claus | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

September 13: Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day

September 10, 2015

What do you think is the only job in the world that is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and no pay? I am sure you guessed it; parenthood. Although well worth it, being a parent is a hard, tiring job. Parents often find themselves bogged down after going through a full day of work to come home to work another full time shift; taking care of your children. As adults, it is recognized how busy and time consuming parenthood is. Parents do not ask for pity while doing their duty, but it is always nice to give parents a break every now and then. Parents must find time to play with their children, help them with homework, pick out their clothes, bathe them, and feed them, among many other things.

Parents often travel home every day asking themselves “what will we have for dinner tonight?” (And if they don’t ask themselves that, their kids will remind them really fast) Then depending on what they decide on, they then have to get the ingredients. Cooking a good, healthy dinner for a family can take a good amount of time and energy depending on the dish. I’m sure if kids, let’s say at the age of 10, fully recognized all the things that really goes into being a parent they would find themselves maybe asking “what can I help with to give my parent a little rest?”

I’m sure parents often find themselves saying “I really wish my kids knew how to cook.” Well that wish may not be too far off. The National Heart and Lung Institute presents Deliciously Healthy Family Meals (Cookbook) as a cookbook designed for families and parents that want to keep cooking a family affair. The book includes many kid-friendly recipes that are pretty easy to grasp without needing much assistance from a parent. Not only are these recipes and tips kid-friendly, but also heart-healthy. It is loaded with tips on meal planning, meal preparation, and nutritional facts to keep obesity and other health issues at bay. Deliciously Healthy Family Meals (Cookbook) also starts to teach children how to be self-sufficient by learning how to cook quality meals for themselves. Life skills and quality experience that will stay with them forever.

How do I obtain Deliciously Healthy Family Meals (Cookbook)?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Avery Poole is a Summer Intern in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Department of Health & Human Services, Family, Parenting | Tagged: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals, diet and nutrition, Family Cookbooks, family meals, Healthy family meals, kid-friendly recipes, Kids take over the kitchen day | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Goblins, Ghosts and Witches, Oh My! Happy Halloween, October 2014

October 29, 2014

It’s nearly Halloween, and if you’re thinking about buying candy or pumpkins more than reading Federal government documents, it’s understandable. All the same, it would be regrettable if you missed reading some very relevant Federal government documents before preparing for your Halloween celebration.

(Image courtesy of CPSC: Click on image to enlarge)

Whether you are pulling together a costume for yourself or for kids, you need to make sure the costume is safe to wear. There are a few basic tips to follow when you get ready for trick-or-treating, according to the CPSC’s Halloween Safety: Safety Alert.

Decorate costumes with reflective tape
Carry bright flashlights
Trim or hem long costumes to avoid tripping
Choose flame-resistant material
Wear good walking shoes
Prefer cosmetics over masks when possible
Wear masks and headgear that are securely tied and do not obscure the wearer’s vision

The FDA recommends getting professional help to avoid eye damage if you plan to wear decorative contact lenses as part of your costume. The safe costume tips from these documents are good hints for choosing Halloween party gear, as well.

(Image: fda.gov)

The CPSC also recommends that you stick to safe houses, make sure your children walk (and don’t run), and that you check children’s candy before letting them eat any, in case of evidence of tampering (although the history of Halloween candy tampering is spotty). Food safety overall is always a concern at Halloween, and reading the FDA’s Halloween Food Safety Tips for Parents is good preparation for anyone responsible for children attending Halloween parties and celebrations.

Those revelers staying in one location will want to follow guidelines given in Halloween Fires. House parties at Halloween frequently feature candles, bonfires, firepits and the like. The US Fire Academy says Halloween is a night when fires spike, with “a 63 percent increase in the daily occurrence of incendiary or suspicious structure fires for October and November. ….the peak in incendiary and suspicious structure fires on Halloween is slightly lower than the peak on July 5^th but higher than New Year’s Day” (p. 12). Many of the fires on Halloween (and the night before Halloween, known as Devil’s Night), are the result of arson, and accidents play a role as well. Be aware and know the exit locations at the party you’re attending. If the party you are holding or attending has includes fire as part of the fun, have fire-extinguishing equipment nearby.

