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Tour Central Library
Discover the many wonders of Central Library designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert. Join us and learn fascinating facts, marvel at the brilliance of the stained glass windows, admire the beauty of hand stenciled ceilings and step into a piece of living history.

To schedule a tour, call the Volunteer Office at 539-0345.

Unforgettable Finland

Finland is a unique and beautiful country with a great deal to offer the visitor.

Request it!
The Winter War : Russia's invasion of Finland, 1939-1940
Robert Edwards.
New York : Pegasus Books, 2008.
"In his new interpretation of the little-understood Russian invasion of Finland, Robert Edwards describes one of the most valiant but doomed defenses since Thermopylae. Indeed, the geopolitical consequences of the conflict were far reaching, as Nazi Germany observed the Soviet embarrassment from the sidelines and immediately began their plans for Operation Barbarossa."--BOOK JACKET.
     
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Wilderness
by Roddy Doyle.
New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.
Grainnes mother had disappeared years ago when her parents divorced. Now, shes reappeared and wants to meet. To avoid a prickly reunion, Grainnes stepmother Sandra and her two boys go on holiday in snowy Finland. When Sandras sled disappears, the boys must take impossible risks to save her life.
     
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Sibelius : the orchestral music : an owner's manual
David Hurwitz.
Pompton Plains, N.J. : Amadeus Press, 2007.
Jean Sibelius was not only Finland's greatest composer, he was one of the most distinctive and appealing musical voices in the first half of the twentieth century, especially renowned for his characterful handling of the romantic symphony orchestra. His example has led directly to an unprecedented cultural flowering in his homeland, making this small country of 5 million people a powerhouse in the world of classical music composition and performance.
     
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Ice moon
Jan Costin Wagner ; translated from the German by John Brownjohn.
Orlando : Harcourt, Inc., 2007.
Set in Finland during the unnervingly long days of late summer near the top of the world, "Ice Moon" is an unsettling, poignant mystery.
     

It's the seventh-largest country in Europe, but has a small population, so much of the country is untouched nature, with large pine forests and over 180,000 lakes. 

Part of Finland lies above the Arctic Circle and winter provides unlimited opportunities for skiing, snowmobiling, and even reindeer trekking. Northern Finland is also an ideal spot to see the midnight sun in summer, or the Aurora Borealis in winter.

The south has its own attractions, including medieval castles and a beautiful capital, Helsinki.

Finland is known for other things, from Finlandia vodka and Nokia cell phones, to being the official home of Santa Claus' Main Post Office, which receives almost a million letters a year from children around the world.

Finland has produced artists in many fields, including the composer Jean Sibelius, and the architect Eero Saarinen, who designed the Gateway Arch.

But Finland may be best known for the sauna, which has existed since prehistoric times. So popular are saunas that a Finnish proverb says, "First you build the sauna and then the house." America may have adopted the sauna, but in Finland you can still have the real experience, which includes rubbing your skin with birch twigs to increase circulation, and then cooling off in a nearby lake.

With nature, culture, and a range of unique experiences, Finland is a wonderful spot for tourists wanting to explore something new. It is a place you will not soon forget.

Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff