This is a cute little book that little children who like bears will probably like. It is illustrated with watercolor paintings by a competent artist. This book basically tells the story of Samson and how he came to be a Southern California legend. I only wish there were more than two (small) photographs of the bear. But overall, the book is short enough and well illustrated to keep the attention of a young child. My three year old likes it and it made a nice memento of our visit to the Orange County Zoo. Even though Samson is now gone, he is still remembered.

The lushious paintings of John Bulter invite the reader into a story about Shadow and her 3 day old baby fawn. When Shadow goes off for food and water, she pushes the head of the fawn down. Instinctively the fawn then knows he must keep low and hide while his mother hunts. Unfortunately, mother fox Redflank was trying to provide for her young when she spotted the fawn. Hearing the pheasant's call of alarm, Shadow speeds home and proceeds to attack Redflank, jumping on her with her long, strong legs, hitting her with her hooves. Shadow indeed prevails, and life will continue for her newborn fawn.

This book is awesome! The author of the book went into great detail about his characters and the events that happened to them! If you are looking for a book that has amusement, suspense, thrils, and chills, Shadowcastle is the book for you! Once you start reading this, you'll never put it down!

"Spirit of the Siskiyous" is a rare, precious book by a woman with a keen sense of observation and perception. Not only can she translate her knowledge and insights in words, but she can also enhance her writing with drawings and watercolors that visually capture the often profound subtilities of flowers, seasons, bugs and birds. The book is one to be read slowly so that it can be enjoyed graciously. It's a small gem, one that will delight and enlighten its readers.

" Steaming Through Smoke and Fire; True tales of Shipwreck and Disaster on the Great Lakes" is a good book' Though sometimes it makes me feel a bit disgusted when it tells about flying flesh, and sad when the Captain's pet terrier goes down with the ship. As you can see I am a dog lover. All in all I give it 4 stars. A star taken away for some gore and sadness, the Terrier

Long before the late David Brower's environmental activism at the helm of the Sierra Club and after led to his designation as the 'arch-druid,' John Muir was making epic journeys through the (then much more truly wild) wilderness of the U.S. western states and jotting down his observations as well as his thoughts on Nature and life in general. "Steep Trails" is a collection of pieces covering Muir's various travels through and about Northern California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington and the Grand Canyon. Writing mainly in the second half of the 19th century, Muir describes the terrain and its characteristics in simple and effective prose, but with the meticulous attention to detail and accuracy of a hard-nosed naturalist. One also cannot help but be impressed with the fact that Muir usually set off on his wilderness treks (often during the winter) with only the most meager of supplies and without the high-tech equipment and various Gore-Tex accoutrements deemed indispensible by today's rugged outdoorsmen. What comes out of Muir's writings and sets him apart from most of his contemporaries is his view that America's vast natural wealth and beauty should be appreciated in and of themselves, above and beyond their functional and economic value as natural resources to be exploited. Despite his firm belief in 'progress' and 'civilization' as these terms were understood in the nineteenth century (hence his often disparaging commments about the local Indians), at several points Muir showed that he understood the potential dangers of excessive economic development and industrialization.

I read the condensed Readers Digest version of this book years ago when I was in my early teens and loved it. I always thought it would make a good TV movie or mini-series akin to The Awakening Land with Elizabeth Montgomery. It's about homesteaders at the turn of the century, several very different people who have to make a place to live in the forest. They all have different motives, different experiences, and ultimately different outcomes. I highly recommend this book for anyone!

Ferguson sets out on a tour to experience life in some of Americas most significant forests and woods. In each he camps out, hikes, takes notes, but most importantly, interviews people who have lived their entire lifetimes in the wilderness; farmers, sportsmen, forest rangers and moonshiners. from Maine to Appalacia to Minnesota's border lakes and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Ferguson is a master storyteller, painting word pictures which allow the reader to "see" life in the woods. His writing is crisp and clear and moves at a brisk pace. As I listened to this book I was reminded of Charles Karault's "On The Road" series, filled with colorful tales, generous sprinkles of humor and a sense of discovery on each page. If you love the outdoors, you will love this book. If you have never been in the woods, this book will make you wonder why.

My children enjoyed reading about how animals think and talk to each other,and every story had a lesson for us to learn. It is simply written and easy for each child to understand, the lesson in each story is hidden but the child will get the meaning without being told. It is good reading for children from 4 years on up to those that are still young at heart. I enjoyed reading the stories to my children. There is also facts about the animals habits and I found it interesting because these are the animals from my area. Oklahoma has many interesting wild animals and Ms. Abernathy brought them into our home, and we can look at them differently now.

A must! Some of the stories will be familiar to those who have the anthology Tatterhood. Forest skillfully weaves music, song and story together to create a mesmerizing tape. Great for both boys and girls. These are stories with humor, courage and action that bear listening to over and over again.