Hatchet  •  Gary Paulsen LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 186 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS In the first of Paulsen's popular wilderness adventure novels, 13-year-old Brian must fend for himself after his plane crashes in the Canadian woods. Though at first he's unfamiliar with Canadian plant and animal life, he soon learns what to eat and what to avoid -- and by book's end, he's a knowledgeable, ecologically aware outdoorsman. Teens and sophisticated pre-teens will enjoy it. (CND110, $6.99)
How We Crossed the West  •  Rosalyn Schanzer EXPLORATION •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Published by the National Geographic Society, this book brings the U.S. Exploring Expedition to life for young readers (ages 6-10). It includes excerpts from the journals of Lewis and Clark as well as lively, light-hearted color illustrations, depicting the explorers, and the people, wildlife and landscapes they encountered. (PNW40, $18.00)
I Heard the Owl Call My Name  •  Margaret Craven LITERATURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 159 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS In this brief novel, a young vicar comes to live with the Kwakiutl Indians of the town of Kingcome in the Pacific Northwest. Written for teens but worthwhile for adults, it is a story of cultural sharing and the rediscovery of ancient Native American traditions. (PNW90, $6.99)
The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark  •  Rhoda Blumberg HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) An award-winning, illustrated version of the Lewis and Clark story, written for middle school students. (PNW91, $12.99)
My Favorite Tree, Terrific Trees of North America  •  Diane Iverson NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 64 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) An introduction to North American trees for an elementary school audience. Twenty-six species of trees are illustrated and described. It's playful starting point for the junior ecologist. (NAM05, $9.95)
Orca's Song  •  Anne Cameron  •  Nelle Olsen LITERATURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A retelling of a traditional Indian myth, gracefully explaining the origins of the killer whale's song. Illustrated with black-and-white drawings that evoke Haida art. For children 5-9. (PNW111, $7.95)
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird  •  Phillip Hoose NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) An engaging and well-researched history of the ivory-billed woodpecker, and the struggles surrounding its survival. It's a suspenseful and entertaining book about modern conservation and environmental issues for middle-school readers, featuring John James Audubon and others. The bird, only recently rediscovered, once ranged across the southeastern United States. With black-and-white photographs throughout. (BRD30, $21.00)
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains  •  Scott O'Dell LITERATURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A novel for middle schoolers about the expulsion of the Nez Perce from their homeland, drawn mostly from primary sources. Told from the viewpoint of Chief Joseph's daughter Sound of Running Feet, the unsentimental book traces the tribe's odyssey from Oregon to the Lapwaii Reservation in Idaho. Along the way, they are attacked by settlers and routed by the army, incidents of violence which are not whitewashed here. This was O'Dell's last novel, co-written with his wife (who finished the manuscript after his death). (PNW103, $6.50)
Touching Spirit Bear  •  Ben Mikaelsen LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 241 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS In the tradition of Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet" comes this novel of a delinquent boy's adventures on a remote Alaskan island. This young adult's novel follows the fate of Cole, an abused and abusive troubled teen who chooses a traditional First Nation punishment -- banishment -- over incarceration. But banishment isn't sufficient to reform Cole. For that, it takes an encounter with the white Spirit Bear of First Nation legends. Ages 12 and up. (PNW127, $5.99)