Kirjahaku

The inspirational adventure of a man who went back to the land to show us how we can rediscover and reconnect with the wilderness around us.

Parents, young people, community organizers, and educators describe how they are fighting systemic racism in schools by building a new intersectional educational justice movement. Illuminating the struggles and triumphs of the emerging educational justice movement, this anthology tells the stories of how black and brown parents, students, educators, and their allies are fighting back against systemic inequities and the mistreatment of children of color in low-income communities. It offers a social justice alternative to the corporate reform movement that seeks to privatize public education through expanding charter schools and voucher programs. To address the systemic racism in our education system and in the broader society, the contributors argue that what is needed is a movement led by those most affected by injustice--students of color and their parents--that builds alliances across sectors and with other social justice movements addressing immigration, LGBTQ rights, labor rights, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Representing a diverse range of social justice organizations from across the US, including the Chicago Teachers Union and the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network, the essayists recount their journeys to movement building and offer practical organizing strategies and community-based alternatives to traditional education reform and privatization schemes. Lift Us Up will outrage, inform, and mobilize parents, educators, and concerned citizens about what is wrong in American schools today and how activists are fighting for and achieving change.

"The captivating tale of one of history's best-kept secrets continues in this historical fiction duology--showcasing one of the Old West's most heroic figures. When Nate Champion strikes out to Wyoming Territory and discovers the allure of the Powder River Basin as an ideal location for raising cattle, he builds up a bankroll by hiring out to the cattle companies already established there. Earning a reputation as a top hand, a uniquely gifted horse trainer, and a man of his word, he becomes one of the few men in the territory whom small ranchers can trust. After the Wyoming Stock Growers Association begins eliminating small ranchers through ghastly executions, the classic battle lines form between the rich man and the commoner. Because Nate is trusted, he becomes a rallying point for the oppressed--leading to his name topping a list of inconvenient ranchers whom the barons want to see removed from the face of the Earth."

In this first volume of his Secrets of the Forest series, nature educator Mark Warren explains how to identify and use 100 wild plants as food, medicine, and craft. He also covers “primitive” survival skills, from building a shelter, to purifying water, making tools, traps, and snares. With more than 200 original hands-on activities, the book is a step-by-step guide for teachers, scout leaders, outing clubs, and wilderness programs, and anyone interested in the outdoors and forgotten skills. Hikers who want to carry less gear and become more self-reliant by using what the forest has to offer, will find tricks in these pages to lighten their loads. Outdoor rec professionals will expand their knowledge of their natural surroundings to share with their clients. And parents who seek a closer relationship with nature for themselves and their children will learn to become active, adventurous participants in the forest, rather than just occasional visitors. Volume 2: The Art of Creating Fire and Storytelling and Ceremony Volume 3: Eye to Eye with Animals and at Play in the Wild Volume 4: The Art of Archery and Lake to Whitewater Canoeing

In the second volume of the Secrets of the Forest series, Mark Warren addresses a wide range of what an outdoorsperson needs to know about fire such as: ?how to create it from scratch using three different methods (hand drill, bow drill, and fire-saw). ?which species of trees and dried winter weeds make good candidates for a fire kit. ?where to find tinder that can combust. ?how to construct a fail-proof pyre by mixing fast-burning fuel with dense hardwood. ?how to sustain a fire for the long term, including how to safely store a smoldering fire that can survive for several days. The second half of the book is dedicated to storytelling and ceremony. Its main purpose is how to design stories that augment whatever lessons a teacher has in mind. Such stories can familiarize students with the fine points of archery, canoeing, tracking, stalking, and other crafts or skills. Borrowing from Native American traditions, Warren introduces dozens of ways for young outdoorspeople to build self-esteem and a deep connection with the forest. This volume contains more than 100 original activities.

“Excellence and care guide every quiet step Mark Warren makes; to follow him teaches unique, wonderful truths about one’s connection to the Earth and its inhabitants. “ –Rhyse Bendell, Medicine Bow summer camper and student“Mark leads the modern reader along the almost forgotten paths of wood lore, natural medicine, and self-sufficiency. “ –Emily Ghiz, baker and Montessori teacherIn this third volume of the “Secrets of the Forest” series, outdoor educator Mark Warren opens the door to experiences with wildlife such as:· how to stalk animals of the wild without being detected by their keen senses. This discipline addresses posture, clothing, diet, de-scenting, and “soft-walking,” the ultra-slow-motion technique that falls below the radar of wildlife’s peripheral vision.· how to read individual tracks and multiple gaits of specific animal species.· how to convert animal skins into rawhide and leather for crafts and clothing.· how to differentiate species of snakes and, in the process, demystify their often misunderstood intentions.The second half of the book is dedicated to games. Its main purpose is to ensure that young ones (under an adult leader) simply have fun on an outing and will want to return to nature for another adventure. Some of these games come from Native American traditions, but many are new and range from “high-action” to “pensive around the campfire” kinds of activities. This volume contains more than one hundred fifty original adventures.

This is the story of such a boy who never quite finds all those answers. But because of his physicality, confidence, and a willingness to exercise deliberate courage, he does find his place in a life much admired by his peers. His name will always be spoken anytime that a conversation arises about justice vs. law and order . . . and how those American commodities do not always balance on the scales of a courtroom bench. His name was Wyatt Earp. Earp was many things--farmer, freight hauler, stage driver, railroad wrangler, husband, constable, wood splitter, accused horse thief, brothel bouncer, buffalo hunter, gambler, and lawman-most of this in the "new" and raw land of America's untapped West. The possibilities seemed endless for Wyatt, but he will be remembered in that last category . . . peace officer, a role he did not want. Instead, it would seem that history wanted it for him. He was that good at it.

