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Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Most of the beauty of Eagle Creek would never be able to be seen except through the most extreme measures were it not for dynamite. Nash completely omits the concept of the renewability of natural lands, even after having been destroyed by man or natural phenomena. This is no excuse for careless behaviors. I woke up one morning in Portland, only to find a portion of Mt. Helens covering everything outside. The surface of the land around Mt. Helens appeared as though a nuclear bomb had hit; it was a total wasteland. The prediction was that it would take hundreds of years before we see the start of life returning to this area.
All predictions were wrong. Recently, I was volunteering on some trail clearing with the Washington Trails, and we were working in a portion of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness which was just re-designated and added to the larger body of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Yet, we could find logging paraphernalia strewn everywhere, from heavy cables, to tackle, and other items. These items are becoming increasingly unnoticeable as wild-ness returns to the land, and traces of man except for our excellent trails!
To some extent, there is a renewability of nature. I discover that to my dismay every time I go to work in my yard, which all too quickly becomes overgrown and wild again. I would surmise that should a dam be removed, we would quickly find that nature would restore what we had lost. Lands can be reclaimed and restored to their original beauty. As technology finds better solutions for matters such as energy, water and food supply, we will no longer need to rely on dams and other structures.
Accelerated Reader Quiz List -by Level
Unless the discussion regarding preservation of wild lands is grounded on reality, progress cannot expect to happen. Factors that must be included are as follows. Rather than pontificate over the poor thinking of others, I wish to offer my own thinking on how to approach wilderness. Please realize that I change my thinking from time to time, and so might write something much different in 10 years. There is a huge advantage of having a graded wilderness system. First, it would better fit the large diversity of people with a mind toward wilderness.
Those that wish no human access, those that wish preservation of the current system, and those that wish better accessibility to wilderness would all have their way. Secondly, there would be less reluctance for many to allow non-designated land to be designated wilderness if there was not the stiff definition. The several lands in Utah that have been politically redefined several times in the recent past would be better served.
Thirdly, lands that never would make it to wilderness designation would be designated wilderness, and allow the closer and firmer protections that are granted to wilderness lands. Grade 0-No access by any human being to human object to this wilderness. Not only will it be off limits to the foot of man, but drones, low-flying airplanes, boats and other watercraft will be forbidden Grade 1-Subsistence existence only. Only primitive means of subsistence will be allowed.
This will only exist on lands that are already used for subsistence. No motorized machinery, guns or other modern hunting or fishing means shall be used Grade 2-Scientific access allowed only. I would hope that most wilderness lands actually be labeled grade 4 wilderness.
Grade 4-Wilderness with the ability of caretakers to use modern means such as powered chainsaws, trimmers, etc. Do you honestly think that most people give a rip about whether a tree lying across the trail was hand sawed or chain sawed a day after the event in order to remove it from the trail?
They will give a rip if a tree is NOT cleared, but the destructive paths formed to get around the fallen tree only make matters worse, not better for the wilderness experience! The occasional use of other means such as helicopter assistance in trail maintenance or camp maintenance shall be allowed.
No powered equipment will be allowed by visitors. Grade 5-Limited commercial access wilderness. This does not include destructive mining, but may include very limited and highly supervised grazing rights. Horses may used allowed access but motorized vehicles will not be allowed. Grade 6-Highly supervised, but with limited access by motorized vehicles. Limited roads allowed, and the building of roads would be discouraged. Some limited dwellings would be allowed for visitors. Caretakers would be allowed lengthier stays.
This wilderness status would reflect that as found in National Parks, and each National Park would then be able to have various regions with differing grades of wilderness. This would also prevent grotesque shapes drawn to current wilderness boundaries to account for the presence of existing roads. Irrational management is too often the case. As an example, a 4 mile stretch of the PCT in the Angeles National forest has been indefinitely closed in order to try to save the mountain yellow-legged frog.
I do find this challenging idea to grasp, to think that environmentalists have the hubris to think that the tread of man disturbs the sex life of a yellow-legged frog, and that closing four miles of trail will save the frog? Why not just warning signs and prohibition with camping in that area? Like, 4 miles of trail closure will save a frog?
Such actions by environmentalists cause serious thinking folk to question whether anything an environmentalist suggests should be taken seriously. I truly wonder what the real goals of the environmentalists are? Nash might accuse me of taming the wild-ness of wilderness by seeking better means of making wilderness safe, yet it would also have the effect of actually protecting wilderness. Installing bridges across perilous stream and river trail crossings would protect the lands from hikers willing to remodel the land to create a temporary safe crossing, and protect the land from the innumerable accessory trails creating in seeking a river crossing.
It would allow faster transit of visitors in order to diminish the total impact of each individual. Of course, this would also have to entail restriction of access for visitors. It is reasonable to limit access to wilderness areas, including our national parks. Why National parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mt. Rainier and others that are being visited to death do not prohibit automobiles and utilize bus shuttle systems for access is a mystery to me. Denali restricts inner access to bus service, and most do not find this to be a serious problem!
