In 1800, 13-year-old Pierre La Page never imagined he'd be leaving Montreal to paddle 2,400 miles. It was something older men, like his father, did. But when Pierre's father has an accident, Pierre quits school to become a voyageur for the North West Company, so his family can survive the winter. It's hard for Pierre as the youngest in the brigade. From the treacherous waters and cruel teasing to his aching and bloodied hands, Pierre is miserable. Still he has no choice but to endure the trip to Grand Portage and back.
Thirteen-year-old Ben works at Blackwater Logging Camp as cook’s helper to his Pa. Long days of flipping pancakes and peeling potatoes with his ornery Pa make Ben long to be out in the woods with the lumberjacks. Felling logs, sawing trees, driving a team through the snowy woods . . . that’s what Ben wants to be doing. But the long cold winter in a camp filled with outlandish characters teaches Ben a lot about himself. Especially when an orphan boy called Nevers arrives in camp. When Nevers signs on to work with Pa, Ben makes a friend and a rival, too.
When 13-year-old Ben Ward left school to work with his Pa in a logging camp, a winter of peeling potatoes and setting tables wasn’t the adventure he had in mind. Still, come spring, he signs up for the log drive with his friend Nevers, wishing the head cook on the wanigan (the floating cook shack) could be someone other than his crabby Pa. Fate, with a wink, complies, and Pa quits—only to be replaced by someone far worse: Pete Sardman, aka Old Sard, a cantankerous character complete with a greasy apron, an eye patch, one deaf ear, and plenty to say. Luckily, there’s also the rest of the crew—a colorful, sometimes outrageous company of men. Together Ben and Nevers endure freezing weather, dangerous rapids, logjams, storms and floods, and a number of gripping tall tales, along the way learning about logging on the river and a whole lot more about life. Taking up where Blackwater Ben left off, Dead Man’s Rapids returns to the north woods of Minnesota in the late nineteenth century, and with warmth, humor, and attention to historical detail engages readers both young and old.
In the 1930s, some 6,000 Finnish Americans traveled to Karelia, a province in northwestern Russia, hoping to leave the Depression behind and to establish a workers’ paradise. Based on these true events, The Darkest Evening chronicles the story of Jake Maki, whose father, caught up in the socialist fervor washing over their Finnish mining community in Minnesota, moves their family to the Soviet Union. Instead of finding the utopia they were promised, Jake and his family encounter only disappointment and hardship. When Stalin’s secret police begin targeting Americans for arrest, his worst fears are confirmed, and Jake leads his family on a daring midwinter escape attempt on cross-country skis, fleeing toward the Finnish border.
Acclaimed author William Durbin's exciting JOURNAL OF SEAN SULLIVAN is back with a dynamic repackaging! It's August 1867 and Sean has just arrived from Chicago, planning to work with his father on the Intercontinental Railroad. Sean must start at the bottom, as a water carrier, toting barrels of it to the thirsty men who are doing the backbreaking work on the line. At night, everyone is usually too tired to do anything but sleep, yet Sundays are free, and Sean discovers the rough and rowdy world of the towns that seem to sprout up from nowhere along the railroad's path over the prairie. But prejudices run rampant for both the Irish and Chinese workers -- especially when they start a deadly race to see who can lay track the fastest. Through Sean's eyes, the history of this era and the magnitude of his and his fellow workers' achievements come alive.
When Russian troops invade Finland during the winter of 1939-40, Marko, a young polio victim determined to keep his homeland free, joins the Finnish Army as a messenger boy.
For fifteen-year-old Matti Ojala and his family, Finnish immigrants in Minnesota in 1900, starting a new life in America is both a hardship and an opportunity. After a tragic mining accident kills their beloved uncle, the family turns away from the iron mines to pursue the dream of owning a homestead in the wilderness. This means constant hard work and new challenges for the entire family. But will it also allow Matti, the in-between child, the chance to escape from his older brother’s shadow and gain the approval of his father, which he so desperately desires?