Born to the Badge has been honored as a 2019 Spur Award Finalist! Shunted from his entrepreneurial ambitions to profit from the boomtowns of the frontier, Wyatt Earp returns to law enforcement. In Wichita, Kansas the town leaders become disenchanted with his hardline methods, and so he moves to a place where an iron-rule is needed--Dodge City. With him comes Mattie Blaylock, a runaway prostitute, who, like Wyatt, is searching for a chance at a better life. As marshal in Dodge, Wyatt establishes a reputation as a peace officer, but he knows that police work will never deliver what he wants. After joining the Black Hills gold rush and then serving a stint as railroad detective in Texas, he returns to Kansas, only to pin on the badge again and inadvertently forge his path into history.

The third book in Mark Warren's historical fiction trilogy ends with a bang. In Tombstone, Arizona Territory, despite a silver strike promising entrepreneurial opportunities, Wyatt Earp returns to law enforcement, posing a new threat to the Cow-boy rustlers running rampant on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. The Earp brothers make as many enemies as they do allies in a deeply divided community. Aspiring to be county sheriff, Wyatt bargains with outlaw informants in his pursuit of three wanted men. When the deal unravels, the Cow-boy traitors fear retribution from their own, planting the seed for the thirty seconds that will ensure Wyatt Earp his place in history-the gunfight that erupts behind the O.K. Corral. What follows-assassination and swift justice-guarantees that Wyatt Earp's name will forever serve as one standard within the debate of law versus order.

A 2023 Will Rogers Medallion Award-winner, The Westering Trail Travesties encompasses five Western tales, ranging from the surreal to the tear-jerker-told in a crucible of parody.In Rumors from the Edge of the World, Kid Concho and his Arizona outlaw gang of misfits stumble upon a prophetic Apache spring. Too Long in the Saddle follows the exploits of a Boston newspaper reporter who is ordered on assignment to frontier Kansas.During Code of the Ranger, one man travels with a quartet of Arizona Rangers who-without extradition papers-must ride undercover into Texas to bring back Bad Bob Banning. In Gourd, fourteen-year-old Curtis Blaydes continues to run his family's homestead after losing his father and mother, until a visitor arrives. Niobrara introduces a notable triangle of youngsters in northern Nebraska.In the vast landscapes of the Old West, these five unexpected tales weave together a tapestry of human resilience, raw adventure, and the oftentimes humorous spirit of the untamed frontier.

One of the Old West's most heroic figures is also history's best-kept secret-and he's finally getting his due in this historical fiction duology.Nate Champion's humble beginnings in Texas prepared him for a life with horses and cattle. Though a well-known horse trainer in his own time, he holds the simple aspiration of running his own cattle ranch, a dream he carries to Wyoming Territory as the Johnson County Range War drags him into its clutches and climaxes in one of the most impressive last stands of American history.Book one follows Nate's formative years in Round Rock, Texas, where he makes his reputation as a competent cowboy, experiences heartbreak, and forms lasting friendships that weave into his future in unexpected ways. Like all youth of his time, he learns the hard-won lessons of experience as he encounters both the good and the corrupt, including the notorious Sam Bass gang.Read along as, in this jaw-dropping tale, the culmination of Nate Champion's life lessons in Texas become the foundation for the enduring legacy he achieves in Wyoming. His story is a narrative that every American should know.

The captivating tale of one of history's best-kept secrets continues in this historical fiction duology-showcasing one of the Old West's most heroic figures.When Nate Champion strikes out to Wyoming Territory and discovers the allure of the Powder River Basin as an ideal location for raising cattle, he builds up a bankroll by hiring out to the cattle companies already established there. Earning a reputation as a top hand, a uniquely gifted horse trainer, and a man of his word, he becomes one of the few men in the territory whom small ranchers can trust.After the Wyoming Stock Growers Association begins eliminating small ranchers through ghastly executions, the classic battle lines form between the rich man and the commoner. Because Nate is trusted, he becomes a rallying point for the oppressed-leading to his name topping a list of inconvenient ranchers whom the barons want to see removed from the face of the Earth.Read along as, amid sweeping landscapes and historical turmoil, Nate Champion's legacy unfolds in a narrative that resonates as a crucial chapter in American history.

In this novel of America's most celebrated outlaw, Spur Award-Winning Author Mark Warren sheds light on the human side of Billy the Kid-and reveals the intimate stories of the lesser-known players in his legendary life of crime.When John Blessing, composer and Santa Fe journalist, is assigned to report on a jailed prisoner who calls himself "William H. Bonney," what begins as a formal interview, evolves into an unexpected relationship and a self-examination of John's own cultured, city values.After Billy the Kid's death, John embarks on a journey to find Billy's comrades and acquaintances-those who loved the Kid...and those who despised him. Was Billy Bonney a cold-blooded killer without a conscience, or was he a victim of the machinations of corrupt politicians in "the Santa Fe Ring?"Ride along with John Blessing as he unravels one of Western history's most fascinating enigmas by diving into the lives of the influential people who helped shape Billy the Kid's life.