This can control the swarms of visitors each day to the parks. There is a great cry that charging increased fees for access to parks and wildernesses will restrict access to the poorest is simply not true. Improved revenues will allow improved care of the trails. This could include the development and care of designated camp sites, and, at least for the PCT, water drops at important stretches of the trail.
Among many thru-hikers, stealth camping is a way of life which can be quite destructive, yet few people complain that many national parks, including Mt. Rainier, demand the use of designated campsites. Such access charges would help fund bear protection systems for food, and also allow for outside toilets. Is this asking too much for others visiting the outbacks of our wilderness system? I am continually amazed by what people get away with in the wilderness and parks of the USA. Yet, most often, even if the offenders are caught, they get away with nothing but a gentle slap on the wrist.
It is no wonder that people abuse our wilderness. If we really value our natural lands, then wanton acts should have at least a significant penalty or fine. Rainier NP is a joke. Perhaps it should be at least quadruple with forbidden access to all national parks for a period? One major objection to structures like trails, bridges, and perhaps shelters, is that they often are constructed cheaply out of unnatural materials.
Constructions should have a natural appearance to them that blends into or contributes to the scenery. Nobody seems to complaint a beautifully constructed stone bridge across a stream, or stone railings on the roads that go through national parks. Such an idea should be the norm. Shelters in wilderness should be out of stone and natural materials, and wilderness laws should not prohibit tactfully placed structures for the safety of its occasional inhabitants.
There already are such structures in many wilderness lands. Insufficient funds have been spent research seeking to minimize the destructiveness of wilderness access. Can we use better technologies to limit the destructiveness of heavy access? Are there better ways of crowd control that would enhance a visit to the park or wilderness for everybody? Are there better means of controlling garbage and human waste in the woods? Is the LNT admonition really working, or are there better ways of minimizing human impact in the woods? Have we optimized trail surfaces, bridge construction, water control and culvert construction, and other aspects of trail construction?
I have already suggested several ways to lessen the human impact, with providing things like backwoods toilets, building bridges across dangerous streams, and enforcing designated campsites. Surely modern technologies could be used to disguise the unnaturalness of the human alteration of the environment. To resist the assistance of technology only prolongs the problem. It was roughly years ago when I did my first backpack trip up Eagle Creek on the Oregon side of the Columbia River gorge.
The adventure seemed grueling at the time. We carried in excess supplies, including hatchets and saws, which we used plentifully to cut down trees, all according to the boy scout manual. We fished, catching 4 inch trout which when cooked, provided no essential nutrition to ourselves. We had no sense of nurturing the forests and streams which we were visiting. Much has changed in my thinking since then. The first admonitions came from fellow hikers from school and outdoor clubs which I belonged to.
Schaeffer presented that God created the world as a beautiful place, and we must reflect that beauty in all of our actions. I would not have supported the dam at Hetch Hetchy since it destroys a natural beauty, and since there are alternatives of a kinder nature to our earth. Unlike those fighting the proposed dams on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, I do not oppose the dams because they destroy the ability to raft the river, but because they destroy a particularly beautiful part of creation.
Thus, I would limit road building, but I would encourage trail building, since beauty is only beautiful when there is a beholder to admire it as beautiful. Trees will make noise when they fall in the woods without a listener, but beauty is a subjective phenomenon that demands a sensate subject to appreciate.
I find it troublesome that the same Christians that have love magnificent art, music, and cathedrals mercilessly attack and destroy the artistry of God as we find in nature. To that end, they are totally inconsistent with their beliefs. It is no wonder that many will regard people of western faiths to be the enemies of nature. As for me, whether on my bicycle, on foot or on skis, I will persist as long as I have strength, to enjoy this big beautiful earth that God created for us.
While enjoying this earth, I will give thanks to Him for giving us such a beautiful world to enjoy, and strive to care for it and to defend its preservation, to the best of my ability. In preparation for the upcoming th anniversary of the Reformation, I decided to read up on Martin Luther.
This is a short, easy to read biography of Martin Luther.
Marty focused primarily upon Luther as a person, with no effort to show how ML changed and affected the world that he lived in. It is easy to read in evenings, and leaves you a feel for knowing ML personally. It is a fun book to read, though not an encyclopedia of his life. This book is a hodgepodge. As an edited book, the style and quality is quite variable. Several chapters are informative. Many are misleading or mistaken in their information. The two editors provide very little input, with RC Sproul writing almost nothing save for a few brief meaningless summary pages of text.
Written by a bunch of Presbyterians, they do Luther a serious disservice by trying to fit ML into a Presbyterian mold. Though Presbyterians pride themselves in vigorous and accurate scholarship, this book is anything but that, save for a few chapters. Many of the chapters try to paint ML as a near-Presbyterian with Presbyterian theology, something they are quite mistaken about. There is minimal discussion as exactly how Lutheran thinking affected the minds of Reformed thinkers, such as Calvin, Zwingli, Bucer, Cranmer and others.
