Wesley loves to run. He considers himself the fastest thing on four feetaEUR"well, almost. Three Wesley's Adventures stories are selected, each about running fast and who runs faster. In the aEURoeWesley's Marvelous NoseaEUR story, Wesley, during a hike with Granddad, smells the scent of a rabbit ahead on the trail. As Wesley comes nearer sniffing the ground, Mr. Rabbit runs for his life. Wesley gives chase, slowly gaining on the exhausted rabbit. Mr. Rabbit tries to hide and rest. But Wesley's marvelous nose leads him to the hiding place, and the race continues. In the aEURoeWesley and the Roadrunner RacesaEUR story, a small voice brashly interrupts Wesley's nap challenging him to a footrace. This unusual challenger runs on two feet, not fouraEUR"thus begins a three-race series to see who runs faster. aEURoeOutrun by a dumb bird!aEUR Wesley mutters after the first race. The aEURoeWesley to the RescueaEUR story begins when an excited Mrs. Mockingbird brings news that an intruder is loose in Wesley's territory. Puzzled, Wesley rushes to investigate. What he discovers leads to a heart-thumping chase and a chilling confrontation fueled by ancient instincts that ends with. . . but that's for the story to tell.

Everyone loves a mystery, even Wesley. Three mystery adventures are presented here. They all make for great fun. In the first mystery story, aEURoeWesley Meets a Mysterious Stranger,aEUR an encounter that turns out poorly for Wesley. Who is that mysterious stranger? The second story, aEURoeWesley and the Mystery Egg Affair,aEUR begins when trouble befalls a couple of Wesley's bird friends. An egg is missing replaced by a different egg. Wesley is the sleuth in this adventure, seeking to learn who stole the missing egg and why. There's more to this case than meets the eye. In the aEURoeWesley and the Night VisitoraEUR mystery adventure, a crime is committed late at night. Food is missing from Wesley's dish. Who is this nighttime thief? Wesley, joined by a couple friends, sets out to uncover clues the thief unintentionally leaves behind. Eventually, these clues point to an astonishing solution.

Wesley, barely eight weeks old, came to live with a couple that he knows as Granddad and Gramme. He grew and gradually took upon himself the watchdog role. Wesley, of course, is the star of all the Wesley's Adventure stories. He's a real dog living in a real place. The aEURoePool MonsteraEUR story is an early-adventure challenge Wesley faces. He is awakened by something or someone struggling in Gramme's swimming pool. Approaching the pool, he's startled to see the creature's tail swishing side to side slapping the surface. Dare he go closer? Or should he run and hide? The aEURoeOld Mr. BuzzardaEUR story begins one early morning before sunrise. Old Mr. Buzzard, like a ghost, alights on the roof. Wesley sounds the alarm, rousing the household. Why has Old Mr. Buzzard come? For what or for whom is he waiting? Later that morning, while Wesley is away, Old Mr. Buzzard leaves. But under unusual circumstances their paths will again cross that very day. In the aEURoeWesley Runs AwayaEUR story, Wesley doesn't plan to run away. And he certainly doesn't plan, under unusual weather conditions, to be lost. But lost he is. Night falls and conditions worsen. How can he possibly find his way home? It won't be easy! Be careful, Wesley. Not everyone out there wishes you well!

“A swift-paced survival tale that’s a cool blend of Lord of the Flies and Journey to the Center of the Earth.” —School Library Journal “A sharp meditation on the seemingly universal difficulties of being young, smart, and uncertain.” —BCCB “A multifaceted journey from darkness to light.” —Kirkus Reviews Winner of the Red Maple Fiction Award A class field trips turns into an underground quest for survival in the latest middle grade novel from the author of Edgar Award winner OCDaniel. Mr. Baker’s eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. But when an earthquake hits, their field trip takes a terrifying turn. The students are plunged into an underground lake…and their teacher goes missing. They have no choice but to try and make their way back above ground, even though no one can agree on the best course of action. The darkness brings out everyone’s true self. Supplies dwindle and tensions mount. Pretty and popular Silvia does everything she can to hide her panic attacks, even as she tries to step up and be a leader. But the longer she’s underground, the more frequent and debilitating they become. Meanwhile, Eric has always been a social no one, preferring to sit at the back of the class and spend evenings alone. Now, he finds himself separated from his class, totally by himself underground. That is, until he meets an unexpected stranger. Told from three different points of view, this fast-paced adventure novel explores how group dynamics change under dire circumstances. Do the students of Mr. Baker’s class really know each other at all? Or do they just think they do? It turns out, it’s hard to hide in the dark.

#1 Bookscan in Juvenile Non-fiction! ─ Be Brave… Stay Wild! Animal Stories for Kids: Coyote Peterson's Brave Adventures: Wild Animals in a Wild World chronicles some of the wildest encounters Coyote Peterson has had over the course of his travels. The stories begin with his first snapping turtle catch as a kid and lead down a trail of incredible moments he and his camera crew have had while filming their Brave Wilderness shows. From a giant alligator that nearly caught Coyote in its bone crushing jaws, to an 800 pound Grizzly Bear that helped him teach the audience what to do and NOT do if you ever encounter one of these enormous predators in the wild, every tale is laced with fast paced action and daring adventure. With the presence of danger often looming for Coyote, each story reminds the reader that animals rule the wild places of this planet, and if we respect them from a safe distance, even the most frightening creatures are more likely to be afraid of us than we should ever be of them. Exciting animal stories for kids of all ages: This collection of short stories aims to give the reader a first-person perspective into some of Coyote’s most harrowing and heartwarming adventures.

In his November 19, 2005 presidential address, President George W. Bush summarized U.S. military policy as, "Our situation can be summed up this way: as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down." EMBEDDED offers a firsthand account by a young Marine military advisor serving on the frontlines with the Iraqi Army of the effectiveness of America's efforts to help the Iraqis stand on their own. As a Division I track athlete and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Wes Gray was given a full scholarship to the Ph.D. program in finance at the University of Chicago, the top ranked program in the world. However, after passing his comprehensive exams and while weighing offers from Wall Street, he had an epiphany: the right thing to do before taking on the challenges of the business world was to serve his nation and fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a United States Marine. In 2006, 1st. Lt. Gray was deployed as a Marine Corps military advisor to live and fight with an Iraqi Army battalion for two hundred and ten days in the Haditha Triad, a small population center in the dangerous and austere al-Anbar Province of western Iraq.What he encountered was an insurgent fire pit recently traumatized by the infamous “Haditha Massacre,” in which 24 Iraqi civilians – men, women and children – were shot at close range by U.S. Marines at close range in retaliation for the death of a Marine lance corporal in a roadside bombing. Despite the tensions triggered by the shootings, Gray was able to form a bond with the Iraqi soldiers because he had an edge that very few U.S. service members possess 3⁄4 the ability to communicate because of his proficiency in Iraqi Arabic. His language skills and deep understanding of Iraqi culture were quickly recognized by the Iraqi soldiers who considered him an Arab brother and fondly named him “Jamal.” By the end of his advisor tour, he was a legend within the Iraqi Army. During his time in Iraq, Wes kept a detailed record of his observations, experiences, and interviews with Iraqi citizens and soldiers in vivid and brutally honest detail. Ranging from tension filled skirmishes against the insurgents to insights into the dichotomy between American and Iraqi cultures, he offers a comprehensive portrait of Iraq and the struggles of its people and soldiers to stand up and make their country a nation once again. His book is a Marine intelligence officer’s compelling report about the status and prospects of America's strategy for success in Iraq.