And if you’re planning to stay at home for Halloween, heighten your sense of the holiday mood and read some of the spooky traditions of Halloween in The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows, from the Library of Congress’ Folklife Center. You can learn about the origins of Halloween, originally a Celtic festival of the dead called Samhain. Samhain was the biggest holiday of the Celtic year, and served as a new year. The Celts lit bonfires for the dead to create a barrier between them and the living. Supposedly, the bonfires guided the dead back to the netherworld at this time of the year when the Celts believed the border between the dead and the living was thinnest. This brief monograph also covers how the Catholic Church appropriated Samhain from the Celtic natives to become All Hallows, and eventually Hallowe’en (Hallows evening). If you finish reading the piece wanting to know more, the author links a selected bibliography of resources on Halloween and related topics at the end of the text. You get to learn a bit of history and appreciate the author’s poetic text also. He closes the piece by noting that traditional American Halloween activities “…reaffirm… death and its place as a part of life in an exhilarating celebration of a holy and magic evening.”

There are records available for the electronic versions of Halloween Safety: Safety Alert and Halloween Fires in the Catalog of Government Publications. You can find the records for these documents in your local Federal depository library.

How can I access these publications?

In addition to clicking on the links in the article above to find the publications, you may find these publications from the following:

Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library.
- Librarians: You can find the records for most titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).
Visit a Public Library: Ask your local public librarian about Federal Government books available to check out as well as Federal eBooks that may be available for library patrons to digitally download through the library’s Overdrive subscription.

And to find popular current Federal publications, you may:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks as well as print publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov
Order by Phone: You may also Order print editions by calling GPO’s Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

About the author: Adapted by Trudy Hawkins, Government Book Talk Editor and Senior Marketing and Promotions Specialist for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales Division in Washington, DC, from an original post by Jennifer K. Davis, formerly from GPO’s Library Services & Content Management Division that supports the Federal Depository Libraries Program (FDLP).

Leave a Comment » | Children, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Consumers, Family, Parenting | Tagged: Halloween, halloween costume, halloween costumes, Halloween safety, Halloween safety tips | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Federal Resources for Food and Nutrition Planning

June 11, 2014

News concerning the debate over changes to the School Lunch Program has brought the topic of child nutrition and health to the forefront, in recent weeks. As government and school officials debate this important topic, Government Book Talk takes a look at the Food and Nutrition Information Center Resources CD-ROM currently available from the GPO Online Bookstore.

The Food and Nutrition Information Center Resources CD-ROM from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) contains a plethora of useful information related to various food and nutrition programs, such as the National School Lunch Program. It particularly offers guidance to help nutrition professionals and consumers locate information and materials on specific food and nutrition topics, such as Child Nutrition and Health, Food and Nutrition Education, School Food Service, and much more. Compiled by Nutrition Information Specialists, these Resource Lists provide resources in a variety of formats including articles, pamphlets, books, audio-visuals, and Web links.

This resource list excerpt from 2008 for educators provides resource information on cultural and ethnic food nutrition.

The vast information contained on this CD-ROM from the National Agriculture Library collection will prove to be a great resource for parents, educators, school food service professionals and child care providers. Child Nutrition Programs including before/after school and children’s summer municipal camp programs will also benefit from these resource lists for nutritional guidance and food planning for their summer and new school year child nutrition initiatives.

The FNIC website contains over 2500 links to current and reliable nutrition information.

About the FNIC

According to its website, the FNIC is a leader in food and human nutrition information. Located at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) of USDA, the FNIC provides credible, accurate, and practical resources for nutrition and health professionals, educators, government personnel and consumers. To learn more about the FNIC and its various resource lists topics visit the FNIC website.

In addition to the Food and Nutrition Information Center Resources CD-ROM, the USDA has published the following print publication focusing on nutrition and diet, which is also available from the U.S. Government Bookstore.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 offers advice regarding nutrition to promote health and to reduce risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity. The publication is oriented toward policymakers, nutrition educators, nutritionists, and healthcare providers. It summarizes and synthesizes knowledge regarding individual nutrients and food components into recommendations for a pattern of eating that can be adopted by the public. Key Recommendations listed by chapter include: Balancing Calories to Manage Weight; Foods and Food Components to Reduce; Foods and Nutrients to Increase; Building Healthy Eating Patterns; and Helping Americans Make Healthy Choices. It also explains the new food plate which replaced the food pyramid.