Such discussion might have made the book an informative read. There is so much left out that the entire book, that it is a travesty. They fail to grasp how the liturgical reforms of ML in Wittemberg during the years so heavily influenced Reformed practice. They fail to describe exactly how the formulations of the doctrines of grace in Lutheran thought affected Reformed thought. They failed in their attempts to compare and contrast Lutheran from Reformed thinking. All of these issues were responsible for affecting the world after Luther and forming his legacy.
The book is in three parts, the first being the history of Luther, portrayed in a very abbreviated fashion. It does have some historical inaccuracies, and was a little too brief to be meaningful. This section was weak, and often completely misreads Luther by trying to make his words that of a Reformed thinker. This section would be best skipped altogether.
For the most part, though there was Huss and Savonarola and few others before Luther, their legacy was not strong. Contemporaries such as Zwingli did not survive long enough to leave a lasting imprint on the church. Only Luther remained as, not the man in the middle, but the man at the head, serving as the model and example for all of Christendom, including the Lutheran, Reformed, and Anabaptist faith, as model of the church, worship, and christian behavior. Indeed, Luther affected German culture in toto , down to the very language now spoken in Germany.
The few good chapters in this book do not justify its purchase or time to read. I generally pride Sproul as a great scholar, yet this book is a shame to his name. I certainly hope that he either quits writing, or that he return to his older standards of excellence in scholarship. There is very little that I could possibly say critical of this text. Bainton provide a wonderful mix of the history of Luther, but also of the thinking and mind of Luther, providing many quotes, some even lengthy quotes, to help one understand the man ML. This text was a delight from the first to last page. It is detailed but not excessively so, giving one a feel as to Luther as a person, as a genius, as a scholar, as a husband and father, and mostly as a leader of the Reformation.
This book should be a must-read among Christians who wish to know their heritage. Now that I have lived in Puyallup for over 25 years, I decided that it would be nice to read a history of our town. This book became available at the local Costco, and at a most reasonable price. The focus is nearly entirely aimed at the central town itself, and the settlers who built the town. Many details are missing, which I presume are facts which might never be known. The book does provide brief sketches explaining why Puyallup was built the way it is.
My greatest complaint with the book is its brevity. The authors will use flowery language to explain town struggles during the war years and hardship times, such as with the hops aphid crisis. Reading past the flowery language, one wonders about the true nature of the settlers of the Puyallup valley. My second gripe relates to the focus entirely on Puyallup. Yet, Puyallup was developed in a much larger context. An explanation of the development of Sumner, Orting, Eatonville, and the now ghost towns that dot the banks of the Carbon River and Puyallup River are all of intense interest to me, and provide a greater understanding of the town of Puyallup.
What about the Indian wars, and other relations with the Indians. Other famous Indians of the area? What about the railroads? Puyallup and the surrounding towns were bustling railroad towns, and how where they developed? Even details such as when the Puyallup River was given a straight course are left out. The book is a fascinating read, and I was delighted in reading about my town history.
It has piqued interest in further exploration of the Puyallup valley and its history. I have many friends that are Muslim, and even a few relatives that are Muslim, and find them to be good people. This is solely a book review and not a person review. Each sura has a title given to it, usually taken from a word or phrase found within the sura. The title is a very poor indication as to the prevailing topic within that sura. The suras are all independent, and none of them connect with others, either preceding or following. To discuss the book, it would be easiest to discuss the prevailing themes of the book rather than individual suras.
Abdel Haleem, whom I presume is a devout Muslim as well as a scholar in both the English and Arabic language, and thus competent at the task. This particular translation has very few bad reviews, and mostly excellent reviews on amazon. It is a polemic against the heathen. There is no poetry. There is no prose.
There are no systematic discussions. There are historical reiterations of Old Testament themes, mostly from the books of Moses, but they are told in a rambling fashion, providing no historical details as might be found in the Old Testament. Mohammed occasionally refers to contemporary history, but he does not elaborate that history, so that the translator must provide footnotes to explain the situation. No sura more than several paragraphs long has a consistent theme, but is a compilation of a flow of ideas.
The repetition is intense, as sura after sura seems to say close to the same thing. There is no development of ideas, as might be found in Psalm , Ecclesiastes or Romans. Mohammed seems to have been forgetful of what he just wrote, but perhaps he was simply repeating himself to drive home a point. The entire book is more a rant against anybody opposed to Mohammed, than a thoughtful development and argument for the Muslim faith. Christians could all agree that our primary function in life is submission to God.
Thus, we would be correct in calling ourselves as Muslims, save that the word now has a very specific connotation. This is consistent with Judeo-Christian belief regarding the nature of God. There is a strong distinction between the believer and unbeliever, the faithful and unfaithful, which is also consistent with Judeo-Christian beliefs. The consequences of unfaithfulness and immoral behavior will eventually need to held in account, as this life is the only beginning of a life after death, and judgement awaits all people, some destined to the fires of hell, and others to the bliss of paradise.
