Flori da

H
Susan R yan E R E , I N T H E 2 6 LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET,

Florida
AZ
has been
a Florida
you will find almost 200 interesting facts about
elementary

Susan Jane
school teacher to
for 25 years and Florida—its history, geography, nature, culture,
was selected
Lake County’s and personalities. It’s the best way to enjoy Susan Jane Ryan

RYAN
Teacher of the Illustrated by Carol Tornatore
Year in 1998. discovering lots of things we bet you didn’t know about the state
She has been a

A
consultant on several award-winning
activity guides for Florida State where five flags have flown (see U). and that can claim the oldest
from

University’s Energy and Environ-
mental Alliance and has written
several environmental books for
children, including Esmeralda and
the Enchanted Pond, published
by Pineapple Press. Susan lives in
Florida
permanent European settlement in North America (see C), the ALLIGATOR TO ZEPHYRHILLS,
you’ll find more information on
Florida packed in this alphabet
southernmost city (see K), and the most lightning strikes (see L). than you can imagine. Crammed
into the 26 letters of the alphabet

Z
Eustis, Florida, with husband Mike,
No other state could have a book with parasailing and Ponce de are almost 200 facts about
Florida personalities, history,
daughter Diana, and cat Flower. geography, nature, and culture
León right next to each other. It’s all in Florida A to Z. — fun and accurate all at once.

A
to Who invented air conditioning?

TO
You’ll find out in G.
Illustrator

Z
and book What city is the “Sharks’ Tooth
designer Capital of the World”? Check V.
Carol
To r n a t o r e How long are jellyfish tentacles?
See J.

illustrated by Carol
is the recipient
of numerous
How many caves are in Florida,
awards for and how tall is the little Key deer?
her innovative You’ll learn both in K.
designs. She Su s a n J a ne Ry a n
has worked For the official Florida gem,
on many other children’s books, See M.
including Granddaddy Terry and

TORNATORE
the Pink Flash, The Runaway Bed, For the Florida saltwater mammal,
Ralph's World, Ralph and Jimbo’s See D.
illustrated by
Great Golf Adventure, Faith’s Journey,
Esmeralda and the Enchanted Pond,
and the Southern Fossil Discovery
C a r o l To r n a t o r e The saltwater fish is in A.

What collapsed in 1980? See S.

series. Her studio is located in
Nokomis, Florida.
Jacket designed by Carol Tornatore
Published by Pineapple Press, Inc.
Sarasota, Florida
And if you are wondering what’s
ISBN 1-56164-249-5
51 99 5 worth millions of dollars and was
under water from September 5,
Pineapple Press, Inc. 1622, until July 20, 1985, go to N.
Sarasota, Florida
The state butterfly is fluttering at
the end in Z.
9 7 81 5 6 1 6 4 2 49 6
Flo ri da
AZto
Flori da

P I N E A P P L E P R E S S , I N C . S A R A S O TA , F L O R I D A
AZ
to

Su s a n
Ja n e
R yan

y
a ted b ore
illustr r n at
T o
Ca r o l
Copyright © 2003 by Susan Jane Ryan and Carol Tornatore

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Inquiries should be made to:

Pineapple Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 3889
Sarasota, FL 34230
www.pineapplepress.com

Designed by Carol Tornatore

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ryan, Susan Jane.
Florida A to Z / Susan Jane Ryan ; illustrated by Carol Tornatore.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Reveals Florida’s people, places, animals, history, and other
characteristics through a collection of brief descriptions for each letter of the alphabet.
ISBN 1-56164-249-5 (alk. paper)
1. Florida—Juvenile literature. 2. English language—Alphabet—Juvenile literature.
[1. Florida. 2. Alphabet.] I. Tornatore, Carol, ill. II. Title.

F311.3 .R93 2003

975.9—dc21
2001052092

First Edition
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in China
 I n l o v i n g m e m o r y o f m y m o t h e r, F l o r e n c e R o s c h L e i b i c k ,
a b r a v e a d v e n t u r e r, w h o , u p o n c r o s s i n g i n t o F l o r i d a
for the very first time, stopped at a restaurant for breakfast
a n d a s k e d t h e w a i t r e s s , “ W h a t ’s a g r i t ? ”

Susan Jane Ryan

For my children and grandchildren

—with love

C a r o l To r n a t o r e
Flo ri da
AZto
 e

A
eX Cannonball Adderley
e e e Born in Tampa in 1928,
Cannonball Adderley, e
was a famous jazz alto
saxophone player. His e
real name was Julian,
but friends called him X
Cannibal because of
his enthusiastic eating
habits. This nickname
was later changed to
e
Cannonball. Adderley e
played with the Miles
Davis Quintet until he
formed his own jazz e e
band in 1959.

