Kirjahaku

Eleven-year-old Benwise Larsen's favorite sight is the blanket of snow that covers Minnesota every winter. He's never considered life without it until his mother accepts a new job in Florida. He's still reeling from this news when he receives an unexpected invitation to attend Christmas camp. Excited and curious, Benwise travels to New York where he meets Michaela, Jordan, and Spencer, three other kids who've been invited on the journey, and they set sail for Weinachtsinsel-Christmas Island Upon their arrival, they meet Gelben Stern, an old man who reveals the island's history and explains how the Christmas legends have evolved over generations. While exploring the island, the children encounter Otto, an adversary of Stern's who also wants their trust. When Jordan and Spencer go missing, it's up to Benwise and Michaela to discover the truth and rescue their friends. Will they be able to save Weinachtsinsel and the spirit of Christmas? Written in the spirit of a Christmas mystery, Benwise Larsen's Last Christmas in Minnesota is a race to discover what unites all humanity during this special time of year.

From the magical colossus of Disney to the charming quaintness of Tivoli Gardens, theme parks are as established as schools and hospitals. Theme parks have become dynamic destinations where people test their courage and learn to have fun in safe environments. Theme parks are also economic catalysts that offer employment, as they require a supporting structure of roads, hotels, restaurants, and shops. Most importantly, they give us a place to celebrate life's milestones. After each reason that theme parks are modern shrines, the author presents a snapshot of a park. These snapshots represent theme parks around the globe. For example, Disneyland in California represents the ideal of nostalgia while Germany's Europa-Park portrays the virtue of interacting with locals. Take an interesting, informative, and fun look at why theme parks around the globe are so magical with The Ride of Your Life.

"In her innocence she had not known that the whole town could discuss even her garments, her body. She felt that she was being dragged naked down Main Street."-Sinclair Lewis in Main Street "The tyranny of nine to five is stronger, more insistent, in every department of life, than the most officious oligarchy. Inspectors can be bribed, judges softened, and recruiting sergeants evaded, but only the grace of God will turn 3:30 into 5:30."-Sinclair Lewis in The Trail of the HawkIn 1939, Sinclair Lewis became the first person from the United States to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His incomparable satire and uncanny ability to write about everyday life earned him a place among the most read authors of the early twentieth century. Sometimes humorous, sometimes romantic, sometimes offensive, and always realistic, Lewis wrote about us-all of us. From the poor to the rich and the conservative to the liberal, nobody escaped his critical eye. He knew that every flower came with a price and he wanted us to see the thorns underneath the bloom, whether we wanted to or not. In Main Speak: Quotes from the Work of Sinclair Lewis, Michael Fridgen presents excerpts from twenty-two of Lewis's novels. These selections prove that Sinclair Lewis deserves to be listed among the very best writers to win a Nobel Prize.About the author: Michael Fridgen is from Stearns County, Minnesota-the same county where Sinclair Lewis was born and raised. Fridgen began his obsession with Lewis after graduating from a rural high school 36.5 miles from Lewis's hometown. A former finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, Fridgen has written several works of fiction and three nonfiction books about the theme park industry. He lives in Minneapolis.

When country music legend Dolly Parton lent her name to Dollywood in 1986, she turned a regional amusement park into one of America's premier family vacation destinations. Updated to include the new Season of Showstoppers and Pumpkin LumiNights, this guide details the splendor of Dolly's world.Dollywood and Beyond is the first and only comprehensive guide to making the most of your Dollywood vacation. This handbook includes descriptions of every ride and attraction, lodging and dining guides, and tips for managing traffic and lines. In addition to the main park, you'll find information about Dollywood's Splash Country, Dollywood's DreamMore Resort, and the nearby national park. Written by a confessed theme park junkie, Dollywood and Beyond explains why Dollywood is beloved among parks. With help from this guide, planning and executing your Dollywood vacation will be as peaceful and pleasant as a mountain breeze.

Jacob Marley makes his ghostly debut in the famous A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Marley was such a horrible person that he was doomed to wander the earth for eternity, carrying heavy chains. In Jacob Marley's Ghost, author Michael Fridgen tells the story of a young Jacob Marley. It explores a host of questions: If Marley was as terrible as he appears, why does he warn Ebenezer Scrooge? Perhaps Marley wasn't always bad? Is there a reason he attempts to scare Scrooge into changing his ways? During the years before he met Scrooge, Marley grew up in London raised by an adoring father and a horrifying mother. When death comes close to his home, a chain of perilous events begins. Marley is sent away from London on a ship, sold into slavery, and forced to work for one of the most detested men in France. Because he's different, Marley is bullied and tortured. Although he makes some close friends, Marley is eventually forced into an impossible and deadly situation. To survive, he must choose what kind of person he wants to be. Jacob Marley's Ghost reveals the origins of A Christmas Carol's unforgettable characters while showing who should be praised and who should be boiled in their own pudding.

