Plucky-Lucky Duck is the ultimate explorer. Only it didn't start out that way. In the beginning, he was pleasantly enjoying an ocean voyage, but when a big storm hit and threw him overboard, he was set adrift with only the stars in the sky and lots of water to keep him company. Ultimately rescued by a Chinese fishing boat, Plucky Lucky Duck took this as a very favorable sign to continue his adventure, and continue it he does. Soon, Plucky-Lucky Duck is visiting not only China, but other faraway places like Japan, Russia, India, and Africa.

When Eva's mother abandons her on Iris's front porch, the girls don't seem to have much in common - except, they soon discover, a father. Thrown together with no mothers to care for them and a father who could not be considered a parent, Iris and Eva become one another's family. Iris wants to be a movie star; Eva is her sidekick. Together, they journey across 1940s America from scandal in Hollywood to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island, stumbling, cheating and loving their way through a landscape of war, betrayals and big dreams.

Flora the pig was born for adventure: "If it's unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I'm your pig," she says. The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig. Before she knows it, she's on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating--and dangerous--adventure of her life. This poignant novel of a purposeful pig is sure to become a favorite with any young readers who have ever dreamed of exploring the great beyond.

Horatio Jr. Alger's novel 'Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance' is a classic rags-to-riches story that follows the protagonist, John Oakley, as he faces various challenges and setbacks in his pursuit of success. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, the book is a prime example of 19th-century American literature, focusing on themes of perseverance, hard work, and the American dream. Alger's narrative is filled with moral lessons and vivid descriptions of the social and economic realities of the time. The novel's engaging plot and relatable characters make it a compelling read for both young and adult audiences. Alger's ability to weave a gripping tale of self-improvement and determination is evident throughout the book, making it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today. Recommended for anyone interested in American literature, coming-of-age stories, or tales of triumph over adversity.

The Advocate is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) monthly newsmagazine. Established in 1967, it is the oldest continuing LGBT publication in the United States.

For Corbett Griffith III, divorce and two busy parents mean goodbye city life, hello great outdoors. When his mother sends him to his uncle’s fishing resort for the summer, Corbett feels he is doomed. But that changes when he meets 11-year-old Pike, who quickly renames him Griffy and pulls him into one mischievous adventure after another. Griffy and Pike are stunned to hear that a seventy-pound monster muskie is on the loose. They resolve to catch the ferocious fish, no matter what. Think alligator. Think prehistoric beast. Think mean. Will they be able to catch the muskie and stop it from attacking anyone or anything?

In the spring of 1896, Rachael, just shy of her twentieth birthday, boards a train destined to a remote cattle ranch in Oregon for a prearranged employment position. An arrangement made by a guilt-ridden wife who could no longer tolerate her husband’s forceful adulterous actions upon their young housemaid. Seizing the opportunity of his wife’s intervention, he demands that Rachael take his two young illegitimate children with her on her journey west; if she wants her father to remain alive. Traveling west from Brockport, New York, Rachael undertakes her first assignment from her new boss, the ranch owner. She will be required to transact business in a man’s world by overseeing the loading of supplies and freight along the train route. Her third business stop, Rock Springs, Wyoming, brings her face to face with four members of her new employer, three brothers and the ranch foreman. Overwhelmed, she unconsciously turns to one brother for security, beginning his commitment to her. During the next decade of hard work, Rachael struggles to bury her past. Her new family, the Prestons and their bunkhouse crew, give her an optimistic appreciation of life as she learns there are no social boundaries in the West. By including her in all the daily trials and tribulations of ranch life, cattle roundups, hunting, procuring and preserving their food supply, expanding families, and celebrating holidays, Rachael learns to live and trust again. She receives her second chance.