8
Atlan
tic Sa
ilfish

What
makes
this fis
h spe-
cial is
its lon
pointe g,
d bill a
Apala incred nd
chi cola dorsa
ible sa
In 183
6, the l fin. T il-like
Apala can re he sail
transp chic ach 10 fish
ort ba fe
of Apa le s of co ola River w When
it is ho
et in le
ngth.
lachic tton to as use high in oked,
cotton ola be marke d to to the it leap
port o came t t. The to be a s
Orlean n the Gu he third la city walkin ir and appe
s and lf Co ast aft r ge st water. g on its a rs
was s M
hipped obile, Alaba er New and w
It gyra
tes its
tail on
the
eventu to Colu m a. The hips it entire
all mbus cotton to side sh bod
Englan y made its , Geor
g ia . In 19 ead from sid y
d, Fra w ay to , 75, th
and la nce, a
nd Be New E and legisla
ture a e state e
ce ma lgium. n g land, dopte
final d nufact Cotton Atlant d the
estina uring ic Sail
area. tions o c enters mills the sta fish as
Prese f the c were te’s of
for its nt-day otton the ficial
succu Apala grown saltwa
lent oy c h icola is in the ter fish
sters r famou .
ather s
than c
otton.
 Aquifer
The Flori
dan Aqu
water re ifer is a n
servoir th aturally o
potable— a t spans 8 ccurring
or drinka 2,000 sq undergro
b le u are und
to 200 m —water m iles. Mos
eters be can be fo t
aquifer c low the und with
omes fro surface. in 50
m T h e water
the soil a ra inwater in the
nd limes that seep
recharge tone. Th s throug
aquifer . When th
e amoun
is proce
ss is call
h
from the t of wate ed
aquifer th r remove
greater th rough sp d
an the re rings or
level goe charge a wells is
s down. mount, th
e aquife
r

Audubon House
John James Audubon lived in this
mansion while painting beautiful
e and accurate portraits of Florida
u l t u r a is wildlife and birds. The owner
g r i c Florid lion s 9
A of mil cre of the clapboard house,
s tate of 35 ese a an a sea captain, salvaged
The rised n of th ore th ear.
p io m y many of the antiques
com n mill duce d per us- used to furnish the
e ro o itr
r es. T to p s of fo one c ranks
ac used und t house from ships
ber n. I n
are ion po e num natio uctio that sank off the
b ill th th e r od y
s
35 rida i ate in ble p . For t coast. The Audubon
Flo ing st vegeta crops rmers House and Gardens,
duc all a
in al f
pro cond urth in merci n the an interesting tourist
se d fo om g i destination, is located
an a n d c ir livin ida.
us th e or in Key West.
tho ke f Fl
ma tate o
s

Alligator
One of the largest alligators ever found
in the state measured 13 feet 10 inch-
es and weighed 1,043 pounds! An alli-
gator may eat 150 – 200 pounds of
food a day. This hefty diet consists of
fish, frogs, birds, and snakes. Large
male gators have been known to eat
raccoons, wading birds, small pet
dogs, and even cows. The powerful
jaws of an alligator are strong enough
to crack cattle bones, but once the
jaws are shut, they can easily be held
closed with bare hands.
 Busch
Gardens
Busch Gardens is a
335-acre family fun
park located in Tampa.
It boasts the largest
and fastest roller coast-
er in the Southeast
United States, the
Kumba. It also
has one of the top
zoos in the coun-
try, with almost
3,400 animals.

10
10
B a r e fo o t M
a il m a n
In 1885, the
re were no
or railroads roads
connecting
City (presen P alm
t-day Palm B
(Miami). The each) to Lem
early settlers on City
somehow. S had to get th
o the U.S. P eir mail
round-trip ro ostal Servic
ute of 136 m e c reated a
coastline. T iles along th
his difficult e untamed
miles by foo journey con
t and 56 mile sisted of 80
who carried s by boat! T
mail on this he men
beaches ba route walke
refoot most d the
a small boa of the way
t to cross th and used
of these me e Hillsboro In
n became k let. Each
Mailman.” T nown as a
he first road “Barefoot
Lantana wa from Lemon
s built in 18 City to
Barefoot Ma 92, the last
ilman travele ye ar the
d his route.

Mary M c Leod Bethune (1875–1955)

ethune
s lav e s , M ary McLeod B
A child of fo
rmer education
ghtin g fo r the right to
spent her lif
e fi ican
d is c ri m in ation for Afr
from rted
and freedom e d S ta te s. Bethune sta
in the Unit na
Americans g irls in 1 904 in Dayto
Negro ome
a school for is s c h oo l grew to bec
ntually th d finally
Beach. Eve n a ju n io r college, an
ol, th e
a high scho ge.
okman Colle
Bethune-Co
 B
Bats
The most common
bat in Florida is
the Mexican free-
tailed bat. These furry
mammals eat thousands
of insects each night. Free-
tailed bat colonies can number from 50
to over 20,000 bats. Strong fliers, they
can zoom as fast as 60 mph and fly as high as 2 miles.

Bok Tower Gardens

The beautiful Bok
Singing Tower in Lake
Wales is surrounded by lush
gardens and wooded pathways.
The tower and gardens were a gift
to the American people from
Edward Bok, an editor and Pulitzer 11
Prize–winning author. Every
afternoon there is a live
concert from the 60-bell carillon
in the tower. You can hear the
bells ringing for miles.

Chief Billy Bowlegs

At the end of the Second
Seminole War in 1852, a few
hundred Native Americans fled to the Everglades
and the Big Cypress Swamp. When soldiers began
to harass his village, Chief Billy Bowlegs led his
people in the Third Seminole War. The war lasted from
1855 – 1861, when most of the remaining Seminoles
es up were sent to live on a reservation in Oklahoma.
B e a c h eaches make of
b es
Sandy n 1 ,000 mil
tha and
more tic Ocean lines
la n
the At coast
M exico
Gulf o f rida’s
Flo rida. Flo tently
along are co
nsis
c h e s of the
bea some
a s tes.
ranke d
U nited Sta
the
best in
 Florida A to Z
by
Susan Ryan

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