Fearless World Traveler

Scientist. Artist. Rule-breaker. The vibrant and daring life of Marianne North by the award-winning author of Super Women and Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World. In 1882, Marianne North showed the gray city of London paintings of jaw-dropping greenery like they'd never seen before. As a self-taught artist and scientist, Marianne North subverted Victorian gender roles and advanced the field of botanical illustration. Her technique of painting specimens in their natural environment was groundbreaking. The legendary Charles Darwin was among her many supporters. Laurie Lawlor deftly chronicles North's life, from her restrictive childhood to her wild world travels to the opening of the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens to her death in 1890. The North gallery at Kew Gardens remains open to the public today. Becca Stadtlander's award-winning lush, verdant artwork pairs wonderfully with the natural themes. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students

Twelve-year-old Nell Perkins and her brothers journey deep into the Wicked Places where Nightmares reside to rescue their mother, who was taken by witches and turned into a bird.

Travelling the world is an exhilarating, eye-opening, life-affirming experience. But it can also be scary to even think about. There are language barriers, borders to cross, planes to fly in, and of course, the mystery of an unknown land. It can be difficult to take the chance, even when you’re yearning for adventure. This inspirational collection of true travel stories proves that the best journeys are to be had when you feel the fear but go anyway. From a nervous flier anxiously taking to the skies for the first time to a female traveller braving the Middle East, from a death-defying hike on an Indonesian volcano to the anxious freedom of finding yourself alone on the other side of the world, these stories are certain to send you looking for your passport. Created by the popular travel writing website, Intrepid Times, as part of an international writing competition that saw entries pouring in from across the globe, Fearless Footsteps is travel writing at both its most exhilarating and its most introspective. Covering every continent from Africa to Antarctica, these carefully selected stories get to the heart of what it means to be a traveller and see the world with courage, open-mindedness, and relentless curiosity.

Like the instant classic The Last American Man, Fearless is the story of a remarkable individual who accepts no personal limits—including fear. Freya Hoffmeister, a forty-six-year-old former sky diver, gymnast, marksman, and Miss Germany contestant, left her twelve-year-old son behind to paddle alone and unsupported around Australia—a year-long adventure that virtually every expert guaranteed would get her killed. She planned not only to survive the 9,420-mile trip through huge, shark-infested seas, but to do it faster than the only other paddler who did it. As journalist and expert kayaker Joe Glickman details the voyage of this Teutonic force of nature, he captures interminable days on the water and nights camped out on deserted islands; hair-raising encounters with crocs and great white sharks; and the daring 300-mile open-ocean crossing that shaved three weeks off her trip. For 332 days Glickman followed Freya’s journey on her blog—along with a far-flung audience of awestruck, even lovesick, groupies—as she took on one terrifying ordeal after the next. In the end, he says, “her vanity and pigheadedness paled next to her nearly superhuman ability to master fear and persevere.”

In this smart, funny, and inspiring memoir, Denise Donlon recounts her journey as a corporate leader at the forefront of the massive changes in the Canadian music and media industries. One of Canada’s most celebrated and dynamic corporate leaders and broadcasters, Denise Donlon has long been recognized as a trailblazer in the Canadian cultural industries. In Fearless as Possible (Under the Circumstances), Donlon chronicles her impressive and storied career at MuchMusic, Sony Music Canada, and CBC English Radio, which put her at the forefront of the massive changes in the music industry and media. Throughout her incredible journey, she shares colourful and entertaining stories of growing up tall, flat, and bullied in east Scarborough; interviewing musical icons such as Keith Richards, Run-DMC, Ice-T, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Annie Lennox, and Sting; and detailing her life-changing experiences with War Child Canada, Live8, and the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership. Told with humour and honesty, Fearless as Possible (Under the Circumstances) is a candid memoir of one woman’s journey, navigating corporate culture with integrity, responsibility, and an irrepressible passion to be a force for good.

Ilvie Little, the curious elf, has had enough of the beautiful but boring land of the elves and decides to discover the big, wide world.Together with her friends, a cook, and two twinkling companionsthe grumpy dog Sammy and the gluttonous monkey Theoshe wants to solve an ancient riddle.To do this, she must polish up a dusty old ship and go on the search for a lost treasure, withstanding any and all resistance along the way. But the fearless friends conquer all danger.A magical story for strong kids and those who want to become stronga fantastic, courage-inspiring book for reading out loud and reading yourself. For cool kids from 5-99.

Scientist. Artist. Rule-breaker. The vibrant and daring life of Marianne North by the award-winning author of Super Women and Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World. In 1882, Marianne North showed the gray city of London paintings of jaw-dropping greenery like they'd never seen before. As a self-taught artist and scientist, Marianne North challenged gender roles and advanced the field of botanical illustration. Her technique of painting specimens in their natural environment was groundbreaking. The legendary Charles Darwin was among her many supporters. Laurie Lawlor deftly chronicles North's life, from her restrictive childhood to her wild world travels to the opening of the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens to her death in 1890. The North gallery at Kew Gardens remains open to the public today. Becca Stadtlander's award-winning lush, verdant artwork pairs wonderfully with the natural themes. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students

A biography of the pioneering scientist and environmentalist, Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring. "Once you are aware of the wonder and beauty of earth, you will want to learn about it," wrote Rachel Carson. Determined and curious even as a child, Rachel Carson's fascination with the natural world led her to study biology, and pursue a career in science at a time when very few women worked in the field. This lyrical, illustrated biography follows Carson's journey—from a girl exploring the woods, to a woman working to help support her family during the Great Depression, to a journalist and pioneering researcher, investigating and exposing the harmful effects of pesticide overuse. Best known for writing Silent Spring, Rachel Carson was a major figure in the early environmental movement, and her work brought a greater understanding of the impact humans have on our planet. Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World offers a glimpse at the early life that shaped her interest in nature, and the way one person's determination can inspire others to fight for real change. An author's note delves into how Silent Spring helped shape the modern environmental movement and inspired a generation of readers to get involved in conservation. Detailed source notes and a list of recommended reading are included. A National Sciencce Teachers Association Outstanding Science Trade Book A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year