By pairing essays with other kinds of compositions — a TV show, a news report, a photo, an ad, a cast-off grocery list — Convergences asks students to respond to all kinds of visual and verbal texts. Its organization into six broad thematic chapters — each of which is broken out into six clusters — presents the materials in a way that is compelling and teachable. Convergences urges students to ask: Why did that author write that essay? Where was it published, and for what audience? What is the message of that poem? Why is that image on that Web site? Who thinks that joke is funny? How is that ad getting me to buy things I don’t need? And, most importantly — how do I make meaning of it all? With its full-color design, varied themes and texts, and helpful reading and writing support, Convergences inspires students to read the world in new ways — and to respond thoughtfully in their own compositions.
When the Soviet Union invades its tiny neighbor Finland in November 1939, Marko volunteers to help the war effort. Even though his leg was weakened by polio, he can ski well, and he becomes a messenger on the front line, skiing in white camouflage through the forests at night. The dark forest is terrifying, and so are the odds against the Finns: the Russians have 4 times as many soldiers and 30 times as many planes. They have 3000 tanks, while the Finns have 30. But a tank is no help in the snowy forest–a boy on skis is. And the Russians don’t know winter the way the Finns do, or what tough guerrilla warriors the Finns are. Marko teams up with another messenger, Karl. Gradually Marko learns that Karl’s whole family was killed by the Russians. And Karl has a secret–he’s really Kaari, a girl who joined up to get revenge for her family’s deaths.
Finally, a book that covers all aspects of the "original martial art" is here! Mastering Kempo covers everything from Kempo's profound history to the techniques, tactics, and training needed to excel at any level of this art. Mastering Kempo is an exposition of Kempo as the masters originally taught it, featuring their methods of training and wealth of technical knowledge--much of which has been forgotten or ignored in modern times. Mastering Kempo introduces these techniques, skills, and advanced training methods to enrich the Kempo of any stylist and contribute to an in-depth understanding of the many martial arts derived from Kempo--including judo, jujitsu, and karate. This outstanding resource was written by William Durbin, a Kempo master and a premier martial arts historian with 30 years of training. As a soke (the highest ranking in Kiyojute Kempo) Durbin is considered one of the world's foremost authorities and historians on Kempo. The knowledge and insights he provides in Mastering Kempo will elevate you to your highest level, physically and spiritually. With more than 130 photos as your guide, you will be able to improve stances, blocks, thrusts, strikes, kicks, and other defensive techniques. You will also be able to learn the keys to building a stronger mind and body with regimens that will empower you to maximize your abilities and advance quickly through belt rankings or competitive events. Becoming a master of a martial art requires that you learn, practice, and incorporate all aspects of the form's history, technique, tactics, and training into your life. For Kempo, the one source for all this indispensable information is Mastering Kempo.
Desperate to survive during the Dust Bowl, C. J. Jackson and his family leave the panhandle of Oklahoma and head west to California, where they hope to make a better life for themselves.
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A biography of the youngest player to win the Masters Tournament, from his childhood in California to his development as one of the best known personalities in professional golf.
In 1867, fifteen-year-old Sean experiences both hardships and rewards when he joins his father in working on the building of the Transcontinental Rairoad.
Learn the origins of ninjutsu and see how the lesser-known Koga branch of this art has survived to this day. Durbin shows the link between nimpo, kempo and ninjutsu; reveals the importance of the vital art of karumijutsu; and provides a rare look at the bone-breaking art of koppo. A must-read for anyone interested in Japan's most mysterious martial art.
Koga Ryu Ninjutsu: the Ancient Art of Stealth and Strategy is a ground breaking book regarding the martial art of Ninjutsu. This revised edition adds knowledge and information the author has accumulated during the sixteen years from the original publication. Those interested in real Ninjutsu and the special arts of the Ninja would do well to add this volume to their martial arts library.
Inspired by the works of Shel Silverstein, this book reads like a children's book but is actually aimed at teens and adults. This simple book explores the changing relationship between a child and his mother throughout his life. The book is dedicated to the author's wife and son, both of whom lived through the phases and now can relate to the touching message of the book. This book would make a great Mother's Day present from child to mom or from husband to wife (mother).
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