When suddenly, the bear rears up not thirty feet to the front of us; I react instantly, brining my rifle to my shoulder and firing almost at the same instant. I hit him, because, he looks at us. I turn and yell, Darleen up that tree! She gets the limb from her saddle while I'm still reloading and pulls her, self up. I wish that tree was bigger but, it was the nearest one to her position. I get my rifle reloaded just as the big grizzly breaks through the underbrush, spruce and aspen saplings not twenty feet in front of me. I throw the gun to my shoulder to fire. But, Pegasus starts bucking almost, as soon as, the rifle comes to my shoulder. Consequently, I get a shot off but, its a dead miss; because, both me and the rifle are flying through the air. I hit the ground hard, I lay all sprawled out. The next thing I feel is the bears hot breath. The rifle is ten feet away it might as well be ten miles and I couldnt reload fast enough anyway.

What does it take to turn a bully into a hero? Empathy and the power of forgiveness take center stage in this poignant novel by the award-winning author of The Boy at the Back of the Class. Getting in trouble is what Hector does best. He knows that not much is expected of him. In fact, he gets some of his most brilliant prank ideas while sitting in detention. But how far is too far? When Hector plays a prank on a homeless man and is seen and shamed by a schoolmate, he reaches a turning point. He wants to be viewed differently and decides to do something that will change his fate for the better. But will anyone take him seriously? This moving story told with humor and heart presents readers with some recognizable characters, like a bully and a teacher’s pet, and introduces them to some they may not be so familiar with— like those who are homeless, who live on the street, and whose stories are equally meaningful and important. Readers will feel motivated to see the best in others and hopeful that bad things can be overcome with effort.

Enriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work. Upton Sinclair’s unflinching chronicle of crushing poverty and oppression set in Chicago in the early 1900s. A landmark work of social commentary, Sinclair’s work diligently exposes the inhumane and brutal sides of capitalism. Enriched Classics enhance your engagement by introducing and explaining the historical and cultural significance of the work, the author’s personal history, and what impact this book had on subsequent scholarship. Each book includes discussion questions that help clarify and reinforce major themes and reading recommendations for further research. Read with confidence.

The Jungle is one of the most famous muckraking novels in modern history. Set in Chicago at the dawn of the 20th century, it tells the story of an immigrant Lithuanian family trying to make it in a new world both cruel and full of opportunity. Their struggles are in part a vehicle for Sinclair to shine a spotlight on the monstrous conditions of the meatpacking industry, to expose the brutal exploitation of immigrants and workers, and to espouse his more socialist worldview. The novel is in part responsible for the passage of the revolutionary Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, and thus the establishment of the modern-day Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. Its impact is in no small part due to the direct and powerful prose Sinclair employs: the horrors of commercial meat production are presented in full and glistening detail, and the tragedies and misfortunes of the Rudkus family are direct and relatable even today. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

Anger is simmering under the bucolic facade of Tanglewood vineyard... All Ben Taylor wants is to get away from the police force where he worked undercover for years. The RCMP has cleared his name in an Ottawa shooting, but that hasn’t cleared his conscience. He arrives anonymously at Tanglewood Farms in Southwestern Ontario, where he worked in his youthful summers. Back then, it was a simple family-run vineyard, but it is a far different place today. The farm has become the hub of a powerful family empire. When a body is discovered in a shack on the farm, Ben is drawn into the investigation. Meanwhile, the woman who was once the love of his life now lives as a recluse behind the darkened windows of the farmhouse. As she begins to reveal to Ben her own dark secrets, they become suspects in the eyes of the police, the migrant workers, and even each other.