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Why Geography Matters: Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism
by Harm De BlijDe Blij, a geography professor and former National Geographic Society editor, seeks to rekindle interest in his discipline with this unfocused survey of the world and its discontents. Struggling to describe his notoriously hard-to-define field, de Blij suggests that geographers "look at things spatially" as opposed to "temporally" or "structurally," the "things" being a grab bag of phenomena, including climate, topography, demographics, national boundaries and the distribution of languages, religions, energy deposits and pipelines.
The Compact Book of Big Game Animals
by Ray OvingtonThis book along with the companion books in the current series offers much non-technical information of interest to the layman plus very excellent illustrations of the principal examples of the species. It attempts to answer inquiry by the person looking out the window of his car, from his back porch, hunting blind or nature sanctuary. Hunters, naturalists, photographers and "animal watchers" can therefore find these books of great value. In some cases game animals such as the whitetail deer are considered a crop to be protected where and when needed, but by the same token, they must be harvested in order to keep their numbers to a balance in line with their available territory and food supply. Other of the animals seen seldom except by hunters and hikers fall under the protection of the government agencies with their state laws and regulations. Conservation groups and organizations have in large part been responsible for the establishment of sanctuaries, law enforcement and protection of the wild animals and birds, but also have helped to alert the population to the dangers to wildlife as civilization has advanced. The awareness of the wilds and its animals and birds has been made possible through education. Part of the education is accomplished by the aid of books such as these. Once a person reads about the wilds, a contact, no matter how remote, has been made which will eventually be strengthened through further study and meeting with the creatures of the wild country.
Living at a Lighthouse: Oral Histories from the Great Lakes
by Luanne Gaykowski KozmaOral histories talking about the everyday life while living at a lighthouse.
The Nature of Balance
by Tim LebbonOne morning, the world does not wake up. People lie dead in their beds, killed by their own nightmares. They're lucky. For the few remaining survivors, the new world is a confusing, terrifying place.
The Green Belt Movement
by Wangari MaathaiWhen Kenyan environmental and democracy activist Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, she capped a life full of firsts. She was the first African woman to earn a Ph.D. in Eastern and Central Africa, and the first woman to attain associate profes¬sorship and to hold a department chair at the University of Nairobi. In 1977, shocked at the environmental devastation caused by deforestation in her beloved Kenya, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement (GBM). For twenty-seven years, GBM has enabled many people-particularly women-to plant trees in their regions, providing them with food and fuel, and halting soil erosion and desertification. GBM became much more than that, however. It became a movement for representative democracy that led to Kenya's 'first fully democratic elections in a generation, during which Maathai was elected to Parliament and made a minister for the environment. The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience is the story of the Green Belt Movement in Wangari Maathai's own words. It reveals the struggles and the structure of this extraordinary effort to reforest a vast region and free a people. Over the course of its history, nearly 30 million trees have been planted, and tens of thousands of people have earned a livelihood. The Green Belt Movement is the inspiring story of people working at the grassroots level to improve their environment and their country. Their story offers ideas about a new and hopeful future for Africa and the rest of the world.
Why Greenland Is an Island, Australia Is Not, and Japan Is Up for Grabs
by Joyce DavisFrom the book: Any geographer will tell you that a map is but one of many tools used in the field, yet every geography book on the market tries to teach geography simply by having you identify Belize on a map or memorize the capital of Idaho. While the where is important, it is useful only for trivial reasons, and once national boundaries change or disappear, such as we've recently seen in the former Yugoslavia, the information is all but useless. In Why Greenland Is an Island, Australia Is Not-and Japan Is Up for Grabs, Joyce Davis tells you the why behind the where, offering one of the most interesting and useful books on geography currently found on the market. In Why Greenland Is an Island you will discover a clear method of approaching any geographical dilemma you might face. Through six simple steps Joyce Davis shows not only how to gather geographical information about any region, but also how to understand other aspects of the region seemingly not related to geography. You will also gain a solid background in basic geography skills, and will even touch base on what the capital of Idaho is and learn how to read a map. If you're tired of geography books that leave you feeling more helpless than when you first opened them, then it's time to get your bearings and read Joyce Davis's Why Greenland Is an Island now. Joyce Davis is a teacher of geography and former head of the history and geography departments at the Grace Church School in New York City. An originator of the geographic curriculum there and founder of the school's annual "geography bee," she currently lives 74 degrees west longitude and 40.5 degrees north latitude, also known as New York City.
Just Me and My Dad
by Mercer MayerLittle Critter and his dad go camping. They build a campfire, go fishing, tell ghost stories, and have lots and lots of fun. Other books about Little Critter are available from Bookshare.
