Escape from the Everglades is the first book in the High Water series and blends contemporary mystery and suspense, dramatic situations, and high adventure that both boys and girls will love. A park ranger’s son hates the Everglades, and he thinks he’ll just die if he doesn't escape Southern Florida soon . . . and he’s right. After Parker Buckman is mauled and nearly killed by an alligator, he sees the glades as a place of death. All he wants to do is get out of the area, and he’s convinced he won’t truly be okay until he does. But he can’t leave until he finds a friend who goes missing. Escaping a bad situation isn’t a matter of a geographical change. Sometimes the best way to a brighter future is to face the darkness of your past.

Raised as a Seminole, Will Cypress is eager to join Osceola and his followers in the late 1830s as they battle white soldiers in the second Seminole War, fighting to remain in their Florida homelands, until a chance meeting with his white father's relatives causes Will to question his loyalties.

"I don't realize I'm crying until he glances at me. For a moment, I see the look of anguish in his eyes, then he blinks it away and slips off into the water. I immediately think of the gator. It's still down there somewhere. . . ." A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren’t exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an air boat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive.

This engrossing exposé tackles some of the most important issues of our time: Is it possible to save a complex ecosystem such as the Everglades—or, once degraded, are such ecological wonders gone forever? What kind of commitments—economic, scientific, and social—will it take to rescue our vulnerable natural resources? What influences do special interests wield in our everyday lives, and what does it take to push real reform through our democracy? A must-read for anyone fascinated by stories of political intrigue and the work of environmental crusaders like Erin Brockovich, as well as anyone who cares about the future of Florida, this book reveals why the Everglades serve as a model—and a warning—for environmental restoration efforts worldwide.

A THRILLER a DREAM of a day in the Florida Panhandle turned into a NIGHTMARE of weeks in the Florida Everglades! When Kate Chandler headed to town with her little boy, the skies were blue, and the sun was shining. Why, then, did Kate waken the following morning, to fi nd herself locked in a derelict cabin on an island in the Everglades? Who had brought her here? What did he want with her? Where was he now? Where was her son Davey? Th is was no eccentric millionaires exotic hide-away, complete with closets of clothes and racks of fi ne wine. No, this was some psychos ramshackle shanty, complete with rickety furniture and a dirty old coffi n. Can Kate escape the cabin and the island before her captor returns? An illustrator of childrens books, as well as a loving wife and a gentle mother, is she capable of killing the mystery man when he does return? Can she contend with mosquitoes, snakes, spiders, and even an elusive Florida panther? Its no wonder Kate feels like Alice who has fallen down the rabbit hole. Desperate to see her family again, she learns a great deal about herself and her capabilities.

A daring adventure on Henry Flaglers Over-Sea Railroad! Twelve-year-old Eddie Malone is living a carefree life swimming and fishing in the Florida Keys in 1912 when suddenly his world is turned upside down. His father, a worker on Henry Flaglers Over-Sea Railroad, is thrown into jail for stealing the railroad payroll. Convinced that he is responsible for his pa's arrest, Eddie sets out for Key West with his faithful dog, Rex, on a daring mission to prove his father's innocence. Eddie arrives in Key West as preparations are under way for the arrival of Flagler's first train. Eddie meets the Kimble twins, T. J. and Jen, who live at the Key West Lighthouse and are practicing for their part in the great celebration. They offer to help Eddie with his plan to find the real payroll thieves. Eddie finds them, all right, but they kidnap him and lock him aboard their sailboat. As the boat moves swiftly away from Key West, Eddie realizes he's in serious trouble. Can Eddie escape from the clutches of the ruthless thieves? Will he ever get back home to Marathon? Most importantly, will Eddie be able to prove Pa's innocence? Historical fiction, ages 8–12 Next in series > > See all of the books in this series