Nature Adventure

If you have never ridden a mule along a 48-inch wide trail whose ledge drops off, in places, 700 feet to the Colorado River, straight down, you may have difficulty picturing the temporary insanity that leads otherwise responsible adults to sign away the remainder of their natural life expectancy just for the chance to see the Grand Canyon's natural beauty close-up.

Erik Carlson's life is going great. He's just passed his Hunter Safety Course and is scheduled to make his first hunting trip with his best friend, Patrick, that very weekend. His plans are shattered by the news that his parents, who are Army Reservists, have been unexpectedly called for duty in Iraq. With almost no warning, Erik is shipped off to North Dakota to stay with grandparents he barely knows. Though his grandmother is warm and welcoming, his grandfather, Big Darrell, is cold, gruff, and distant.

Joe Simpson, with just his partner Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed west face of the remote 21,000 foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck. A few days later, Simon staggered into base camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead.

A civil war rages between the Glorious Path - a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier - and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.

When Queenie the cat wins first place in a feline beauty contest at the county fair, Arthur the dog expects her to be snootier than ever. (Even though she barely beat out another cat who looked almost exactly like her.) Yet when Queenie returns from the fair, she seems oddly nice and sociable - almost like she's had a personality change! The humans chalk up Queenie's good mood to her recent win, but Arthur knows the truth. He can tell from the smell that this friendly Queenie is an imposter!

Brilliant is about humor in the face of hard times, a perfect story for families to listen to together, by an author whose keen sense of human frailty and resilience has resulted in many beloved books for adults and children.

David Roberts, "veteran mountain climber and chronicler of adventures" (Washington Post), has spent his career documenting voyages to the most extreme landscapes on earth. In Limits of the Known, he reflects on humanity's - and his own - relationship to extreme risk. Part memoir and part history, this book tries to make sense of why so many have committed their lives to the desperate pursuit of adventure.

Bowser is a dog detective on the loose, paired with an 11-year-old girl, Birdie. Bowser and Birdie live on the Louisiana coast with Birdie's Grammy. When a prize stuffed marlin is stolen from Grammy's bait and tackle shop, Birdie and Bowser decide to take on the case. But what looks like a straightforward break-in soon becomes as tangled as a tourist's fishing line.

What makes Isaiah so unique? First, his fur is as blue as the sky - which until recently was something he'd never seen, but had read all about. That's right - Isaiah can read, and write. He can also talk to humans, if any of them are willing to listen! After a dramatic escape from a mysterious laboratory, Isaiah is separated from his "mischief" (which is the word for a mouse family), and has to use his special skills to survive in the dangerous outdoors, and hopefully find his missing family.

Boondocking has gained an incredible amount of popularity as more and more people tire of overcrowded campgrounds and take to the backroads of America's public lands in search of peace, solitude, and free - yes, free - camping. Your RV is your key to accessing the remote yet highly sought-after seclusion and tranquility of camping in the wild outdoors.

United once again, Toklo, Lusa, Kallik, and Ujurak continue across the ice. Conditions are harsh and especially treacherous for the black bear and grizzly bears who are not used to the brutal cold, never-ending snow, and limited food. But the bears are certain now that they're on the right course, and with the stars still guiding them, they push forward. When they reach land at last, the group is overjoyed, but something is not right....

One of the most beloved characters in children's literature, Peter Cottontail is up to his long-whiskered nose in rib-tickling escapades in this delightful classic. With gentle charm and humor, famed storyteller Thornton W. Burgess draws young listeners into the timeless world of the Green Forest, the Smiling Pool, and the Purple Mountains.

Timoté est un petit lapin qui partage les préoccupations des enfants de son âge. Les petits pourront s'identifier à ce héros très attachant qui leur offrira, en miroir, les émotions de leur vie quotidienne. À travers les aventures de cet adorable lapin, mais aussi de ses parents, de ses grands-parents et de son doudou, les petits lecteurs grandiront, deviendront autonomes, découvriront le monde et y trouveront leur place.

Sam discovers a lost palomino in a spooky ghost town. The horse looks like a mirage, but also looks well cared for, and even familiar. Could it be the missing horse from her best friend's ranch? Sam needs to get the mare back home safely, but there might be something trying to stop her - her other best friend, the Phantom Stallion.

As Samantha and her friends prepare for a charity horse race, they're very excited. Sam is riding Ace, and her race partner, Jake, plans to train a pinto filly running free on reservation lands. But the wild pinto has other plans. When the filly escapes and runs off with the Phantom, Sam is torn. If she helps Jake, she's taking the filly away from the Phantom. Will she betray her friend or her wild horse?

When Samantha rescues a beautiful draft horse from an auction, she's sure he'll be perfect to groom for resale. The giant horse - named Tinkerbell! - is so big, Sam can barely saddle him. He's great at jumping - over pasture fences. Will he be helpful at a ranch or too much to handle? Then disaster strikes River Bend, and it's Sam who needs help. And just in time to save the day, Tinkerbell's true strength is revealed.

Bess, the highway pony, is very good at robbing the carriages and loves life just the way it is. Can Olivia and Eliza help break the spell that is making Bess so naughty, and prove that crime really doesn’t pay?

Harriet Hamsterbone is not your typical princess. She may be quite stunning in the rodent realm (you'll have to trust her on this one), but she is not so great at trailing around the palace looking ethereal or sighing a lot. She finds the royal life rather...dull. One day, though, Harriet's parents tell her of the curse that a rat placed on her at birth, dooming her to prick her finger on a hamster wheel when she's 12 and fall into a deep sleep. For Harriet, this is most wonderful news: It means she's invincible until she's 12!

It began as a dream, a quest for the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, a mythic place where each night an order of owls rises to perform noble deeds. There Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger hope to find inspiration to fight the evil that dwells in the owl kingdom.

The journey is long and harrowing. When Soren and his friends finally arrive at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, they will be tested in ways they never dreamed and face challenges they never imagined.

Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Ever since Hairy Maclary first trotted out of the gate and off for a walk, he has been adored by millions of children and adults all over the world. For the very first time, Lynley Dodd's 10 classic stories starring Hairy Maclary are brought together in this audio treasury, with each tale specially introduced by Lynley Dodd herself.