How can I get these federal resources on Food and Nutrition Planning?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy these and other publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:

Shop our retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm, except Federal holidays, (202) 512-0132.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications or CGP.

About the author: Trudy Hawkins is a writer and marketing specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

Leave a Comment » | Children, Consumers, Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Department of Health & Human Services, Family, Health care, Libraries, Parenting | Tagged: child nutrition, children and nutrition, diet and nutrition, Food and Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Information Center, Food and Nutrition Planning, nutrition, nutrition and health, nutrition education, school lunch programs | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Childhood Immunization: Protecting Our Children from Disease

April 29, 2014

The week of April 26-May 3 is National Infant Immunization Week and it is also the 20th anniversary of this observance. Vaccinations are becoming a more controversial topic among parents, doctors and schools. The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the recent anti-vaccination movement is leading to an outbreak of whooping cough and the measles in some states.

A couple looks at Infant Care pamphlet at GPO Bookstore: GPO Archives.

Before you could Google information on vaccinations and family healthcare topics and have every answer at your fingertips, government publications were the go-to source for consumer information. This former trend is evident in the fact that a pamphlet entitled Infant Care is still to this day considered GPO’s all-time best seller. Infant Care was first published in 1914 by the Children’s Bureau and provided mothers with information in a low-cost form on how to care for their babies. (Read more about the history of the Children’s Bureau in The Children’s Bureau Legacy: Ensuring the Right to Childhood (ePub eBook) available on the U.S. Government Bookstore.) Over the course of seven decades it remained a bestseller with multiple editions published and translations in eight languages as well as Braille.

Excerpt on Vaccination from Infant Care pamphlet

100 years ago, this was the advice on vaccination of infants. Excerpt from 1914 Infant Care pamphlet.

The original Infant Care pamphlets can be seen on this archive. However, Vaccines for Children (VCF), a federally funded program handled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides no-cost vaccine services to help ensure that all children, from infancy to adolescent, have a better chance of getting their recommended vaccinations.

Image source courtesy of CDC http://www.cdc.gov/features/vfcprogram

Like Infant Care, the government still has helpful publications to help parents and the public make health-related decisions. Parent’s Guide to Childhood Immunizations and Immunization Tool Kit are just two of the many government publications available on the immunization and vaccination topic.

Parent’s Guide to Childhood Immunizations is kind of like a “vaccinations for dummies.” It is a great resource that explains each disease, the vaccinations schedule, what to do before, during and after the immunization doctor visit, how vaccines work, other FAQs and additional print and electronic resources. The most helpful part of this booklet is the breakdown of each disease with information on what causes the disease, how it is spread, the signs and symptoms and complications. To brighten up what can be a scary subject, the booklet includes colorful child artwork.

Immunization Tool Kit focuses on adult, military and childhood immunizations. This resource is made up of laminated 4X6 color coded cards held together by a ring for fast flipping making it durable and likely intended for military or health care providers, people who need a quick reference on the job. The cards are organized by immunizations for adults and the military and children with detailed information about each vaccine including a dosage, indications or who should get the vaccine, contraindications or reasons why someone should not be vaccinated and special considerations. Some of the cards have amusing caricatures of what the diseases look like. For medical personnel, there is a section on the storage and handling instructions of each vaccine. While the amount of information may seem overwhelming, the toolkit will be able to answer all or any question about vaccines.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE PUBLICATIONS ON VACCINATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy these publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:

Click here to purchase Parent’s Guide to Childhood Immunizations

Click here to purchase Immunization Tool Kit

Click here to purchase The Children’s Bureau Legacy: Ensuring the Right to Childhood (ePub eBook)

Shop our entire Immunization and Vaccination collection

Order by Phone: You may also Order print editions by calling our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Shop our Retail Store:Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Visit a Federal Depository Library:Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications or CGP.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Emma Wojtowicz, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Office of Public Affairs.

