Our Summer Reading Program continues this week with a new craft that you’ll want to keep on your shellf of accessories! If you pick up a Take It and Make It craft bag at the check-out desk and tune in to our weekly Youtube video, you’ll get to join Rosa in making beautiful shell headbands. If you go to the beach on vacation this summer, you could even use the video to make a fun souvenir with your own collection!
Shells are incredible artifacts. Remnants of a life passed and often considered treasures of the ocean, shells come in all shapes and sizes. Whether they be as big as the Australian Trumpet Snail (arguably the largest seashell in the world at 91 cm or around 36 in long) or as beautiful as the Abalone, seashells are commonly collected by beach-goers.
Have you ever noticed a pretty shell or especially odd-looking rock half-buried in the sand as you walk along the tide? The type of shell you might find will also differ depending on the location of the beach. On the beaches of North Carolina, for instance, you might find moon snail shells or pink acorn barnacles. While on beaches near the warm Indian Ocean, you are likely to find loads of cowrie shells. Did you know that cowrie shells are so commonly found that they were often used as currency in many countries of South Asia and Africa? If that piqued your interest, we have all kinds of shell-related information here at the Rogers Public Library!
If you would like to learn more facts about shells or how to identify certain shells that you’ve found, look no further than Shells by S. Peter Dance. The gorgeous photography for this book was taken by Matthew Ward.
If you’re looking for ideas as to how to incorporate these beautiful shells into your home design, check out Shell chic : the ultimate guide to decorating your home with seashells by Marlene Hurley Marshall.
And if you’d rather read a novel related to shells instead of researching them, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher might be the one for you.
These books and more can be found either on our library shelves or in the Libby and Hoopla apps. Make the most of your time at the beach and grab a book to keep you company!
Trumpet shell image: “Turbinellidae” by Bill & Mark Bell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Abalone image: “Seashell” by Old_Man_Leica is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0