The Big Snow
by Berta Hader Elmer HaderFrom the book: WHEN the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds. It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them. 1949 Caldecott Medal winner.
Where is Puppy?
by Jenny TulipA farm has so many places for a puppy to explore! So many, that after a lot of fun, puppy curls up in his basket and falls asleep.
Going for the Rain: Poems
by Simon J. OrtizA member of the Acoma Pueblo in Arizona, Ortiz's poems evoke love and family and ceremony, the strains of disenfranchisement and the beautiful dry land.
Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps
by Ted KooserFrom the book: Ted Kooser describes with exquisite detail and humor the place he calls home in the rolling hills of southeastern Nebraska known as the Bohemian Alps. Nothing is too big or too small for his attention. Memories of his grandmother's cooking are juxtaposed with reflections about the oldfashioned outhouse on his property. In the end, what makes life meaningful for Kooser are the ways in which his neighbors care for one another and how an afternoon walking with an old dog, or baking a pie, or decorating the house for Christmas can summon memories of his Iowa childhood. This writer is a seer in the truest sense of the word, discovering the extraordinary within the ordinary, the deep beneath the shallow, the abiding wisdom in the pithy Bohemian proverbs that are woven into his essays.
The Sweet Breathing of Plants: Women Writing on the Green World
by Linda Hogan Brenda PetersonA few chapters are: A Passion for Plants--Susan Orlean, Orchid Fever--Sharman Russell, Smelling Like A Rose--Isabel Allen, Ode to Mold--Linda Hasselstrom, Mulch--Zora Neale Hurston, and my favorite: The Language of flowers by Claudia Lewis, in which we learn how the Victorians carried out their love correspondence solely with flowers. This is a fascinating book.
The Missing Manatee
by Cynthia DefeliceFrom School Library Journal Gr 5-7-It's spring vacation, and Skeet Waters, 11, wants to spend his time fishing in his boat just off the coast of his Florida home. Instead, his day begins with him overhearing his mother telling his father to move out for good. Things go from bad to worse when Skeet finds a manatee floating in the water, dead from a gunshot wound. He goes back to shore to get the sheriff, and when they return to the spot, the animal is gone. The boy makes finding the missing body and bringing the killer to justice his mission. Meanwhile, his father's buddy, Dirty Dan, takes Skeet out fishing for tarpon and drinks Jack Daniels all day. When Skeet discovers a gun in a storage bin, he begins to suspect that Dan is the culprit and confronts him. The man confesses that his special-needs son accidentally shot the animal. DeFelice offers a realistic adventure story that is fast paced and full of drama. Skeet faces many difficult problems throughout the book, each with serious consequences, and his first-person narrative rings true. The characters are multifaceted and well developed, and the story should prompt readers to think about cause and effect.-Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest For The Kentucky Derby
by Steve HaskinInterlaced with humor, this book looks at the pitfalls and pressures owners, trainers, and jockeys face at Derby time and why most fail, while others, notably the "big three" of D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert, and Nick Zito, always seem to win the big prize.
Shore Chronicles: Diaries and Travelers' Tales from the Jersey Shore, 1764-1955
by Margaret Thomas BuchholzThis anthology gathers a wide assortment of articles, letters, and journal entries all related to life along the New Jersey shore. Included are pieces by such well-known writers as Robert Louis Stevenson, Walt Whitman, and Stephen Crane, and ordinary vacationers. Arranged chronologically, the writings trace the long history of the shore as a lure to visitors, and the changes that intensive human use have brought about.
"DAWGS!": An Anthology of Stories About Them
by Charles Wright GrayShort story collection by famous authors such as D. H. Lawrence, Booth Tarkington, O. Henry, Albert Payson Terhune, Don Marquis and Max Brand, as well as less well-known. Stories show their times with some being violent and Definitely Not pc. Not for the tender hearted with the exception of 4 or so.
Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape
by Barry Holstun LopezThis National Book Award winner examines the Far North - its terrain, wildlife, and history of the Eskimo natives and intrepid explorers who arrived on its icy shores. What turns this compendium of biology, anthropology and history into a breathtaking study of profound originality is Lopez's unique meditation on how the landscape can shape our imagination, desires and dreams.
No End In Sight: My Life as a Blind Iditarod Racer
by Rachael Scdoris Rick SteberRachael Scdoris, the daughter of a sled musher, has a passion for sled dogs and racing. From a young age she dreams of racing the Iditarod. Afflicted with a rare eye disorder, she is legally blind but is determined to overcome obstacles to make her dream come true. The book tells of her childhood, her experiences at school, and her struggle to become independent. Her love of dogs and dogsledding are paramount throughout her young life.
