If you've got a few outdoor enthusiasts on your holiday gift list, a good book is hard to beat. Here are some recent titles I recommend.

"Shadow of the Alleghenies: the Wilderness Adventure of a Frontiersman and his Wolf Pup" by Edwin D. Michael (2009, Quarrier Press) is a work of historical fiction that weaves a fascinating tale of pre-Revolutionary War human and natural history. This is what the first frontiersmen faced as they explored unknown terrain in the vicinity of the Monongahela River. Michael is a retired professor of wildlife biology from West Virginia University with a passion for human history.

"Birds of Eastern North America: A Photographic Guide" by Paul Sterry and Brain Small (2009, Princeton University Press) uses 1,118 exceptional color photographs to set it apart from the many other field guides in book stores. And somehow the designer managed to increase the image size so that every species is clearly and vibrantly depicted. Many of the smaller species appear at almost life size. This guide should appeal to beginning and experienced birders alike.

"Great Lakes Nature Guide" by James McCormac and Krista Kagume (2009, Lone Pine Publishing) is a great all-purpose guide appropriate for areas far beyond the Great Lakes. Keep it in the car and you'll always be ready to identify an unfamiliar wildflower, bird or insect.

"Wild Ohio: the Best of Our Natural Heritage" by Jim McCormac and Gary Meszaros (2009, Kent State Univ. Press) is a superior coffee table book written by a master naturalist and illustrated by a master photographer.

"With The Sibley Guide to Trees" (2009, Knopf), David Allen Sibley has done it again. Applying the same skill and expertise that made his bird guides best sellers, Sibley turns his attention to trees, the place where many birds are found. More than 4,100 paintings illustrate the leaves, twigs, bark, flowers and fruits of more than 600 species of trees found in North America.

"B Is for Bufflehead" by Steve Hutchcraft (2009, www.bisforbufflehead.com) is a beautifully illustrated book for birders of all ages. For preschoolers, each letter of the alphabet is illustrated, as in "E" is for Eagle and "P" is for pelican. Young readers will enjoy mastering the extended captions. And adults will feast their eyes on the superb photographs provided by the author. This book will probably grace more coffee tables than library shelves.

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