Additional content, images and editing provided by Trudy Hawkins, a writer and marketing specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

Leave a Comment » | Children, Consumers, Department of Health & Human Services, Family, Government Printing Office (GPO), Health care, Parenting, U.S. History | Tagged: baby shots, childhood diseases, childhood immunization, childhood immunizations, childhood vaccinations, Children’s Bureau, childrens vaccinations, immunization for children, immunization shots, immunizations, Infant Care, vaccination shots, vaccinations, vaccine, vaccines, vaccines for babies, vaccines for children, vaccines for kids | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One… a Top Ten List of Funny Federal Titles

April 1, 2014

A few weeks ago, Jennifer Davis’ supervisor delivered a challenge to her via email: write a story about humorous government document titles for April Fool’s Day. (Read various stories about the origins of April Fool’s Day here, here and here.) April Fool’s humor has had a long history with American Government, dating back to Founding Father Benjamin Franklin (read caption below).

Benjamin Franklin wearing an ostentatious fake moustache for April Fool's Day

According to news humor site “Weekly World News”, the American founding father of April Fool’s Day was Benjamin Franklin. Since Franklin, April 1st has been synonymous in America for a day of practical jokes and general mischief. Tales of his exploits were published in the Philadelphia Gazette on the 1st of April every year. For example, says the site, he was known to give entire public speeches on April 1 wearing an ostentatious fake moustache. 😉 Can you believe it? (Image courtesy of Weekly World News.)- M. Bartram

Says Jennifer: “I love reading government documents for their data and their fascinating stories, but I usually wouldn’t consider them to be laugh-out-loud funny. Or as a colleague said, “They’re not Abbott and Costello funny”. But everyone’s got to laugh some time, right? And when I searched GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), and picked my colleagues’ brains, I found that Uncle Sam sometimes gets his chuckles, too. I found more titles than these ten—but I want to save some for another occasion. There have been a few other lists of humorous government documents, not all of them Federal titles, circulating around the Internet, and so I’ve tried to keep this list as unique as possible.”

(If you like the topic of this column, you should visit the Washington State University’s exhibit, The Lighter Side of…. The Government Printing Office, which runs through June 28, 2014.)

[Michele Bartram Editor’s Note: Over the years, Government Book Talk has also highlighted some funny Federal publication titles within previous blog posts including: Society through a Comic Lens, The Nuttall Tick Catalogue, Dr. Seuss, U.S. Army, Sprocket Man!, War Games, and Ponzimonium. You’ll chuckle over the odd, quirky, ironic or inadvertently funny titles of the books mentioned!]

All of these titles in this blog post have records in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, and you might be able to find a copy in your local Federal depository library, or find one at your regional library. Click here for a list of Federal Depository Libraries (the Federal Depository Library Directory or FDLD). Since many of these Government documents —books, posters, pamphlets and PDFs— are older than five years, you might have to search a bit to find a copy. When available, we have provided links for the electronic version of these titles.

Below is the list of Top 10 funniest titles that Jennifer provided, along with additional details about each.

TOP 10 FUNNIEST TITLES

Gobbledygook_has-gotta-go_green-cover 1) Gobbledygook has Gotta Go. This Bureau of Land Management title about the problems with Government writing is a classic, and a precursor to the “Plain Language” initiative today to simplify the wording in communications. It has been cited in several collected lists of funny titles, and it’s the only time I cheated and included it in my list anyway. Gobbledygook is just such a great word to say, and the alliteration makes the title even funnier. You can read a scanned copy of this book here.

2) Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic. All of our GPO office mates agree: this comic has got to be the most fun Federal government document to date. The CDC was smart and exploited the current interest in zombies, and made an emergency preparedness checklist into a comic on preparing for the “zombie pandemic”. In this comic, the scientists of the CDC are the superheroes, isolating the virus “Z5N1” and developing a vaccine in record time, while the locals develop a checklist of emergency supplies so they can stay inside their home. Just the title alone is enough to make you smile—and it gets its point across. You can read the entire publication online here.

3) This is a Dumb Bunny. I love the idea of the Federal government calling someone a “dumb bunny”. Even if the document it is quite literally the image of a rabbit, which spoils some of the fun, I am still tickled by the idea of a snarky Uncle Sam. The poster’s actually about smoking cessation.

4) Safety is as Stupid Does!! I know what the goal was with this title. The poster (seen on the University of Iowa Digital Library) makes it clear to the intended audience of military personnel that not thinking hurts safety on the job. However, I think the title missed the mark. It’s funny in its own right.

Safety-is-as-stupid-does_DOD-poster

5) Do Mandrakes Really Scream? A colleague of mine is a huge Harry Potter fan. She said cataloging this title was the pinnacle of her career. It’s the online exhibition catalog of an National Library of Medicine (NLM) History of Medicine exhibit relating NLM’s historical holdings and the magic and medicine of Harry Potter.

If you read the Harry Potter series, you’ll know what the title is referring to. If you haven’t read the series, check out this free exhibit first; you might find yourself diving into the book series afterwards.

6) USDA Saves French Donkey. The title of this mid-1980s US Department of Agriculture publication just speaks for itself.

[Editor’s note: Probably the publication refers to this 1985 story reported in the Los Angeles Times about a rare 7-month-old curly haired French Poitou donkey named Sonette at the San Diego Zoo: “Rare Donkey Passes Test, Can Stay Here”]

French Poitou donkey has dreadlocks that need a haircut

The rare French Baudet du Poitou donkey breed is born with curly hair that naturally grows into long dreadlocks as an adult. This one hasn’t had a haircut in 17 years! (Source: The Telegraph – UK)

7) Self-Motion Perception and Motion Sickness: Final Report for the Project NASA’s report on a motion sickness project makes me want to just… stop… moving! Read about it on NASA’s website.

Above: NASA astronauts in zero gravity try to fend off the effects of motion sickness. To learn more about motion sickness, watch this 3-minute TED Talk animated video about “The Mystery of Motion Sickness.”

8) America the Beautiful: Collection of the Nation’s Trashiest Humor. Not only is the title funny, but the book’s content promises humor as well. This is publication number 2048 of The U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, originally published in 1970. The book consists of thirty comics, from the funny pages like B.C., and some from the editorial pages of publications from the New Yorker to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, all focusing on the problem of waste disposal. You can read the publication in its entirety online at the EPA’s website.

9) French Meadows: Hell Hole Recreation Areas. Although the area is really quite lovely, there’s a problem with image marketing in this U.S. Forest Service tourism brochure.

10) Controlling Vampire Bats. This serious US Agency for International Development publication about controlling the spread of rabies through these creatures nevertheless evokes shades of Tippi Hedren… Don’t you get a mental picture of people running down the street away from the bats, waving their arms over their heads and screaming, à la The Birds? Or Fay Wray being controlled by an evil vampire in bat form in the movie “The Vampire Bat” (movie poster image at the right)? Maybe I’ve read too many zombie comics.

How can I find these funny-titled Federal publications?

In addition to clicking on the links in the article above to find the publications, you may find these publications from the following:

Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library.
- Librarians: You can find the records for most titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), or search for published U.S. Government eBooks in GPO’s Federal Depository Library Program’s special eBooks at GPO page.
Visit a Public Library: Ask your local public librarian about Federal Government books available to check out as well as Federal eBooks that may be available for library patrons to digitally download through the library’s Overdrive subscription.

And to find popular current Federal publications, you may:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks as well as print publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov
Order by Phone: You may also Order print editions by calling GPO’s Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

About the author: Adapted and expanded by Michele Bartram, Government Book Talk Editor and Promotions Manager for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales Division in Washington, DC, from an original post by Jennifer K. Davis, formerly from GPO’s Library Services & Content Management Division that supports the Federal Depository Libraries Program (FDLP).

Have a fun and funny April Fool’s Day!

12 Comments | Bureau of Reclamation, Catalog of Government Publications (CGP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Children, Consumers, Department of Defense, Department of Health & Human Services, Disasters, Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency, Family, Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), Government Printing Office (GPO), Libraries, Notable Government Documents, Parenting, Teachers and teaching, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Army, U.S. History | Tagged: april 1, april 1st, april first, april fools, april fools day, funny books, funny government books, government humor. humorous books | Permalink
Posted by Michele Bartram, U.S. Government Online Bookstore

Spring forward into the garden

March 20, 2014

Image: Chick with daffodils (Source: Argonne National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy

Ah, spring: the season of rebirth, renewal, and growth. Breathe in the air full of the fresh blossoms of flowers, feel the first warm breezes, gaze at the profusion of color, and listen to the birds chirping and insects buzzing.