Snow
by Roy Mckie P. D. EastmanFrom the book: Snow! Snow! Come out in the snow. Snow! Snow! Just look at the snow! Come out! Come out! Come out in the snow. ... Picture descriptions add to the enjoyment of this book.
Lighthouse Tales
by Frederick StonehouseFrom the Book Jacket: Lighthouse Tales tells the story of the exciting human side of lightkeeping. It describes the deadly storms, killing fogs and numbing loneliness those who "kept the lights" endured. Stories of wreck and rescue, death and sacrifice, all thread their way through the pages of this remarkable tribute to the "wickies" of a bygone era. The book speaks of the courage of the old time keepers and their families, not just in rescuing shipwreck victims but also in the tenacity of their daily lives. Lighthouse Tales will appeal greatly to anyone interested in the wonders of the Great Lakes, historians, sailors, lighthouse fanatics and people just looking for a roaring good story. The book is thoroughly illustrated with rare photographs. Narratives include: The thrilling story of the steamer GEORGE W. PERKINS and it's close encounter with Lansing Shoal Light during the height of the infamous 1940 Armistice Day storm. Superior Shoal and the lighthouse that wasn't. The death of six brave Coast Guardsmen at Oswego, New York in 1942. Poverty Island Light and the mysterious treasure. And many more thrilling tales of "keeping the lights!"
The Burning
by Richard SnowTo Scott Keegan, a traveling salesman working his way through Minnesota during the hottest summer on record, Hinckley was no different from any other fair-sized lumber town. For Jim Root, aging locomotive engineer on the St. Paul & Duluth, it simply marked the halfway point on an increasingly difficult run. For lovely young Betty Langdon, it was half home, half prison. For ten-year-old Jemmy Stockholm it was a dull place to spend the summer, but the only place he knew. None of them -none of Hinckley's 2,000 people-knew the town was soon to be engulfed in a cataclysm that would forever change their lives. As the temperature continued to rise throughout that summer, a smoky haze hung over the dry forests of Pine County, Minnesota. The underbrush smoldered .. , and slowly the flames spread. Until early one September morning they ignited a raging wildfire. The tragedy of that day unfolds in Richard Snow's gripping new novel. Hundreds would die that afternoon as the fire storm swept through the town. And heroes would be born. Ordinary people would find themselves possessed of extraordinary courage as they fought to escape the inferno. THE BURNING: a novel that blazes with period adventure as it tells the true story of the men and women who battled a terrifying natural disaster.
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire
by John N. MacleanOn the morning of July 3, 1994, the site of a forest fire on Storm King Mountain in Colorado was wrongly recorded by the district's Bureau of Land Management office as taking place in South Canyon, thereby mislabeling forever one of the greatest tragedies in the annals of firefighting. That seemingly small human error foreshadowed the numerous other minor errors that, three days later, would be compounded into the deaths of fourteen firefighters, four of them women. In this dramatic reconstruction of the disaster and its aftermath, John N. Maclean tells the heroic and cautionary story of people who were experts in their field but became the victims of nature at its most unforgiving.
Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet
by Gary KowalskiGary Kowalski, a Unitarian minister, demonstrates his understanding of the importance of pets in our lives and the pain we suffer when they die by recounting experiences of his family, friends, members of his congregations and well known writers and historic figures with their beloved pets from rabbits to horses. He has gathered uplifting quotes, poems and prayers from the bible, the Koran, writings of Native Americans. Children, Garrison Keillor, C. S. Lewis, and others. He encourages those in mourning to take care of themselves, conquer anger, and devise loving traditions to bid farewell to a pet and keep it close in memory. Because people grieve differently, he offers a wide range of methods for coping. His approach is gentle and nonjudgmental.
Vicki A Guide Dog
by Margaret S. Johnson Helen Lossing JohnsonRaised on a military base in England, Vickie a beautiful fawn and black boxer has the life of a dog. But when her master doesn't come home from the Pacific, she is sent to the U.S. to be trained as a show dog. After winning several ribbons, she is sent to become a circus dog. But none of these jobs truly fit her personality. Then one day she is picked and trained to be a guide dog and she finds her true calling.
When Summer Ends
by Susi Gregg FowlerAs a happy summer comes to a close, it's sometimes hard to remember that every season has its virtues. "When summer ends, I will cry and cry," a little girl tells her mother. But in the dialogue that follows, she and young readers are reminded of many excitements of other seasons. A warm, convincing picture book with brilliant witty pictures by Marisabina Russo.