Park Books

The last word was every bit as incredible as the first...WOW! That Brookie on the cover would hit the spot right now... I'm pretty hungry... unfortunately it's only an image printed on paper... not very satisfying or tasty for that matter. The main thing you need to know about this book is that it's ultimately just a bunch of words on paper; like most other books. And hidden beneath this thin veil of "outdoor writing" is really just a silly lesson in Yin and Yang philosophy, as the words of the book depend upon and are largely defined by the Old Growth Forest paper that they are printed upon. And vice versa. Whatever. Spend some money. Check it out. You might be disappointed... then again,you just might not. Besides, everyone needs an extra book or two to fill those annoying gaps that appear in your bookcases when somebody pulls out another book to read, or to slap a fly with, or to use as a temporary, mobile writing platform. Happy reading!

Callan's a great storyteller, but this is not just a storybook. He's a great guide, but this is not just a guidebook. Callan beautifully combines the two worlds in BT&BF to lend the reader a guidebook with stories that whet the appetite for an Algonquin trip. Callan gives the reader several options for weekend or week-long trips in the park and spices the descriptions up with his great storytelling ability. The only drawback is the lack of an index where one could compare trip length, difficulty, etc. in a table format instead of having to leaf back and forth through the book, but don't let that dissuade you. This is an excellent resource for the Algonquin canoeist.

This book is hard to set down once you get started.

If you have connections with this community you will want to look up your friends, school, church and neighborhood.

Highly recommended for history buffs.

In the State of MINNESOTA, within HENNEPIN County, a BROOKLYN Township attracted farmers for the excellent soil and POTATOES became a major crop. Two major cities, BROOKLYN PARK and BROOKLYN CENTER were formed and this book gives the history of settlers for both towns. Farms, founding settlers, MAPS and more. When it was produced in 2001, about 40-50% of the 600 page volume was held for notes by more recent farm families with an emphasis on those that had roots to the 1800's. A great genealogy resource!

This National Park Mystery is different from all the other ones. The story actually spends more time talking about the foster kid, Nicky Milano. If you enjoy the National Park Mysteries, and like the story about the kids verses the mystery, then this book is for you. It just gives so much more detail. Remember, there are eleven other books before this one.
The thing with this book is that it is so suspenseful to see if the Landon kids and Nicky Milano will survive. (...). That's when Nicky stops lying, and tells Jack and Ashley the real story of his dangerous, hidden life, and his father, an ex-criminal.
I liked this book because I think it had more emotion in it. This story's foster kid really bonded with Jack and Ashley. The only thing with this last book is that I think the author rushed it. I mean, the bad guy goes right out and says he did it. Where's the mystery? Other than that, it was great. So read all the other Mysteries in our National Parks.

I thought this book book was a good book. It probably is one of the best in the series. It is heart pounding suspenseful,thrilling and full of action. It was heart pounding and suspenseful because when the avalanche comes they get freaked.




This book is about Jack and Ashley going Alaska's Denali National Park and Reserve to investigate the death of two male wolverines. They bring a boy named Nickey Milano and Jack gets suspicious about him when Nickey says that he is crazy and they don't know what they are dealing with. They get to their cabin and the next mourning Jack and Ashley go out in the snow to see a moose but Nickey finds them and they find out that his dad is in the CIA but jack knows he is lying. They get to Denali and a man named Chaz has agreed to take them on a dog sled ride to wonder lake while Olivia is studying the dead wolverines. They next thing the Landon kids and Nickey know the is they see Chaz riding away leaving them stranded in the middle of Alaska's wilderness. Suddenly they hear a roaring sound what is it AVALANCH! Can the the three of them escape the roaring mass of snow or will they be buried alive.


I recommend this book to a 8-13 year old or someone who likes mystery books.

I can't say enough good things about this series of board books ("Busy Park," "Busy Garden," etc.) by Rebecca Finn. My daughter has loved them since we started reading them to her at about nine months old. She is now two and they still entertain her in the car when we bring them along. Each colorful two-page spread has something for little fingers to manipulate (for example, "Busy Park" has a tab that slides up to make animals appear in a tree, a dial that turns to make fish swim around in a pond, a tab with clouds on it that reveals a rainbow underneath when it is pulled out, etc.).