Most of the United States just went into daylight saving time on March 9 with instructions to “spring forward” with our clocks. On Thursday, March 20, 2014, we spring forward for real as it is the Spring or Vernal Equinox, fondly known as the official first day of spring. After a brutal winter and the first full month of spring and National Garden Month—April– just around the corner, many minds turn toward planting and gardening with their promise of getting back in touch with nature.

Play the Zone

Before you pull on the mud boots and pick up your gloves and tools, you’ll want to determine where you are in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the United States. The climate where you garden affects the fruits and vegetables that you can grow successfully. Local nurseries and garden centers will typically stock plants that perform well in your climate, but it’s important to know your planting zone if you are ordering seeds, bulbs, or plants from non-local establishments.

USDA-Plant-Hardiness-Zones-Map across the U.S.

Image: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (Source: USDA)

How does your garden grow?

If you pore over seed catalogs, browse gardening Web sites, stroll the store aisles of soil, pots, and plants, and read gardening books in the dark winter months, then you probably have the gardening bug. You can also learn to recognize the real insects that you have in your garden with The Bug Book: A Garden Field Guide from the EPA. Gardeners can toil away only to find that someone else is enticed by the new plants; that’s when some choose to control pests by using chemicals. Be extra safe and learn about the effects of pest control, especially if you have children. Greenscaping (see this EPA guide) is an alternative method of dealing with those tiny invaders in your garden.

Image: Lady bugs gathering on an oak branch (Source: NPS)

Practice safe gardening

In any outdoor activity, you want to be safe and healthy in the garden. While you are digging away and pulling weeds, you can get quite a sunburn or get dehydrated. The EPA’s Mission: Sunwise Activity Book helps educate kids on how to be safe in the sun and to use sunscreen. Check out these health and safety tips so that you can continue to enjoy the time spent outdoors.

When it comes to tackling bigger projects, read up first to learn what to look for in your own backyard, starting with those stately trees. How to Prune Trees is a best-selling quick guide to smart practices on trimming branches for optimum tree health. How to Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees is an overview of common issues with trees.

Removing a tree altogether is sometimes the only safe option; Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down? is a book for children that explains how taking away an unhealthy tree can benefit the overall environment of the garden.

As always, with any larger gardening issues, you’ll want to consult a professional arborist for concerns with your trees.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow

Gardening is an ideal activity for children. Not only are they out in nature and physically active, but they also learn about where healthy food comes from while observing the weather, biology, zoology, and conservation. The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, has been teaching the message of healthy living through nutritious, locally grown food in her White House Kitchen Garden. Plants grown right outside the White House in Washington, DC, end up on the dining table of the President’s family. Whether you are building a kitchen garden, a school garden, or a community garden, Let’s Move has more information for you, including a diagram of the White House Kitchen Garden if you want to recreate it in your own backyard.

Schools are well aware of the educational benefits of gardening; it begins as early as pre-school. (Download the free “Grow It, Try It, Like It! Preschool Fun with Fruits and Vegetables” garden-themed nutrition education kit.) Teachers can find resources and lesson plans from the EPA to incorporate gardening into their school curriculum. And if April showers are in the forecast, little ones can still learn about nature by curling up with a delightful illustrated book about The Little Acorn, which tells of the cycle of growth and change in the garden that starts with just one seed.

Watch the video below as First Lady Michelle Obama and White House chef Sam Kass tell the story of the first garden on White House grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden during World War II.

First Lady and White House chef explain history of the first White House kitchen garden since WW2

“Inside the White House: The Kitchen Garden” video of First Lady Michelle Obama and White House chef Sam Kass telling the story of the first garden on White House grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden during World War II. This new garden was planted in the Spring of 2009 with the help of local elementary school children and has yielded a constant supply fresh produce for the First Family and White House events. Published May 10, 2012. (Source: White House Let’s Move YouTube Channel)

You can find more White House garden videos and gardening ideas for kids on the Let’s Move Gardening Guide web page.

