Exploring the way our choices and relationships are shaped by the menace and beauty of the natural world, Megan Mayhew Bergman's powerful and heartwarming collection captures the surprising moments when the pull of our biology becomes evident, when love or fear collide with good sense, or when our attachment to an animal or wild place can't be denied. In "Housewifely Arts," a single mother and her son drive hours to track down an African gray parrot that can mimic her deceased mother's voice. A population-control activist faces the ultimate conflict between her loyalty to the environment and her maternal desire in "Yesterday's Whales." And in the title story, a lonely naturalist allows an attractive stranger to lead her and her aging father on a hunt for an elusive woodpecker. As intelligent as they are moving, the stories in Birds of a Lesser Paradise are alive with emotion, wit, and insight into the impressive power that nature has over all of us. This...

In Camelot, King Arthur's dog encounters a world of danger and magic...Follow Cavall as he embarks on a quest that will put the unbreakable bond between a dog and his person to the ultimate test. When Cavall and his older brother, Glessic, leave the comfort of their simple barn to join the lavish court of Camelot, Cavall wants nothing more than to prove he's a good dog to the great knights and dogs of the castle—especially to King Arthur.But Gless says only the best dogs are worthy of greatness, and Cavall has never been as strong, brave, or fast as his brother. Meanwhile, malevolent forces lurk in Camelot, and Cavall must figure out how to protect his person. To make matters worse, Arthur's mysterious nightmares are threatening to shake his grip on reality and undermine his authority as king.To fight back against the dangers of the dream world, Cavall will need help from some loyal hounds and the enchanting, sometimes...

Product DescriptionHe was Sean, a champion, the biggest, handsomest son of Big Red, the famous Irish setter. Bursting with hunting instincts, he fretted under his pampered kennel life, and longed for the wilds. Then suddenly his life changed. He found himself on his own in the Wintapi wilderness, lost, his human protectors gone. An outlaw, he was hunted and shot at by the hill men. How Sean learned to survive amidst constant danger, how he challenged a coyote killer to save his mate, is a stirring tale of bravery and an exciting wilderness adventure. It is also the heartwarming story of another unwilling outlaw--the boy who loved Sean and wanted him for his own. From the PublisherHe was Sean, a champion, the biggest, handsomest son of Big Red, the famous Irish setter. Bursting with hunting instincts, he fretted under his pampered kennel life, and longed for the wilds. Then suddenly his life changed. He found himself on his own in the Wintapi wilderness, lost, his human protectors gone. An outlaw, he was hunted and shot at by the hill men. How Sean learned to survive amidst constant danger, how he challenged a coyote killer to save his mate, is a stirring tale of bravery and an exciting wilderness adventure. It is also the heartwarming story of another unwilling outlaw--the boy who loved Sean and wanted him for his own.

This riotous account of "the family unit" was a smash hit in Europe, Canada, and England. In the Times Literary Supplement, author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) praised Barbara Gowdy's novel as surprising and delightful, containing moments "at the same time preposterous and strangely moving." The Canary family guards many secrets, including the mystery of tiny daughter, Joan, who was dropped on her head at birth and has never spoken. Joan plays the piano like Mozart, yet has never had a lesson. The outrageous hilarity rises into a climax that creates a stunning new definition of family togetherness.Gowdy's “delightfully quirky novel”(New York Times Book Review) about an oddball Toronto family is “so brilliantly crafted and flat-out fun to read that she makes sinners of us all” (Washington Post Book World). A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.

Peter's mum and dad are worried. Over the last twelve months they've noticed ferocious changes taking place in their son. It's not just the mumbling and the cloud of melancholy that seems to hover permanently over his ever-more-militant mop of curly hair. It's not even the oversized trousers or the numerous metal chains that hang off them. The problem is that Peter, who is fourteen, wants to be a musician - a rock star preferably, but anything else that involves a guitar, gets him bags of money and free CDs, and gives him access to unlimited scantily clad groupies will suffice (as long as it's not classical). Uncoincidentally, ever since the advent of this new ambition, Peter's grades at school have plummeted from very good to somewhere below mediocre. What is to be done? In the spirit of intellectual enquiry, Peter and music-critic, Tom Cox, set off in a Ford Focus on a journey to the dark heart of Britain's musical heritage, to get the inside track on whether being a...

Our cats make us smile every day, but some days they really outdo themselves! This book is full of those hilarious and heartwarming stories about the many ways our mischevious feline friends surprise us, make us laugh, and touch our hearts.Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Really Did That Did That? will have readers asking the same question as they read these 101 humorous and heartwarming stories about these lovable, goofy, and friendly felines. Whether funny or serious, or both, this book will make readers laugh, and it will undoubetdly touch their hearts.