The opportunities for language input that these books provide for babies and toddlers is fabulous. As a parent and former speech therapist I am always on the lookout for stimulating books for the birth-to-three age group, and these are perfect. They are rich in age-appropriate vocabulary without being too visually complex. The simple, rhyming text refers to one of the main aspects of a scene (e.g., the animals that appear in a big tree), but it is easy to expand the language input by talking about other features (such as a boy and girl looking at the animals, their mom pushing a stroller down a path, a bird in another little tree, etc.). The everyday relevance of the pictures/vocab, the melodic text, and the fun of trying to work the tabs, dials, etc. make these books truly engaging for a small child.

These books are also much more sturdy than any other board books I have seen that contain flaps/tabs (in our case this has been a very good thing since they have been read and played with over and over again!). The moveable parts are made out of the same sturdy board book material as the rest of the book, so they stand up to the abuse doled out from even the youngest hands. I can't ask for more from a board book -- fun, entertaining, durable, and a great teaching tool too! I plan to buy books from this series as gifts for all the babies and toddlers I know.

We bought this book for our two year old daughter on a whim in the bookstore. Since we brought it home two weeks ago, she insists on having it at the table with her when she eats, clutching it when she sleeps, and taking it with her EVERYWHERE she goes!

The thing she likes most about the book is the fact that she can move the pieces (very easily) by herself. The concept is simple and the illustrations show pictures of things she can identify herself. In essence, as a two year old, she can read the book herself.

It's also not so annoying as other books, so you don't mind reading it over and over (and over!). Highly recommended. The moving pieces, combined with the cute and colorful illustrations make this well worth the money!

"The Lost World" is one of the best books I have ever read. I think the characters such as Sarah Harding, Ian Malcolm, and Jack Thorne are very strong, and they seem like people you could actually meet once you get into the book. The point of the book is to continue "Jurassic Park", because of the ways Crichton comments about John Hammond's dreams. They never quite come true , though. The Lost World is his "dirty little secret", where the dinosaurs were actually bred, and sent to Isla Nublar. It is much different than the original, and I think it has much more action, unlike Malcolm's droning in "Jurassic Park", which could be exceptionally boring. "The Lost World" is ultimately my favorite book, and I would advise others to read it as well.

The Lost World is one of the best books ever.It has everithing you can ask from a book.You may not take my suggestion seriosly, but it's really worth a try.

California's coastline is long and holds many historic towns and beaches of all kinds: here to describe the best spots between Oregon and Mexico is the comprehensive CALIFORNIA'S COASTAL PARKS: A DAY HIKER'S GUIDE. From family walks and hikes to beaches and off-beat day treks, over a hundred walks cover a range of regions and activity levels and come with maps, trailhead directions, and descriptions of the hike.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Aside from many years as the hiking columnist for the LA Times, John McKinney's main claim to fame is scouting out the route for the California Coastal Trail, a Mexico to Oregon Trail, which will hopefully be completed within the next 20 years or so. California does have some dramatic coast, and state beaches and parks preserve over a third of it. Still, with all the development along the coast any final route for the Coastal Trail will include some less than stellar urban settings. The great benefit of this book is that McKinney provides a comprehensive list and description of the best California Coastal areas and trails.

Most of the hikes described in this book are 5 miles or less, and longer routes usually include shorter alternative destinations. The maps are for the most part adequate and McKinney also devotes considerable space to the local history of each area. Using this guide, one could literally day hike the best of the Coastal Trail over the course of one or two summers skipping only the less scenic and difficult to access points. For this reason alone the book is worth the purchase price. But McKinney also includes walks in inland wildlands including Henry Cowell and Big Basin Redwoods, Limekiln State Park, the Ventana Wilderness, and Redwood National Park. In all it is a stellar introduction to California's wonderful coast. This is by far McKinney's best guidebook.

