Vison the mink, the bully of his litter, strikes out on his own after the sudden death of his mother Vison the mink has fought for everything—food, shelter, survival—almost from birth. The largest of his litter, he bullied his smaller sisters and was the first to venture out of the den. Returning home after hunting one day, Vison and his mother are cornered by Urocyon the gray fox. With no way out, Vison’s mother attacks the fox with full force, allowing Vison to escape. Back in the den, the mink kits wait for their mother, but she does not return. Bored with his weak sisters, Vison abandons them and leaves the den for good. But his mother still had much left to teach her kits about life in the wilderness. Has Vison learned enough to survive? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Sycamore Will wants a pet dog so badly—but a pet skunk might be just as nice!  On a farm in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, Meph the skunk and his littermate, just three days old, are caught in a flash flood and nearly drown in the cold waters. By the time their mother comes to their rescue, only Meph can be saved. Sycamore Will, tired of being ordered around the farm by his father, is building a fire in the hearth of the summer kitchen when he hears a scratching sound. To his delight, he finds Meph trying to dig into the foundation from the cellar! Will becomes determined to adopt the little skunk as a pet—but he’ll have to contend with Meph’s mother first. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

From the most celebrated children’s nature writer of our time comes a posthumous new novel in the tradition of her Newbery award-winning *Julie of the Wolves* In 1848 in Barrow, Alaska, a young Eskimo boy witnesses a rare sight—the birth of a bowhead, or ice whale, that he calls Siku. But when he unwittingly guides Yankee whalers to a pod of bowhead whales, all the whales are killed. For this act, the boy receives a curse of banishment. Through the generations, this curse is handed down. Siku, the ice whale, returns year after year, in reality and dreams, to haunt each descendant. The curse is finally broken when a daughter recognizes and saves the whale, and he in turn saves her. Told in alternating voices, both human and whale, Jean Craighead George’s last novel is an ambitious and touching take on the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the earth they depend on.

Jean Craighead George's Newbery Medal-winning classic about an Eskimo girl lost on the Alaskan tundra now features bonus content. This edition, perfect for classroom or home use, includes John Schoenherr's original scratchboard illustrations throughout, as well as extra materials such as an introduction written by Jean Craighead George's children, the author's Newbery acceptance speech, selections from her field notebooks, a discussion guide, and a further reading guide.Julie of the Wolves is a staple in the canon of children's literature and the first in the Julie trilogy. The survival theme makes it a good pick for readers of other wilderness stories such as My Side of the Mountain, Hatchet, or Island of the Blue Dolphins.To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.Miyax tries to survive...

Doug is enchanted by the water birds of Gothic Valley—but can he save them from the cruel forces of nature? Doug is visiting his grandfather, Whispering Bill, in the Colorado Rockies for the summer. Bill is the only prospector left in the ghost town of Gothic, once a center of gold mining, and he hopes to pass his knowledge along to his young grandson. Meanwhile, the water ouzels have begun to return to the valley. Doug is fascinated as he watches a pair of ouzels, Cinclus and Teeter, building their nest and laying eggs. But the nest is too close to the water’s edge. Can Doug protect the birds and their brood from the forces of nature? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

June Pritchard and her pet sparrow hawk, Zander, are both caught between following the rules and spreading their wings to fly June Pritchard spends every summer with her aunts, uncles, and cousins in the big Victorian house that belonged to her grandfather. But the summer she turns thirteen, something has changed. Her mother is imposing new rules on her, and she starts to feel the thrill—and burden—of growing up. When June is given a sparrow hawk to train as a pet, she takes on the task, eager to prove she can be reliable. But Zander the sparrow hawk is as resistant to new rules as June is herself. Together, they must navigate the fine line between responsibility and freedom. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

In the ancient forest, Bubo, a great horned owl, is the undisputed ruler—feared and despised For a year, the birds and other creatures of the forest have lived in peace and freedom. Then one night, the great horned owl Bubo comes back to claim his territory, shattering their calm. No one is safe from the reach of the tiger-bird—not even Felis, the house cat. Black Talon, another great horned owl, welcomes Bubo’s return. She has been waiting for a mate in order to start a family of her own. But in the wild, nothing can be taken for granted, and the other animals see the unhatched owlets as a chance for revenge. As Bubo and Black Talon try to defend their young against their enemies, the struggle for survival becomes an all-out battle. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Chief Half-an-Ear, the oldest mouse in the woods, is being hunted by all the animals of the forest, who follow his tracks through the snow. But when they reach the end of his trail, none of the animals can find the little mouse chief. Then another hunter appears in the woods—this one on two legs, not four. He follows the tracks left by the weasel, the skunk, the raccoon, and the fox, but where the others found a dead end, the two-legged hunter finds just what he was hoping for. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Vulpes the red fox is quick, curious, and clever—but is he any match for humans?  Vulpes the red fox is the cleverest and boldest kit in his litter. From an early age, his curiosity has driven him to explore the woods and waterways around the Potomac River, where he was born. He watches his parents, especially his father, a fearless hunter, and quickly learns how to survive. One day, he smells a new and unfamiliar animal. As two boys come up through the woods, Vulpes is snatched away by his mother while his father crouches in the tall grass, hidden. What creature could have frightened his brave parents so much? Vulpes decides he has to find out more. But will his curiosity cost him his life? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Marcus Kulick and Melissa Morgan are prepared to defy their families to be together. But will their families ever let them go? Sixteen-year-old Marcus Kulick has two great dreams: to capture and kill Old Gore, the most prized mountain goat in Hungry Bear Valley, and to marry Melissa Morgan, the daughter of his father’s sworn enemy. But when a chance encounter with Melissa’s brother, Will, turns violent, and Will falls off the mountainside to his death, Marcus and Melissa are separated, perhaps forever. The next fall, Marcus takes a job at the state research station on the Jaw Mountain, hoping to track down Old Gore in his spare time—and to see Melissa, who is secretly working nearby. Reunited, Melissa and Marcus visit her Aunt Jerome, a justice of the peace who agrees to marry the young couple. But family feuds die hard, and Marcus and Melissa must make a difficult choice between love and family loyalty. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Procyon, a young raccoon, explores the woods, has great adventures, and learns to survive in the world around him Procyon, a raccoon born in a forest in Minnesota, lives happily with his mother, brother, and two sisters. He spends his days playing in the woods around their den, learning to find larvae and crayfish in the streambeds, and to avoid predators like Otus, the screech owl. But eventually the little raccoon must leave his family to make his own way in the world, relying on all that his mother has taught him. Suddenly, Procyon’s littermates are his rivals—for food, for shelter, and for a mate. Evading humans as well as wild predators, Procyon uses his instincts and natural cunning to do what all animals must: survive and thrive. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Craig and his friends have a big secret—they’ve built a real, working rocket. But will the countdown to takeoff begin before they’re discovered? Best friends Craig, Steve, Johnny, and Phil have spent months building a rocket—not some model or a toy, but a real rocket, with boosters and a launch pad and a remote control panel. Even better, they’ve managed to pull off the whole project in secret. The boys can’t wait to launch their rocket . . . but then their parents find out what they’ve been up to and tell the police. When they see how sophisticated the rocket really is, the police insist on inspecting all the blueprints and calculations, and the boys find themselves in a lot of trouble. Will their project go up in smoke? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Jean Craighead George, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.