Gabriel Lees world comes crashing down on a sunny summer day in Southern California. His fathers untimely death forces the Lee family to abandon life as they knew it in Westminster and return to their ancestral roots in rural Michigan. Gabriels emotional wound is quickly shadowed by the cultural shock of trying to adapt to new surroundings. Generational family secrets soon reveal why his parents made their western migration. He learns that he is not the only one suffering, that there is no opportunity to practice courage without experiencing fear, and that our pain is a necessary aspect of emotional growth.

Using a canoe trip down a small river in southeastern Wisconsin as its narrative thread, The Bark River Chronicles blends history, archeology, natural science, and analysis of current environmental issues to tell the story of the state, the region, and ultimately much of the country.

Davy kills two men and leaves home. His father packs up the family in a search for Davy.

A single city woman meets Mr. Right-he has amber eyes and a wily heart. There's only one catch . . . he has four legs and a tail. Relatively indifferent to the natural world, allergic to dogs, and happily independent, writer Louise Bernikow never had a pet and knew nothing about caring for one. But one day while running along Manhattan's Hudson River, she came across an abandoned boxer. He had a gimpy leg and a dim past, but Bernikow instantly, bewilderingly, did the one thing her mother always warned her not to do-she brought the strange male home. Here is the comical and offbeat story of their first year together. Libro, as she comes to call him (for "book," in Spanish), introduces her to the curious world of dog runs and dog people, and to a local dive where the bartender pulls pints from the tap and dog biscuits from the drawer. Bernikow, in turn, introduces Libro to the eccentric neighbors and to life as a media hound. When they meet a handsome man and his equally handsome dachshund, life takes an unexpected turn for both of them. Wonderfully written and captivating to the last, this is a remarkable tale of companionship.

One silver-starry night, a shiny, wooden egg falls from a flying machine high in the air . . . down, down, down through the midnight sky . . . down to the small village of Pumbleditch, where Barkbelly is born. Where he’s the only wooden boy. And where he’s the cause of a tragic accident. Suddenly, Barkbelly’s only choice is to flee for his life—to run. As he tries to escape his haunting past, he faces extraordinary adventures and dangers. Every wooden step leads Barkbelly toward the dark and startling truth about where he comes from and the burning question of where he really belongs. With deliciously imaginative storytelling, Cat Weatherill creates an utterly magical world—and one wooden boy who’s sure to melt readers’ hearts.

With more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is among the most alluring wilderness areas in the country, unique because it is most often explored by canoe. Comprised of more than one million acres, the BWCAW is an exceptional combination of expansive wilderness, abundant wildlife, and fascinating natural and human history. Exploring the Boundary Waters is the most comprehensive trip planner to the BWCAW, giving travelers an overview of each entry point into the wilderness area as well as detailed descriptions of more than one hundred specific routes—including a ranking of their difficulty level and maps that feature the major waterways, portages, and the designated campsites. The book is crafted so that readers can design their own route through the almost inexhaustible network of lakes and streams. Daniel Pauly, Boundary Waters expert, worked with the U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota DNR, and local outfitters to collect and present crucial information here: instructions on about how to obtain a permit, the rules and regulations of the park, safety tips, and suggestions about how to help maintain the ecological integrity of the wilderness. As engaging as it is informative, Exploring the Boundary Waters not only contributes advice on the pros and cons of each route, but also brings the reader a natural and historical context for the journey by offering insight into the pictographs, mining sites, logging railroads, and ruins one may encounter on an expedition. With its accessible and personal style, Exploring the Boundary Waters is the perfect guide for anyone—novice or seasoned veteran—arranging a trip to the BWCAW. A companion Web site for this book, http://www.boundarywatersguide.com, presents useful information that can be downloaded for planning a trip, including gear lists, overview maps, and route updates.

Paddling Wisconsin pulls together 40 excellent paddling adventures, offering destinations evenly spread throughout the state. The focus is on recreational paddling and so all trips avoid complicated put-ins, portages, and dangerous expert sections, while offering something unique in terms of setting, geology, and wildlife. While most trips involve rivers, there are also a few notable lake paddles that offer scenery and exploration opportunities one won't find anywhere else. Rivers range from the mighty Mississippi to the humble trout-waters of the White River. Each paddle provides a map of the route. Paddle summaries – including the route itself and the character of the waterway at large – are clear and detailed so paddlers will know exactly what toxpect. Quick information makes the logistics of each paddle clear for accurate trip planning and includes explicit directions to landings with GPS coordinates. Short write-ups -- about history, geology, and other attractions – are interspersed throughout the book.