This also is found in the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. That is totally correct. In the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, truth claims were also accompanied by miracles to substantiate the truth of the prophet. Muhammed is very quick and repetitive in defending the absence of miracles in his time on earth, yet he offers no other valid reason for accepting his truth claims. I have no reason to believe Mohammed over any other person claiming to offer prophecy and truth claims that supplement the Judeo-Christian Bible. Because it would be inappropriate in this book review, I did not elaborate on the differences in doctrines of the Muslim and Judeo-Christian faith.
In Judeo-Christian doctrine which I think is adequately maintained throughout the entirety of the Old and New Testaments , mercy is not something to be earned but is granted to undeserving sinners. There is a high amount of concurrence between Jewish, Christian and Muslim thinking, including the belief in only one God, a belief that God is a moral God, and a belief in an ultimate judgement. Many of the ethical statements are in accord.
So, what do we make of the Muslim faith? Historically, the Muslim faith is an offshoot of Christianity. It remains a heresy of the Judeo-Christian faith since retains much of the skeleton of its original Christian origin. Muslims seem to not really believe their own Scriptures. The question still remains… what is true? It behooves the reader to make than decision. Zach Davis wrote this book as a parallel to a similar book he wrote soon after completing the Appalachian Trail, called Appalachian Trials. Sections of this book are now written by Carly. This book focuses on the mind games that play on the hiker leading to an unsuccessful attempt to complete the entire trail.
The book emphasizes appropriate mental preparation for the hike, discusses how one can avoid the temptation to bale out and return to the comforts of house and home, but also includes the mental problems that are common among those who complete the hike. Advice is good, in that it helps to know what sort of mental issues are going to be at issue. His solutions are often in need of great personal modification.
To mentally prepare, he encourages hikers to truly examine why they are wanting to hike the trail, what they expect to get out of it, and what will be the consequences of failure. There are several addenda to the book, one written by Carly Moree on the differences in the PCT and AT and how one would adapt to those difference. I appreciated the author discussing something that is usually not addressed in planning a long thru-hike, that of the mental issues of enduring the trail.
Most people focus on gear, resupply, planning, and other matters, and this book conveniently informs one of the mental anguish that will occur, allowing the hiker to be prepared for these issues. The main author also runs a website, which is quite informative in preparing for the PCT.
It might have been nice if he had at least once done the PCT, and one could tell that much material seemed to be cut-and-pasted from the Appalachian Trials book, in that it continues to reference the AT. This book was recommended to me by Dr. Tate, and is an enjoyable read. It is a book that I wish most people who choose to be opinionated about health care problems would read.
The book is good because he hits at many of the issues that is encountered by popular medicine, whether it be conventional or alternative. So many people are deeply opinionated in things they know little about, and health care ranks at the top of the list. Chapter 1, Matter, is an attack on a potpourri of crazy alternative health options, focusing on detoxification methods. Chapter 3 Homeopathy, is explored in a bit more depth. Chapter 4 is about the placebo effect, clarifying in many ways the power of a placebo. Chapter 5, titled The nonsense du jour, explores more about issues of bad science, how studies are poorly controlled, etc.
Chapter 7, Nutritionists, develops an all out attack on people making ridiculous food claims, which are most plentiful. Chapter 8, The doctor will sue you now, goes into a personal story of Dr. Goldacre being sued by Dr. Of course, the claim is so typical, that physicians and Bid Medicine are in collusion against alternative treatments, yet alternative treatment practitioners do not repel those claims by offering a legitimate scientific study. Which leads to chapter 9, Is mainstream medicine evil? Here, Goldacre takes a hard look at big Pharma, and instances where they have twisted or concealed data.
The example used was of Vioxx, whose problem would never had been found if sloppy science was being used. But, Goldacre makes a claim that big Pharma has gone wrong in the past, and how pressures on the pharmaceutical industry will continue to manifest serious problems. In this chapter, I think that Goldacre was a little too kind to big Pharma. Yet, he also published an entire book attacking Big Pharma, so, perhaps he is leaving much to another book.
Chapter 10, Why clever people believe stupid things, summarizes why very intelligent people, including those who have had scientific training, can be so wrong with healthcare studies. Not understanding randomization and statistics, preformed bias, drawing conclusions after the fact of the study all lead to wrong conclusions. This is probably the best chapter in the book. Chapter 11, Bad Stats, hits even harder on how study design, randomization, abuse of data, lack of critical thinking, etc.
His case is strong. So, the book is good about detailing how bad science, bad statistics, and bad thinking can lead so many people including very bright people, scientists, doctors to wrong conclusions regarding issues related to health. So, what did I not like about the book?
