Historical fiction account written for children about a Seminole Indian known as Alligator Warrior (Halpatter Tustenuggee). Follow him from the time he is a child living peacefully along the banks of Big Lake in Alligator Town (Halpata Tolophka) later known as Lake City throughout his lifetime. Trace his steps through the First and Second Seminole Wars, through his capture and being forced to move to the Indian Territory – only having to share the land with another tribe, and then secretly escaping from the territory to Mexico where it is believed he passed away.

Historical fiction account written for children about a Seminole Indian known as Alligator Warrior (Halpatter Tustenuggee). Follow him from the time he is a child living peacefully along the banks of Big Lake in Alligator Town (Halpata Tolophka) later known as Lake City throughout his lifetime. Trace his steps through the First and Second Seminole Wars, through his capture and being forced to move to the Indian Territory - only having to share the land with another tribe, and then secretly escaping from the territory to Mexico where it is believed he passed away.

Whether you start your journey down the Seminole Trail as an armchair adventurer or seek to visit the sites in person, this unique guide will give greater understanding to the prominent role of Seminole Indians in the place we call Florida. Visit the old Negro Fort site in the Panhandle, the Alachua Savannah near Gainesville, the Dade Battlefield in Bushnell, the Smallwood Store in the Ten Thousand Islands, Indian Key in the Florida Keys, and the destroyed sugar plantations near St. Augustine, and so much more.

I was born a bastard at a county hospital. When most girls of sixteen were getting their driver licenses my mother was getting herself a baby. As a child I spent a lot of time in an orphanage called the Margaret Lloyd Stansel’s Children’s Asylum. My mother preferred to call it a boarding school or summer camp depending upon the time of year I was visiting. Most every child who lived there had a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, uncle, or some other family member – somewhere or other. Including me. I don’t blame my mother though – she had herself a hard-knock life, too. Let me explain, when I was born in 1954, things were different. Unwed mothers were treated in a spiteful manner – including being excluded from social settings, and even family circles. I guess I should count my blessings that my mother tried her best to raise me. I’m sure my life is different from yours. There are not many orphanages operating today. Well, the long and the short of it is – that this is my story – about when things were a wee bit different. My name is Rileigh Ophelia Horton, I think. This was my life – The Life of Rileigh

Pedro Menendez sailed to Florida on his flagship, the San Pelayo, named after a knight who had successfully defeated the Spanish Moors 850 years earlier. There were twenty cabin boys on board the San Pelayo.Ship boys or cabin boys were from ages eleven to thirteen. Many boys were from poor families who could neither clothe nor feed them. They were servants to the officers and worked long hours, often doing the necessary dirty work onboard the ships.This courageous story is told through the eyes of one such fictitious cabin boy named Rocco that would witness the first Thanksgiving on September 8, 1565. This historic event would take place 42 years before Jamestown was settled and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Today a 208’ cross marks the spot where the landing happened. Rocco would also follow Menendez on his voyage to chart Florida’s coastline, destroy the French fort in Florida, evangelize the Florida Indians, and colonize Florida in the name of the King of Spain – King Philip II. Menendez was also searching for his missing son Juan. His son’s fleet of thirteen ships scattered in a storm off the coast of Florida five years earlier. Only eight ships returned to Spain.All of this true tale is told through the eyes of a child but backed up with historical notes, character reference guide, a timeline, nautical terminology, and a bibliography.

"Bonjour! My name is Monsieur Pierre and may I introduce Mademoiselle Gigi. With the help of Gigi, I am going to tell the exciting true-life story of Napoleon Bonaparte's life. You see, Napoleon was my master. Gigi's mistress, Madame Josephine, was the love of Napoleon's life. "Napoleon's pere wanted Napoleon's dream of becoming a soldier to come true. So, Gigi, his pere went to the French governor of Corsica and asked him for a scholarship for Napoleon. "Napoleon worked so hard, Gigi. I stayed by his side late into the night. Some nights he only slept maybe four hours! Other nights he would wake up and go back to work. He worked hard like that his entire life!" He was a desperate man. He left behind at Waterloo his beautiful military carriage. Napoleon was now a hunted man! His family left Paris and went into exile after Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo!" explained Pierre. "It took us seventy days to reach St. Helena, Gigi. The English sailors on the ship grew to like Napoleon on our long voyage. He talked to them often about the times in Egypt and Russia. He was their prisoner, but he became their friend! When we finally reached St. Helena, Napoleon said ... "