A compilation of captioned photos of the Punxsutawney area in Pennsylvania as well as a history of Groundhog day.

Punxsutawney, a close-knit borough in western Pennsylvania, was bustling with trade and commerce when it gained worldwide prominence as the "weather capital of the world." Adopting an old-world custom brought here by German settlers, the community staged its first groundhog pageant on February 2, 1887, and in years thereafter nurtured and defended the legend until it took root. Around Punxsutawney includes much more than the story of Groundhog Day. It shows Punxsutawney emerging as the trade center for the numerous coal mining settlements that developed around it. Pictured are the ironworks that sprang up early in the twentieth century and the woolen, silk, and hoop mills that followed, the brickworks, the breweries, and the host of hotels--all of which transformed this small valley town into the largest industrial center in Jefferson County. Also depicted are the coal communities, such as Walston and its 700 coke ovens--the largest string of such ovens in the world--that lit up the sky with their nightly glow; the Pantall Hotel, with its authentic Victorian bar where the diamond trade is said to have flourished; and the Public Square, one of eight original squares laid out by the founders.

A Groundhog Day meets Pretty in Pink mashup that tells the tale of a shy, introverted high school girl who must relive the first day of school over and over again until her first kiss can break the curse … she hopes. Andie is the type of girl who always comes up with the perfect thing to say … after it’s too late to say it. She’s addicted to romance movies—okay, all movies—but has yet to experience her first kiss. After a move to Punxsutawney, PA, for her senior year, she gets caught in an endless loop of her first day at her new school, reliving those 24 hours again and again. Convinced the curse will be broken when she meets her true love, Andie embarks on a mission: infiltrating the various cliques—from the jocks to the nerds to the misfits—to find the one boy who can break the spell. What she discovers along the way is that people who seem completely different can often share the very same hopes, dreams, and hang-ups. And that even a day that has been lived over and over can be filled with unexpected connections and plenty of happy endings. Pretty in Punxsutawney: Addresses topical issues of self-discovery, navigating cliques, and ignoring stereotypes Is an homage to beloved 80s movies, such as John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink Is the perfect gift for birthdays and high school or college graduation Will captivate young adult readers of all ages with its universal coming-of-age themes about struggling to fit in, navigating the tough high school years, first kisses, and first crushes 2020 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

With natives as your guides, this series leads you down the road less traveled. Pack a lunch and take off on any of these 17 drives into all corners of PA. Visit the beaches of Lake Erie or the banks of the Delaware, the Endless Mountains of the northern tier or the Amish farms of Lancaster County. Explore old mining villages, lumber towns, battlefields, college campuses, and so much more. Each trip covers history and trivia, recreation, shopping, and what to see and do along the way. About the series: Whether you need to get away for a weekend or longer, want to explore your home state or make plans for free time in an area you don’t know well, take to the road with a Backroads & Byways book. You’ll discover the most interesting places to visit on and off the beaten path. Destinations will appeal to foodies, history buffs, families with kids, couples, adventurers, hikers, bikers—in short, everyone. With itineraries appropriate for visits of differing durations and in different seasons, tips for comfortable accommodations, great food, and good shopping too, look to Backroads & Byways for the most interesting and diverse short trips available.

Highly awkward teenager Stanley Owens meets his match in beautiful, brainy Vera Baxter when they tie for first place in the annual National Spelling Bee-and the two form a bond that will change both of their lives. Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a scheme to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the cash gifts, hoping they will enable him to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, though, he neglects one variable: she's secretly in love with him, which makes their counterfeit ceremony an exercise in misery for her. Realizing the truth only after she's moved away and cut him out of her life, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back. But he's unable to find her, until one day he comes across a puzzle whose clues make him think it could only have been created by Vera. Intrigued, he plays along, communicating back to her via his own gridded clues. But will they connect again before it's all too late?