I felt that Goldacre was completely lacking in humility, and his assumption that science can avoid issues of investigator bias are wrong. Science depends on paradigms which so often are just plain wrong. He remains hyper-critical about everybody but himself. This is the greatest failure of this book, and Ben could use a dose of humility. This is an autobiography of the conversion of Nabeel Qureshi from a devout Muslim faith to Christianity. Living in Virginia, he was challenged in his faith by a close Christian friend David Wood.
David and Nabeel met in high school, and continued on together in college, until Nabeel eventually applied to and was accepted into medical school. Through a number of years and Nabeel seeking inconsistencies in his faith, he finally had a series of dreams which led him to become a Christian. There is a lengthy appendage to the book. I appreciated this book as a means of describing the challenges of bringing a Muslim person to faith in Christ. Nabeel has written several other books, one on Jihad and another on the distinctives of Muslim versus Christian theology.
Because Nabeel grew up in the USA and to a small sect of the Muslim faith, he is somewhat lacking in seeing the result of a large community of regular Sunni or Shiite Muslims. I am not challenging Nabeel of deficits in knowledge of the Muslim faith, but note that having lived for a while in two Muslim countries Bangladesh and Extrem Nord Cameroon , my picture of the Muslim faith in those countries as can be found in most Muslim countries is less romantic than his views.
The people appear bound by an ugly task-master of an intolerant god, with joyless worship of this uncaring and merciless otherworld being. Nabeel shows a kinder, gentler Muslim faith more closely related to its Christian roots, explaining why it is dangerous to categorize all Muslims as dangerous jihadists. Note that I view the Muslim faith as a Christian heresy which it is! The only problem is in being able to sort out one from the other. Qureshi shows the reader the formidable challenge of witnessing to the Muslim.
The most important aspect is not in having an encyclopedic knowledge of Muslim faith and doctrine, but in simply being able to share clearly the Christian faith, including the resurrection of Christ, the doctrine of the trinity, the formation of the canon of Scripture, etc. Qureshi continues to write. He has appended this book to fill in 10 years of time since he first became a Christian.
He frankly discusses the problems of his family rejecting him for his faith. He discusses finishing medical school, but deciding upon going into the ministry instead, and now works with Ravi Zacharias. Only recently in the news is it known that Nabeel has an advanced gastric cancer and probably will not live too much longer. It will be sad to see the loss of such an interesting person. I ordered this book on-line in February from Amazon, and it arrived in the mail in late June. I typically appreciate how Metaxas writes, and so felt that I would enjoy reading this book. He is bright, and mostly right-on.
That discussion might be found in my review of that text. The book is seven chapters, with an introduction and epilogue. The introduction presents the topic, titled by a phrase uttered by Benjamin Franklin at the constitutional convention. Focused on that phrase, Metaxas seeks to restore through the book the zeal to keep this republic founded roughly years ago. Chapter 1 begins the argument by noting that a republic can function only in the environment of moral people.
Government cannot make us moral, and each citizen must hold the responsibility for personal morality. Chapter 2 introduces a concept borrowed by Os Guinness called the golden triangle. Specifically, the triangle is that freedom requires virtue, virtue requires faith, and faith requires freedom. Chapter 3 was simply a summary of the ministry of George Whitfield in America, leading to a spiritual revival. Chapter 4 notes how civilizations will have historical heroes that are venerated.
He discusses the American heroes that are too commonly forgotten, such as Nathanial Hale, and the founding fathers, including Paul Revere. Chapter 5 builds heavily on the importance of moral leaders, contrasting the immorality of such leaders as Bill Clinton to that of Cinncinaticus, George Washington or William Wilberforce. Chapter 6 explores further the idea of American exceptionalism, and why it is important in thinking about our country. Chapter 7 is a plea that one must love their country America in spite of its faults. He argues that you can love a country while hating the sins of that country.
Is he talking about America as a system of government? Do we love it for its extreme secularism, that refuses to take a stance as a Christian nation, and supporting equally Islam, Buddhism, and even Satanism as legitimate religions of the land? Some have responded by claiming that the US system is too far gone, and moved to a country which tended for stronger Christian sympathies. Others have moved on to more oppressive nations, though with the thought that they are subject to a King that is not the prince of this world.
Others, like myself, stay, realizing that this is my Heimat, my homeland, that I can have an influence for good in the community in which I live. I do not find America to be exceptional, but like the prophet Jeremiah, spend my time weeping that my nation could have made better decisions but have gone the way of inevitable judgment of a most serious nature. I see our government as far more corrupt than meets the eye.
I see the loss of a public Christian morality as the essential loss of anything that once was good about our country. I find it even more confusing that some of my Christian friends voted and still stand behind that man, and will soon vote in an even more evil, corrupt liar. There is much that Metaxas says correctly in this book. I appreciate his insights into American history and his dissatisfaction with the current status of our country. I appreciate his appeal to return to a moral stance. I would find it easy to get along with Metaxas if we were to meet in public, and could easily become a good friend with him.