In this first book of the Mandy Bell DVM series, Mandy is summoned to a small Midwestern town called Crestview. A colleague and classmate from vet school has passed away and left her veterinary clinic and house to Mandy. While Mandy has always been a traveling vet in her motor home, she finds herself drawn to the Midwestern hospitality that the town shows her and her sidekick Border collie, Lyle. Unfortunately, on one of her farm calls, she discovers a body that turns out to have been murdered. She is determined to solve the murder to clear the name of the quaint little town. She uses her own intuition and careful questioning of townspeople and clients to piece together the culprit at fault. Lyle is by her side through the whole book, including at the town’s Halloween Hoedown, where she gets into trouble of her own. Read on to experience life as a small town veterinarian with a knack for solving murders.

Grandma Do is visiting, just in time for Grandparents' Day, a trip to the farm AND the school dance! 'Life is about to get REALLY weird for Weir Do... because Grandma Do is the weirdest one of all! It won't be easy... but it will be funny!

In the Nahella Valley of Appalachia, a rumor is whispered about a man named Eli Pettit and the small fortune in stolen money he supposedly hid on his farm before disappearing, leaving a wife, daughter and sister-in-law to tend the land and guard the money - if the money even exists. It is a rumor Michael O'Rear cannot resist. A wandering actor from the remnants of the Chautauqua circuit, gifted with Irish gab and charm, he arrives ready to perform his last and most horrific role - that of a murderer. Yet, it is not simple theater for Michael. In the Appalachia of 1939, he is a stranger in a region that does not easily accept strangers. He first must ingratiate himself to the three women of the Pettit home - Eli's wife, Rachel; his daughter, Sarah; and Rachel's sister, Dora, and then he must curry favor with the townspeople of Yale. For Michael, it becomes an exhilarating performance, acted with patience and with the cunning persuasion of dreamy - often outlandish - tales. One by one, he entices the cast of his drama to embrace him and to do his bidding, but in the wake of his presence, he leaves an imprint of physical and emotional terror that scars everyone who becomes mesmerized by him. Still, in this tantalizing story of deception and senseless slaughter, of threat and fear, it is the powerful instinct for survival that eventually drops the curtain on Michael O'Rear and restores the quiet secrets of the Nahella Valley to those who know them.

In the third book in the spinoff of the Humphrey series, Og and Humphrey head to summer camp to see what's hopping in the wilderness!Og didn't know where he would end up when school was over, but it turns out Camp Happy Hollow is just about the best place ever. Lovely nature is all around, friends from Room 26 are there—including Humphrey!—and camp days are full of exciting activities. Og has lots of new responsibilities, like watching out for Humphrey, helping his fellow campers adjust to being away from home, and encouraging everyone to always try their best. But when one camper lets Og loose at the lake, he is in a tough spot. The lake sure does fell like home, but so does his tank. Plus his human friends need him—and so does Humphrey. Good thing Og has experience in the wild because—BING-BANG-BOING!—this is going to be one hopping summer! Og's frog's-eye view of summer camp is silly, caring, and adventurous—the perfect...

Meet the leader of the Suffragettes, Emmeline Pankhurst, and a particularly plucky pup, during a momentous time in history!Alfie can't believe his luck when he is allowed to keep a tiny puppy he finds abandoned on the street. Rascal is cute as a button and has lots of attitude, and Emmeline Pankhurst is thrilled that her ward Alfie has a new friend. Alfie and Rascal deliver messages between the Suffragettes as they organise their 'Votes for Women' campaign. But it's sometimes dangerous work, and it's not long before Alfie and Rascal find out the true cost of the fight. Full of adventure, fascinating history and lovely animals, this is the perfect read for young fans of Dick King-Smith and Michael Morpurgo.

The story of a little cat who saved a family in crisis. Solomon's story began one stormy night... Found on the doorstep in the middle of a thunderstorm, Solomon enters the King family as a tiny, wet ball of fur. But as his new owner Ellen coaxes him back to life, it becomes clear that he is no ordinary cat. Wise beyond his years, this little black and white kitten becomes the family's protector. As Ellen and her young son deal with abuse, homelessness, and the loss of everything they hold dear, it is Solomon who brings light to the darkest times. Inspiring, moving and heartbreaking, 'Solomon's Tale' is the story of an extraordinary cat who is the most faithful of friends. The perfect read for fans of 'A Street Cat Named Bob'.