This is a book for people who listen when Katahdin calls and you answer by visiting, camping or living near this majestic mountain! A great read and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

In 1947, when Ed Werler and his wife Mary Jane, along with their two dogs, Pepper and Mickey, arrived in Maine from Connecticut, they knew that this is where they wanted to be.
Although his goal was to own or operate a sporting camp in Maine, he took a job as a fire tower watchman on Daicey Mountain so that he could be closer to the area he wanted to live in.

As it turned out, he never did own a sporting camp, and it was years before he got the chance to operate one, and that was for only one season.

While the reality differed somewhat from the dream, as often happens, Ed was able to raise his family in one of the most beautiful places on the planet - the Katahdin area of Maine.

The Call of Katahdin: Life in Werler's Woods is the story of the almost thirteen years that Ed and MJ Werler were to spend in this area, from 1947 to 1960, when he accepted a position as Park Manager at Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth and moved south.

Told in a simple, clear and compelling story-telling manner, Werler's account is a 176 page chronicle of his life here, from his summers on Daicey Mountain, his winters in Stacyville, and his move from Daicey Mountain to the park service as a Park Ranger for Baxter State Park, including a move to Smith Pond in the fall of 1956.

His stories of Katahdin area places and people who he had come to know, his record of a simpler but harder time, and his tales of the North Woods in general should appeal to anyone.

As a student of history, I loved it. As someone who may have been born and raised in the Katahdin area, perhaps even related to some of the characters contained in this book, I think you'll enjoy it.

RL Stine has done it again with this book series. Rotten School books are an excellent choice for all kids. Especially if you are trying to get them interested in chapter books. My kids love this!!

My son is almost 10 years old and "devours" the Rotten School series. He can't wait for # 16 to be published in January 08. I pay a fortune in shipping charges to order them from Lebanon, but it's (he's) worth it.

Camp is for the Camper is the perfect personal assistant for camp counselors who want to learn more about the youth who come to camps, who want to organize themselves to be an effective leader at summer camp and who want to solve typical camper issues. The book fits easily into a backpack and can go almost everywhere the counselor goes.

Being a camp counselor is a tremendous experience, yet it can be stressful if they are not well prepared to deal with the many and varied behaviors of campers. Camp is for the Camper gives counselors quick, easy options to address many regular situations.

Catalina Island Camps bought a copy for each counselor and I can see how they will refer to it many times to help get ideas about how to best meet the needs of individual campers and their whole cabin group.

Often it hardest for a counselor to come ask a supervisor for help because they don't want to look as if they can't do their job. Of course, we train counselors to ask for help, but many still don't ask and since we know they want to do well, they will probably turn to this book for ideas and solutions.

The book reiterates many of the things we talk about in staff orientation, but we always wonder if counselors really took it to heart. For many counselors, reading a similiar message written by ACA professionals will give them a second chance to understand many critical issues to the success of our camp.

Along with the Camp is for the Camper Online course, this is a powerful training tool for every camp counselor in every camp across the country.

If you are a counselor, you will find it very useful. If you are a director, buy it for your staff!

This book offers suggestions for almost any situation that may arise with a camper. It not only offers help with dealing with one, but how to prevent it in the first place. Another useful feature is the inclusion of a "psychological roadmap" of each age group, their needs, and how to help them get the most of the camp experience. It's a great supplement to any Staff Manual. Order a copy for each of your staff!

Sometimes we only have a few moments to read when on camp-outs. It needs to be handy, packable, and satisfying. This little companion book is packed with helpful hints, fun poems, and short stories - to read alone or to share with others. You don't need a bookmark, because they're all a joy to re-visit. I started mine on a trip, then came home to finish the book by reading a few pages every night. Enjoyable for any age.

Sometimes we only have a few moments to read when on camp-outs. It needs to be handy, pack-able, and satisfying. This little companion book is packed with helpful hints, fun poems, and short stories - to read alone or to share with others. You don't need a bookmark, because they're all a joy to re-visit. I started mine on a trip, then came home to finish the book by reading a few pages every night! Enjoyable for any age