It seemed that the time was ripe. Rainier is in many ways my favorite mountain. It is frequently acclaimed to be the most photogenic mountain in the world. My love for the mountain has extended to all seasons, doing winter ski trips into the park, spending other times hiking the trails for the day, cycling around the mountain, and always standing in awe of it. Thus, learning more of the history of the mountain was most gripping to me. Dee writes very well, and it is hard to put the book down. He chronicles the first climbs of each of the main routes, the development of the park, recounts tragedies that occurred in the park, discusses famous and interesting characters who have climbed to the summit, and discusses the challenges of the park rangers in keeping the mountain safe for all who approach its flanks.
Chapter 35, In Retrospect, hit a tender spot with me. Though my experiences on Rainier are far fewer and less intense than the author, we both share the deep sentimentality of the majesty and grandeur of the mountain, the respect for its challenges that it offers the visitor, and its desire to see it preserved from careless human ambition. Rainier to read this book, and to delight in the perspective of the mountain man on the greatest of American mountains.
This is a short but cute little book about bicycle touring. It is an easy read, taking me about 2 hours to get through it on a leisurely basis. Peter discusses cycle touring from a non-traditional perspective. Some advice is not the best, such as riding any old beat up bicycle on a long distance tour. Much advice is great, such as just getting on the bike and doing it.
This is a cute little book of 89 chapters in pages, giving advice on cycling. Santa's sleigh has a huge scratch on it! Someone must have taken it out for a joyride. The North Police are on the case! At the North Pole's annual Reindeer Games, the event's leading reindeer breaks his nose. But was it an accident or foul play?
The North Police go undercover to crack the case! The year is , and Emma Schweitzer and her family are immigrating to America in hopes of finding a better life. Their German colony in South Russia is falling under new restrictions imposed by the Russian government, and in order to escape poverty and tyranny, the family decides to move to North Dakota to live with an uncle.
Capstone Core Collection
But their journey is not an easy one. The ship is overcrowded, health inspectors can detain any family or deny them entry, and swindlers are eager to prey on new immigrants. Can Emma be strong enough to succeed in a new country where she can't even understand the language? Through Emma's story, this gripping historical novel captures the hardships immigrants faced in pursuit of the American dream.
So when Ian's dad's valuable signed baseball goes missing after a team sleepover, he can't believe it. The culprit could only be the pitcher, Hunter Yates. Not only is he new, but he has a brand new glove at practice the next day. The big game is coming up, but can Ian trust his teammates and work together to bring the team a win? His hoop dreams are in jeopardy, though, after his dad forces him to volunteer at the local senior center. When Brian discovers that George, a man at the center, used to play basketball, this is his chance to learn some moves.
Brian's working hard and even making a new friend, but will his improved skills be enough to impress the coach and make varsity? Dominic doesn't want to play soccer, but when his mom signs him up, he has no choice. So Dominic just messes around on the field during practice, even though he secretly admires the skills of Carlos, his star-player teammate. When Carlos has to miss a game, Dominic starts to think it could be his time to shine. But after his rowdy behavior, will his coach or any of his teammates trust Dominic to score big?
Oliver Jeffries is used to moving around. His dad is in the Army, and moving is just part of life. But it finally looks like they'll be staying in one place, and Oliver decides to join Jackson Middle School's football team. Things couldn't be going better: But when Oliver gets word that his family needs to move again, he's about to lose it all. Does he have the heart to lead his team to victory in one final game? Anyone who knows Ashley knows she is super-serious about her blog, Magstar, and now she has taken it up a notch with her new YouTube channel! Making the fashion and beauty videos is a total blast, and when one of her videos gets featured on a major teen mag website, she goes from amateur to overnight online celeb.
Suddenly all of the older girls at school want to be her BFF. But with everything going on, can she still find time to juggle school, family, and most of all, the Sleepover Girls? Delaney's killing it with her work on Student Council. Never one to back away from a cause, Delaney's on the case when she finds out her science lab partner is being cyber-bullied. The Sleepover Girls are happy to help work on the campaign and put a stop to the problem, but what happens when they find out one of their good friends is also a bully?
Maren's mom is head-over-heels for her new boyfriend, but Maren? It's driving her nuts to see how much time they're spending together. When she finds out they're getting married, Maren is even more annoyed. Life is still somewhat bearable thanks to her new improv comedy group and the Sleepover Girls, but everything is changing too fast for Maren. Can Maren adjust to her new home life, or will the stress be too much for her to deal with? It's finally spring break! Time to unwind and have some fun, Sleepover Girl-style.
This year spring break calls for a serious road trip. Willow's family is headed to their home in Whidbey Island, and Ashley, Maren, and Delaney are along for the ride. But when they get there, Maren is spending all her time with Winston, and Ashley's going crazy being "off the grid.
