"A great collection of stories from the author of Fight Club. In 'Zombies', the best and brightest of a high school become tragically addicted to the latest drug craze: electric shocks from cardiac defibrillators. While in 'Tunnel of Love', a massage therapist runs the curious practice of providing 'relief' to dying clients. And in 'Excursion', Fight Club fans will be thrilled to find a side of Tyler Durden never seen before."
"Chuck Palahniuk, literature’s favorite transgressive author, gives us twenty-one stories and one novella in Make Something Up, a compilation that disturbs and delights in equal measure. In “Expedition,” fans will be thrilled to find to see a side of Tyler Durden never seen before in a precursor story to Fight Club. And in other stories, the absurdity of both life and death are on full display: in “Zombies,” the best and brightest of a high school prep school become tragically addicted to the latest drug craze—electric shocks from cardiac defibrillators; in “Knock, Knock,” a son hopes to tell one last off-color joke to a father in his final moments; and in “Tunnel of Love,” a massage therapist runs the curious practice of providing “relief” to dying clients. Funny, caustic, bizarre, poignant, these stories represent everything readers have come to love and expect from Chuck Palahniuk. You’ll never forget them. Just try."
"Picked by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the unknown wilds of the Louisiana Territory, Meriwether Lewis assembles a rugged team of adventurers, including co-captain William Clark-and a Newfoundland dog named Seaman. As hunter, retriever, and guard, Seaman becomes a trusted member of the Corps of Discovery. While the team tackles raging rivers and muddy shallows, Seaman is there-sharing their hunger and fatigue. Whether Indians threaten or grizzlies roar, he stands his ground. And through mountain peak or valley deep, Seaman remains a watchful friend and determined foe. Laurence Pringle-one of America's premier nonfiction writers for young people-has garnered critical acclaim for 'turning natural history and science into page-turning reading' (Booklist). Relying on journal accounts, Pringle delivers a dog-centered narrative of the 8,000-mile Lewis and Clark expedition from its harrowing beginning to its triumphant end in 1806. To fill gaps in the historical record, Pringle imagines details of Seaman's vital role. '. a richly detailed . intriguing . treasure trove of information about the expedition and the dog that was its most unusual participant.'-Library Journal 'Full of adventure and excitement, this book contains a wonderful mix of intriguing stories and historical facts.'-Childhood Education"
"Did you know there are over 400 different species of sharks? Did you know they have been on Earth much longer than humans, and even lived before the dinosaurs? Here you'll learn all about these fearsome kings of the ocean, including their eating habits and the basics of their anatomy. Sharks come in many sizes, from under a foot long to over 40 feet-and that's not even counting the long-extinct, 60-foot-long Megalodon shark. And while some have been known to bite people, they are usually quite content to hunt other sea creatures. There are many things we still don't know about sharks, but this is an excellent jumping-off point to discover more! Winner of the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, author Laurence Pringle presents this masterful introduction to one of nature's most misunderstood, yet exciting, animals. '... [an] inviting introduction to a fascinating array of sharks.'-School Library Journal"
"When the platypus was first discovered by Europeans in the 1800s, it was well-known by Australian Aborigines-but no one knew how to classify it. It lived in the water and laid eggs like a reptile, had a bill like a bird, and was furry and warm-blooded like a mammal. Scientists had to come up with a way to solve this and many other mysteries of nature. Alaskan Polar bears sleeping in hidden underground dens caused problems for researchers wanting to drill for oil without disturbing the bears. Find out how scientists used infrared imaging to see the caves beneath the snow. One type of parrot from southern Peru munches on dirt from a riverbank each morning. Learn how these birds (and some people) use dirt as part of their diet. And also learn how a special kind of bird in Africa actually leads villagers to one of the town's main food sources, honey. This collection of articles by Jack Myers, long-time chief science editor for Highlights for Children magazine, answers some of the most interesting questions science has explored."
"Jim Lobretto has been awake for 24 hours, he’s out of gas, and he’s craving cigarettes. He’s irritable and eager to be home, so when he’s stopped by the police all he feels is annoyance. However, his next cigarette, the one he smokes while he’s waiting for the cop to get out of his car, will spark a traumatic accident and drag Jim into a chain of events which only promise unspeakable agony and pain."
"Critically acclaimed author Keith Lee Morris-who has drawn favorable comparisons to Richard Russo and Richard Ford-delivers a stunning collection of stories. In these unforgettable tales of deep humanity, the flaws and strengths of young men are explored with remarkable clarity. 'Morris's prose is polished to transparency and proves surprisingly flexible in terms of tone . marked by quiet authority and beautifully observed moments.'-Publishers Weekly"
"The fiction of Bonnie Jo Campbell has been honored with the Pushcart Prize, the AWP Award for Short Fiction, and Southern Review’s Eudora Welty Prize. In this stunning collection—a National Book Award finalist—Campbell paints unapologetically frank portraits of broken souls striving for redemption.
In rural Michigan, the American dream, if it ever existed, lies discarded like so much rusty scrap metal. For the inhabitants of Campbell’s tales, the real truth of life can be found in industrial accidents, soul-deadening labor, and the comfort of five drinks too many. But even amid the despair of meth labs and
empty pocketbooks, Campbell’s characters yearn for something, anything, to raise them above it all—and sometimes, impossibly, they find it.
“Readers … will feel salvaged and transformed by this gutsy book’s fierce compassion.”—Booklist, starred review"
"Recipient of seven Spur Awards, Elmer Kelton 'just keeps getting better and better' (Tulsa World). When a ruthless cattle baron and his men destroy Doug Monahan's property, his old friend and mentor is gunned down. Pistol whipped and now flat broke, Monahan finds refuge on the sprawling homestead of Noah Wheeler and his virtuous daughter. But Monahan refuses to quit. 'If there's an heir to the Louis L'Amour legacy, it's Kelton.'-Booklist"
"The recipient of two Spur awards, Dusty Richards is celebrated by his peers and fans alike for his exceptional Westerns. In Montana Revenge, former rancher Herschel Baker has just settled into the job as sheriff of Yellowstone County when a cowboy is hung from a tree with the words 'Hoss Steeler' pinned to his chest. It's vigilante justice, plain and simple, and it's just the sort of lawlessness that Herschel refuses to abide."
"Dusty Richards' Westerns are visceral portraits of America's past-a time when ruthless land-grabbing reddened the plains with blood. In this 2007 Spur Award winner, cattle baron Rupart MacDavis wants to bury the ranchers of Horse Creek, Montana. With the local law in his pocket, MacDavis brutalizes the town until Herschel Baker begins showing the people how to fight back."