Look for inspiration in public spaces

Some folks are lucky enough to own a big garden plot; others grow plants in containers on a balcony or place herb pots by a sunny window. No matter how you garden, you can always look for inspiration for your gardening pursuits. There are a number of places to visit in spring to see the variety of plants. It’s especially helpful to visit places where plants are labeled so that you know what to look for at a local nursery or plant sale.

Image: Cymbidium ‘Hearts of Gold’ orchid in bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden

In the nation’s capital, Washington, DC you can go to the United States Botanic Garden and see what’s in bloom or learn how to attract butterflies to your garden.

You can also purchase A Botanic Garden for the Nation: the United States Botanic Garden (ePub eBook), a GPO Online Bookstore perennial favorite (pun intended).

Girl's face peeking out from pink azaleas at National Arboretum in Washington, DC

Peeking out from among the azaleas at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

While in the DC area, don’t miss the United States National Arboretum. You can see every single plant contained there, search for individual plants and see exactly where they are located on this interactive map.

Find out what’s in bloom during the month of your visit. (If visiting in April, don’t miss their world-famous display of azaleas / rhododendrons which bloom sometime in April. Check their Azalea page for current bloom conditions.)

The arboretum also has full color posters to help you identify crape myrtles, shrubs, and trees.

U.S. National Arboretum Crape Myrtles Guide

Image: Guide to Lagerstroemia, commonly known as crape myrtle or crepe myrtle, from the National Arboretum. (Source: U.S. National Arboretum)

Learn about gardening by joining others

You can learn so much about gardening by meeting other like-minded folks. If you don’t have your own garden, you might want to join a community garden or find a local gardening group or volunteer at a gardening club. Urban soils have their own unique characteristics and benefits; find out how to grow gardens in urban soil, then enjoy the benefits that come from gardening in urban landscapes in Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-Being Through Urban Landscapes, available from GPO’s U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

Image: Urban gardeners at work planting new seedlings (Source: NIH)

It’s food for thought

The first presidents were known not only for their political endeavors, but also for their farms, gardens and orchards. If planted and maintained well, gardens and orchards can last for decades, even centuries.

Learn more about the legacy and preservation of historic orchards in the U.S. with these two publications available from GPO’s U.S. Government Online Bookstore:

Fruitful Legacy: A Historic Context of Orchards in the United States, with Technical Information for Registering Orchards in the National Register of Historic Places (top right) and
the Historic Orchard and Fruit Tree Stabilization Handbook (bottom right)

Happy gardening!

Image: Uncle Sam promoting gardening during wartimeSource: National Archives

Image: World War II USDA poster promoting Victory gardens: “Uncle Sam says GARDEN to Cut Food Costs” (Source: National Archives)

How can I get these and other Federal Government publications on Gardening?

In addition to clicking on the links in the article above to find the publications, you may find gardening publications from the following:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks as well as print publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from GPO’s U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:
Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. Librarians: You can find the records for most titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), or search for published U.S. Government eBooks in GPO’s Federal Depository Library Program’s special eBooks at GPO page.
Visit a Public Library: Ask your local public librarian about Federal eBooks that may be available for library patrons to check out through the library’s Overdrive subscription.

About the author: Kristina Bobe is a Senior Planning and Development Specialist for the U.S. Government Printing Office’s Library Services & Content Management (LSCM) Division. Additional content, images and editing provided by Michele Bartram, Government Book Talk Editor and Promotions Manager for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales Division in Washington, DC.

3 Comments | Agriculture, Children, Consumers, Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Executive Branch, Family, National Park Service, Parenting, Presidents, The White House, Travel and Tourism, U.S. Botanic Garden, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: botanical garden, bug guide, children gardens, community gardening, community gardens, DC tourism, family garden, First Ladies, garden tips, gardening, gardening tips, gardening with children, gardening with kids, home garden, insect guide, kids activities, kids gardening, local produce, local sourcing, orchard care, orchards, school gardens, the arboretum, tree defects, victory garden, washington dc tourism, what to do in DC, what to plant, white house garden | Permalink
Posted by Michele Bartram, U.S. Government Online Bookstore

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Federal Resources for Food and Nutrition Planning

Childhood Immunization: Protecting Our Children from Disease

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One… a Top Ten List of Funny Federal Titles

Spring forward into the garden

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