An engaging chapter book great for young readers. Now the Joker is on the loose and the city is in chaos. The heroes will have to put an end to. The Day of the Bizarros! A thrilling read for young readers. But they may have met their match when Mister Mxyzptlk makes trouble in Metropolis. Find out in this fast-paced chapter book perfect for any super hero fan. Find out in this great read for any super hero fan.
Spark assigns a project based on the question: But the more art she sees, the more mixed-up she gets, especially since bossy Olivia Snotham won't keep her opinions to herself. As Finley and Henry make some art-rageous portraits of each other, they discover the power of art, and Finley makes her mark in a Fin-tastic way. Inspired by a field trip to the art museum, Finley comes up with some Fin-tastic ideas, but her group partners, Henry and Olivia, have other plans. As they struggle with their final project, Finley and her friends discover that although they have their own unique styles, they can create something art-rageous by working together.
Eleven-year-old twins Lila and Max are leaving Earth to reunite with their parents on Mars.
The Book of Mormon
It's nearly fifty years in the future, and the Earth is dying. The damages caused by global warming are too severe to repair. So six years ago, the twin's parents were sent to the red planet on a special mission to make the land and environment habitable. Now it's time for civilians to join the scientists, and Lila and Max are among those chosen.
Will they survive the trying journey through space, and can Mars truly become humanity's new home planet? Riveting and action-packed, this speculative novel imagines the history of tomorrow as the people of Earth look to the stars in the hope of survival. Kevin is tired of being ignored. No one in school ever seems to notice him, so he decides to win the school science fair prize--no matter what it takes.
But Kevin soon finds himself up to his eyeballs in trouble. Readers won't be able to look away from the eye-popping conclusion of this tale from Professor Igor! This series of hi-lo books is sure to keep reluctant readers wide-eyed until the final page. Each book includes discussion and writing questions, a glossary, and educational back matter. A school field trip. A pit filled to the brim with fossils. A valuable shark tooth over a million years old. And one bad boy who doesn't know better than to steal from mother nature.
Modern-day sharks only live in the ocean, but Professor Igor proves that prehistoric shark bones can be found anywhere. And where there's bones, razor-sharp teeth aren't far behind. This series of hi-lo books is sure to sink its teeth into any reluctant reader--and refuse to let go until the final page. A group of friends is driving to a private lake for nighttime fishing when a meteor impacts nearby. Meteors can bring thousands of dollars to those lucky enough to find them--after all, they're just oozing with valuable minerals. But this one is oozing with something else, too--something from the darkest corners of space.
Listen up as Professor Igor shares his favorite tale of extraterrestrial terror! This series of hi-lo books is sure to grab the attention of any reluctant reader--and refuse to let go until the final page. Two brothers and their father plan a hunting trip deep in the woods when a bizarre legend about a werewolf rears its head. Is that dark shape lurking among the trees actually half-human and half-wolf?
This series of hi-lo books is sure to sink its teeth into reluctant readers--and refuse to let go until the final page. Despite his name, ten-year-old Jim Nasium is no all-star athlete. But he's determined to find the right sport for him in this hilarious and wacky chapter book adventure! This time he's trying his uncoordinated hand at basketball, and the pressure is on as Jim and his equally unskilled friends take on the most athletic kids in the school in a high-stakes tournament! Lucky for Jim, he has a move that never fails - the granny shot!
But will Jim use his secret skill to win the game and risk becoming the laughing stock of the school? Ten-year-old Jim Nasium is desperate to live up to his name and find the perfect sport to suit his yet-to-be-discovered skills! This time Jim is trying his luck on the gridiron. But how can Jim test his football skills when his schoolyard enemies are all on the starting line-up? When a late-game injury takes a player off the field, it's up to Jim Nasium, backup quarterback, to win the championship game!
Will Jim's Hail Mary pass bring his team to victory, or leave him a football disgrace? After watching a hockey game, Jim is ready to lace up some skates! But when a friend asks him to enter a couple's ice-skating contest with her, he's torn. If he helps out his friend and takes up ice-skating, what will his buddies and teammates think?
Jim Nasium is a ten-year-old on a mission to live up to his name and find the right sport that will let him shine! And with his friend's dad, a former star soccer player, as their coach, Jim is sure he'll be able to master all the fancy footwork and become an unstoppable striker. There's only one problem.
Will Jim be able to score big for the team, or will he foul out for good in this phys ed chapter book adventure? March's sister, April Hare, has just opened her bakery business and enlists March and Hammond the Pig to make her first delivery. Between March's mad obsession with speed and Hammonds appetite for her apple tarts, April will have her hands full making sure her apple tarts arrive on time--and in one piece!
March and his GT Superturbo must endure extreme conditions, deadly competitors, and an unexpected co-driver who has her own agenda! March the Hare enters into his very first professional race at Harewood Speedway and comes up against the defending World Champion, Lyca the Fox, whose skill and aggression is unrivaled. March finds help and inspiration in the unlikeliest of places--his own family. In this collection of spine-chilling tales, a doll comes to life and haunts a little girl, a young writer only has one hundred words to let others know about an approaching danger, and a boy is trapped in an underground bunker with spooky people who have been missing for years and years.
