Island Boyz

In this rich collection, Salisbury’s love for Hawaii and its encircling sea shines through every story. Readers will share the rush a boy feels when he leaps off a cliff into a ravine or feasts his eyes on a beautiful woman. They’ll find stories that show what it takes to survive prep school, or a hurricane, or the night shift at Taco Bell, or first love. Graham Salisbury knows better than anyone what makes an island boy take chances. Or how it feels to test the waters, to test the limits, and what it’s like when a beloved older brother comes home from war, never to be the same.

"In the first chapter of Graham Salisbury: Island Boy, David Gill chronicles the labyrinthine path of Salisbury's life and career, from barefoot island boy to college dropout, from pop musician to schoolteacher, and from real estate manager to author of young adult fiction. In subsequent chapters, Gill reviews critical responses to Salisbury's work and discusses the author's plots, style, literary themes, use of archetypes, and coming-of-age stories that dominate his work. In the concluding chapter, fans are treated to a peek at some of Salisbury's future projects."--Jacket.

Here is the best guide to these sparsely populated islands. Largely untouched by tourism, they have few high-rise hotels, no time-share condos, no casinos. What they do have is unparalleled beauty, with small picturesque hotels set on beachfronts, in ancient fortresses, in the ruins of sugar mills and on lush mountainsides. On the island of Virgin Gorda, there is Little Dix Bay Resort, built by Laurance Rockefeller; Peter Island Resort occupies another island in its entirety. Among the other islands are Tortola, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and Beef. The sailing here cannot be beaten and boats gathe.

Semi, Miranda, and Arnie are part of a group of 50 British Young Conservationists on their way to a wildlife conservation station deep in the rain forests of Ecuador. After a terrifying mid-air disaster and subsequent crash, these three are the sole survivors, stranded together on a deserted tropical island. Or so they think. Semi, Miranda, and Arnie stumble into the hands of Dr. Franklin, a mad scientist who’s been waiting for them, eager to use them as specimens for his experiments in genetic engineering.

Book clubs, literature circles, and reading groups are great ways to promote literacy and books to young readers. This new guide provides everything you need to run a dynamic, no-fuss book discussion group with elementary and middle school students. Featuring 15 titles of diverse genres, it offers discussion topics and activity ideas for some of the best new reads for kids. Brought to you by the authors of the highly acclaimed Reading Rules! Motivating Teens to Read, this guide is an outstanding resource for starting and running a stellar literary discussion group—whether it's in a school, public library, or community center. Grades 4-8.

Young adult readers have special needs and concerns, and librarians have become increasingly interested in selecting books suitable for them. This reference provides information about 290 books for young adults. These books received major awards between 1997 and 2001, reflect the voices of 242 different authors, and range from new to familiar themes. Included are nearly 750 alphabetically arranged entries for individual works, authors, characters, and settings. Many of these books were originally written for adults but have become popular among younger readers. Entries for works provide plot summaries and critical assessments, while author entries focus on those aspects of the writers' lives most relevant to literature for young people. The reference is a valuable selection tool for librarians and teachers and a useful guide for students.

With the explosion in YA publishing, it’s harder than ever to separate good books from the rest. Booklist magazine’s editors’ deep and broad knowledge of the landscape offers indispensable guidance, and here they bring together the very best of the best books for young adults published since the start of the 21st century.

How did an ex-hippie chick Viet Nam War protester become a fierce soldier supporter, living in a combat zone in an increasingly unpopular war? From 2004 to 2007, Ali Elizabeth Turner had the chance of a lifetime to learn firsthand that freedom isn't free and to say a much belated "thank you" for her freedom by working in Morale, Welfare, and Recreation centers in Baghdad. She heard the stories of hundreds of Iraqis, Coalition soldiers, interpreters, Navy SEALS, Army Rangers, and contractors from around the world. She was in Baghdad for the return of Iraq to the Iraqis, Saddam's ongoing antics in court, all three Iraqi elections, and Saddam's trial and execution. No matter what you think of Operation Iraqi Freedom, you deserve to hear the stories that go beyond the politics--stories of courage, compassion, miracles, and humor. Read and see if you don't end up "singing the Ballad"!