Take Shelter, by Nikki Tate and Dani Tate-Stratton. Orca, 2014. $19.95 ages 9 and up

"Our house, built in the 1950s, has a mysterious little room we've always jokingly called "the bomb shelter." Given its location in the basement, it was probably built as a root cellar. When I started learning to make cheese, I read about how the best cheese makers use caves for aging wheels of cheese before they are ready to eat."

I promised I would tell you about this newest addition to the exceptional Orca Footprints series. Take Shelter takes a look at the history of housing for people around our world. Those homes are detailed in brightly colored photographs and accompanying text that is accessible and highly informative.

The authors have created four parts to their study of shelter: In The Ground, On The Move, Houses That Live and Breathe, and Innovation. In each, they offer a detailed look at the way people live in their homes, wherever they might be. The Tate family moved a lot. Dani Tate-Stratton tells her readers: 'by the time I was in high school I had lived in more than fifty places, from a high-rise apartment in a big city to a tiny cabin in the mountains.' That makes my living in seven homes in 66 years pale in comparison, doesn't it?

In reading this book, I learned about the authors and their homes in the My Place sections provided for additional interest. The HOME FACT boxes added much appreciated text for the various shelters being discussed:

"HOME FACT: Each year, 35 million people are forced to flee their homes because of war, famine, drought or other conflict. Many of these refugees will be forced to seek shelter in a camp or temporary dwelling."

If you want to talk with your children and students about the many ways that people of the world find shelter, and do it in an informed and appealing way, you would do well to share this book with them. Then, let them take it and find their favorite parts to read on their own. They will find it endlessly interesting, and full of surprises. Many of us don't take the time to think seriously about the way that people beyond our narrow perspective make a home. This well-researched and clearly written book may just change that! It is quite amazing to see the creative and original ways that people find to make a 'home', no matter the circumstance or the setting. Adaptation is a pretty amazing thing, isn't it?

As winter rears its snowy head in Manitoba and icy streets are already causing difficulties for cars and walkers, I thought you might be interested in this 'My Place' insert:

"When I was living in Iceland, I noticed that energy-efficient homes and buildings used readily available geothermal power as a heat source. In major cities like Reykjavik, the sidewalks are heated with hot water running beneath them. That means fewer people slip and get injured while walking on icy pathways...."

I dream of the day!!!

 Put this terrific book on your list; then get a copy from your local book store, or public library. You will be better informed for having read it.