American Animals

The gray wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington. Nearly eradicated by the 1990s, conservationists and environmentalists have cheered its robust return to the state over the last two decades. But Washington ranchers are not so joyous. When wolves prey on livestock, ranchers view their livelihood as under attack. In The Return of Wolves, journalist Eli Francovich investigates how we might mend this divide while keeping wolf populations thriving.

When the barnyard animals are invited to a party by their neighbors, they dress in their Sunday best and set off for a day of merriment. But when dinnertime arrives, the famished animals are perplexed to find a simple meal of cornbread. Most of them are polite, but Rooster turns his beak up in disgust and rudely leaves the party, missing the treasures hidden for the guests.

The Big Break investigates how Washington works, and how different kinds of people try to make it work for them. Ben Terris presents an inside history of this crucial moment in Washington, reporting from exclusive parties, poker nights, fundraisers, secluded farms outside town and the halls of Congress; among the oddballs and opportunists and true believers. This book is about the people who see this moment as an opportunity to bet big—on their country or maybe just on themselves.

Brave is a dog without a home. After surviving a hurricane in San Antonio, Texas, stray dog Brave is hungry and afraid. When 12-year-old Dylan finds Brave, he's feeling lost himself. Dylan can't help but think they were brought together for a reason. But Dylan knows it'll take hard work and training in order to convince his parents that he can keep this skittish pup. As Dylan and Brave's friendship grows, they learn to rescue each other in more ways than one. Can Dylan give Brave a forever home?

Return of the Bison is the story of how this symbol of the American West was once almost lost to history and of the continuing journey to bring bison back from the brink. Author and naturalist Roger Di Silvestro explores the complex history of the bison's decimation and how a rising awareness of their possible extinction formed the roots of many modern wildlife conservation approaches. Weaving in natural history and fascinating historical context, Di Silvestro traces the decades it took to begin to save the bison, often with little hope and plagued by discouraging setbacks.

The WellieWishers are raising chickens! The girls are thrilled when their hen, Queen Ruby, begins laying eggs. But when the first egg hatches, Queen Ruby doesn’t seem to know what to do—so Emerson takes charge. Soon the tiny chick, Princess Peep, is following her everywhere. Caring for a chick is a bigger job than Emerson expected!

Kelly Klarkson, owner of Klarkson's Confections and Sugar Creek's resident amateur sleuth, has her sights set on winning the annual town bake-off. But her dreams of blue ribbons and sugar-coated glory go up in smoke when a suspicious fire erupts at the fairgrounds, destroying her booth and leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. To make matters worse, her prize-winning apple pie – crafted from her grandmother’s secret recipe – has vanished. Determined to uncover the truth, Kelly, armed with her whisks, her wits, and her trusty feline sidekick, Bubbles, dives into a world of ...

Tired of leash pulling, barking, aggression, or endless frustration with a misbehaving dog? The American Dog Epidemic: Why Dog Behavior Goes Wrong and a Path to Rescue Us All by Jackie Eckert isn’t just another dog training book—it’s a wake-up call.

Corinne and her sister, Gwynn, have always called Aspen home, but moving in with their new stepdad, Arne, changes everything. Sure, there are perks—like a fancy bedroom and a new puppy named Flurry whom Corinne trains to do search and rescue. Still, Corinne feels uncomfortable in her new family and hides the truth from her best friend. The facts finally come out in the most disastrous way, and Corinne runs to the only place left that feels like home. But when she becomes lost on the mountain, will her survival skills be enough to save her?

Between 1994 and 1997, James Brown's loaded magazine became the the must-buy and must-be-in publication of the decade. It won every award going, year after year, and came to define not only its audience but also a generation. Bright, loud, funny, provocative, ambitious and careless, loaded was read from the barracks of Afghanistan to the England dressing room at Euro '96. It captured a hedonistic lifestyle of alcohol, cocaine and more. The last great hurrah before the end of the century.

If you love sweet romances (PG-rating), look no further than Rachelle Ayala's Have a Hart series. The Harts are a family of San Francisco firefighters. Their family motto is: Heart comes first. Can a woman looking for Mr. Perfect settle for a happy-go-lucky Mr. Wrong? Dr. Vanessa Ransom has high standards and she's on the hunt for the perfect man. With limited time for a social life, she hires college dropout Dale Hart to walk her dogs and clean her house. Just for kicks, she decides to motivate him to succeed, only to find herself falling in love with him. Can Dale show Vanessa that love ...

Just a man, a murder, and a really, really embarrassing hobby. Obadiah (Di) Goode has several problems. As the only African-American member of the Prospector’s Rest, North Carolina Sheriff’s Department, he’s already generally overlooked and ignored. But if news of his secret gets out, he’ll never hear the end of it. Still, keeping the fact that he’s far faster with a knitting (or crochet or embroidery or, well, any kind of) needle than a gun is his usual concern. But when this sleepy mountain town which is home to more crafts shops than people opens its Sixth Annual Crafts Fête ...

When Smoky, a tiny Yorkie Terrier, is miraculously found in a foxhole in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, she has no way of knowing she will become a World War II hero and Hollywood star. Flying with her new owner, Corporal Bill Wynne, on deadly combat missions, she is soon assisting the war effort, entertaining and bringing comfort to the soldiers with her unique tricks and spirited energy. Based on the true events of the American army’s wartime struggles and Smoky’s outstanding television career, her moving and uplifting tale is sure to entertain and touch the hearts of all who read it.

A case too cold, a killer too bold. Some mysteries are worth breaking the rules for…even for a lady. Mineral Wells, Texas – 1925 Lady Anne Worthington, an English countess and ingenious inventor, returns to Mineral Wells determined to build a future on her own terms: secure investors and lasso a Texas Ranger. But when the body of a missing Pinkerton agent is discovered and hastily ruled an accident, Lady Anne isn’t convinced. The victim had a penchant for blackmail, a ledger filled with dangerous secrets, and more than a few enemies in the small town. As tensions rise, it’s clear ...

Since it was first published in 1964, Whistle for Willie has delighted millions with the story of Peter, who longs to whistle for his dog.

We humans tend to think that we are unique in our intelligence, social skill, and depth of emotion, but we think too much of ourselves. The animal kingdom teems with hidden stories of the weird and fascinating, and in Amazing Animals, we gather recent research on animal behavior, including surprising discoveries of how animals think and feel, from man’s best friend to some of the earth’s oddest creatures.

Poppy is a dog with a problem. She has too much energy, and her elderly owner can keep her only if she can be trained. When 12-year-old Hannah moves to the coast of Northern California, she thinks she can help turn this rambunctious puppy into the good dog she knows Poppy is. But Hannah realizes Poppy's reputation as a pit bull means she has to work even harder to prove that Poppy and dogs like her deserve a second chance. Will Hannah train Poppy into the perfect dog before it's too late?

A young girl named Ginny and her family are dealing with the hardships of the Great Depression, and in order to survive, her dad decides they must sell their horse, and Ginny's best friend, Thimble. But Ginny will do anything in order to find a way for them to stay together and chooses to leave her family in Oklahoma and travel west to California.

Juniper is a young girl who dreams of making it big in the movies along with her horse, Able. In particular, Juniper is obsessed with getting Able onto her favorite television show, Castle MacAvoy, and will do anything, even slay dragons, to make that happen.

Even though she can only afford to take lessons once a week, Daija's increasing talents are on full display whenever she is riding at North Wind Acres—a prestigious (and expensive) equestrian center in her city. So when her trainer offers her a working student position, she quickly accepts. Now she'll be able to pay for extra weekly lessons and join the show team!