Jacob Marley makes his ghostly debut in the famous A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Marley was such a horrible person that he was doomed to wander the earth for eternity, carrying heavy chains. In Jacob Marley's Ghost, author Michael Fridgen tells the story of a young Jacob Marley. It explores a host of questions: If Marley was as terrible as he appears, why does he warn Ebenezer Scrooge? Perhaps Marley wasn't always bad? Is there a reason he attempts to scare Scrooge into changing his ways? During the years before he met Scrooge, Marley grew up in London raised by an adoring father and a horrifying mother. When death comes close to his home, a chain of perilous events begins. Marley is sent away from London on a ship, sold into slavery, and forced to work for one of the most detested men in France. Because he's different, Marley is bullied and tortured. Although he makes some close friends, Marley is eventually forced into an impossible and deadly situation. To survive, he must choose what kind of person he wants to be. Jacob Marley's Ghost reveals the origins of A Christmas Carol's unforgettable characters while showing who should be praised and who should be boiled in their own pudding.

Growing up in a small Minnesota town during the 1980s was not easy for Matthew. He was abused by the Catholic Church, bullied mercilessly by his peers, and neglected by public school teachers. To complicate matters, he is also gay. Matthew's path of self-loathing led to an adult life that's unfulfilled and depressing. To survive, he regularly retreats into the lives of three friends he invented while growing up. Nikail, the oldest of Matthew's friends, is a space-cowboy from the planet Infinia. He's locked in a deadly dispute with an evil warlord. A second friend, Dr. Nicholas Wells, has been with Matthew since junior high. Wells is a world-renowned Egyptologist on the cusp of making the biggest discovery of his career. Mr. Jack Hartman, Matthew's friend from his celibate young adult years, is a handsome English teacher who is secretly dating the most eligible bachelor in town. Imaginary friends are fine for children, but they might not be the best way for a grown man to cope with his mental state. In To See a Narwhal, Matthew navigates the complicated institutions of religion, work, relationships, and identity. He attempts to seek happiness in the real world-a world he eagerly escapes from all too often.

Growing up in a small Minnesota town during the 1980s was not easy for Matthew. He was abused by the Catholic Church, bullied mercilessly by his peers, and neglected by public school teachers. To complicate matters, he is also gay. Matthew's path of self-loathing led to an adult life that's unfulfilled and depressing. To survive, he regularly retreats into the lives of three friends he invented while growing up. Nikail, the oldest of Matthew's friends, is a space-cowboy from the planet Infinia. He's locked in a deadly dispute with an evil warlord. A second friend, Dr. Nicholas Wells, has been with Matthew since junior high. Wells is a world-renowned Egyptologist on the cusp of making the biggest discovery of his career. Mr. Jack Hartman, Matthew's friend from his celibate young adult years, is a handsome English teacher who is secretly dating the most eligible bachelor in town. Imaginary friends are fine for children, but they might not be the best way for a grown man to cope with his mental state. In To See a Narwhal, Matthew navigates the complicated institutions of religion, work, relationships, and identity. He attempts to seek happiness in the real world-a world he eagerly escapes from all too often.

It all started when Laura Ingalls Wilder's quilt was taken from a museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Soon, other items from small museums dedicated to famous Minnesotans began to disappear. However, as with many criminals, the thief can't stop while ahead. The situation worsens as the incidents escalate, and the thief searches for a perfect accomplice. Reminiscent of the 1924 Leopold and Loebe atrocity, these two thugs unleash a spree that terrorizes northern Minnesota-all in the pursuit of the perfect crime. As the police and lawyers get involved, people in the area begin to debate the nature of criminals and whether an excuse should lead to an exoneration. From Sinclair Lewis' funeral urn to Glensheen's wicked candlestick, The Good Evil Queen by Michael Frigden offers a crime thriller from the pages of Minnesota's history.

It all started when Laura Ingalls Wilder's quilt was taken from a museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Soon, other items from small museums dedicated to famous Minnesotans began to disappear. However, as with many criminals, the thief can't stop while ahead. The situation worsens as the incidents escalate, and the thief searches for a perfect accomplice. Reminiscent of the 1924 Leopold and Loebe atrocity, these two thugs unleash a spree that terrorizes northern Minnesota-all in the pursuit of the perfect crime. As the police and lawyers get involved, people in the area begin to debate the nature of criminals and whether an excuse should lead to an exoneration. From Sinclair Lewis' funeral urn to Glensheen's wicked candlestick, The Good Evil Queen by Michael Frigden offers a crime thriller from the pages of Minnesota's history.