With writing prompts and discussion questions to continue the fright, you'll be spooked long after you finish reading. Don't turn off the lights when reading this collection of spine-chilling tales. A strange, silent girl who only appears in phone pictures. A school prank with a Christmas elf that goes terribly wrong. A piece of chalk that draws frighteningly fast. A boy's bone-tingling encounter with the world's most awesome toothpaste!
Our greatest fears are brought to life in this collection of spine-chilling tales. An ordinary round of the Lava Game turns terrifying. An old lodge for loggers is haunted by a miserable ghost. A boy thinks he's home alone until he finds evidence someone else is there with him. This collection of spine-chilling stories is sure to scare you silly.
A movie about alien invasion transforms into real life. A hunt in a snowy forest suddenly turns dangerous when a monster appears. A great-aunt comes back from the dead, just in time for a little girl's birthday party. In New York City J. Now Bertie is in danger. Fran is desperate to get her hands on a cousin and has enlisted the help of the Werewolf and the Invisible Man! Readers will become immersed in J. The clues lead him to his cousin, Gloria. But after a run-in with the villainous Fran, Gloria is wounded after protecting J. Now the Invisible Man has come to town to seek revenge on the Vampire, and Gloria is at risk.
The only question is. After Billy gets sent home for fighting with the bus bully, Randy, he's got extra time to do some community service. Inspired by a speech about bullies and mistreated animals from his grandmother, Billy decides to spend some time with the dogs down at the local pound.
But he soon learns that walking dogs is no picnic. Can Billy survive the heat and exercise? Can he keep the dogs on leash and out of the butcher shop? Can Billy be a good citizen to all, even the bus bully?! Worried that he'll be bored to tears by a school assembly, Billy Burger decides to bring along his own excitement—the class pet ferret, Franklin! The only problem is Franklin gets away from him, taking over the stage and leaving chaos behind.
Now Billy's in a heap of trouble, but while he waits for his punishment from his parents, he gets to spend the afternoon with his loving grandma. The wise woman has lots of funny stories, and more importantly, great ideas on how Billy might use his punishment time helping others. Can Billy turn his ferret fiasco into something good? Can shoveling snow actually be fun? Can Billy Burger really be a model citizen?!
Back matter features, including a glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts, combine with a fast-paced plot and strongly developed characters to make this a great choice for libraries. When Billy Burger gets a bad report at the doctor, his mom starts pushing fruits and veggies and cutting out the junk food. Delirious from his cravings, Billy swipes a bag of chips from the school cafeteria and devours them.
When he realizes his mistake, he rushes to pay, but it's too late. He's sent to the principal's office for stealing. Can Billy make up for his poor judgement? Can he live life with less junk food and more movement? Can he become Billy Burger, Model Citizen?!
It's raining and Billy can't stand the thought of another boring indoor recess. So he convinces his buddies to sneak into the library for a Super Samurai Showdown—some imaginary play featuring gods, samurai, and huge stacks of books. No sooner have the gates of Olympus the stacks of books fallen, than Billy is caught. Determined to make up for his poor choices and mistreatment of books, Billy organizes a book drive.
How many books can Billy collect? Who will be the drive's worthy recipient? Can books really turn Billy into a model citizen?! With an exciting, fun-filled plot and strong character development, this book is a great choice for libraries. A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts are featured in the back matter.
After a year-old boy is stricken with polio, he must wear braces on his legs and walks with a limp. He becomes sad and depressed because he can no longer participate in the activities that used to bring him joy. On top of that, bullies pick on him and make fun of him because of his disability. But when the boy learns that Franklin Delano Roosevelt also has polio and yet he is running for president, the boy is inspired to stand up to the bullies and run for student government.
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- La grâce de linstant présent - La chance du chrétien (French Edition).
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- Stiff Kitty;
- Piano Exercises For Dummies?
The Undead Family is out of brains to eat! Tourists have stopped visiting their home--a graveyard--for some time now, and the family of zombies is starving. So they venture into the Magical Forest, disguised as tourists, hoping to lure humans to an early grave!
Unfortunately, an evil witch has other plans for the crepuscular kiddies and sets up her own tourist trap. Jak and her robotic servant, Cow, are in a pickle; Mom wants Jak to sell Cow for scrap, but Cow and Jak have become best friends. So instead of selling the rusty old robot for spare change, Jak strikes a bargain with the scrap collector: But what they find in space is anything but safe--and its sounds are far from soothing.
Cora is so excited about the upcoming school swim meet — she's sure she and her friends will win the relay race. But when the team mascot goes missing, Cora is convinced her luck and talent has disappeared with it. She's determined to find the culprit before it costs her team the race. Rachel's friendship with Owen has already survived so much — namely him being a human and her being a mermaid. But lately Owen seems to be pulling away, and Rachel can't figure out why.