Evan Balkan

In 1729, a remarkable book appeared in London. The author, Robert Drury, took up residence at Old Tom's coffeehouse in the center of the city, welcoming the curious to hear his incredible tale: a voyage to Asia on an East India ship, floundering off the coast of Madagascar, and how, at just fourteen years of age, Drury became enslaved on that island for the next decade and a half before a miraculous return to England. But did Drury actually write the book that bore his name? Or was it an invention from none other than Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, the famous but fictionalized castaway story based on true events? Or was Drury's story real and was Defoe, unnamed and unattributed, the man who put the book together based on what Drury told him? Drawing from newly available archival material, this work tells the full story of Robert Drury, Daniel Defoe, and the connection between them, piecing together the puzzle of their potential collaboration and presenting a fuller biography of Drury than previously available. The result is a story as full of twists and turns as Drury's own.

Penelope Pine is a delightful story that teaches young readers to be happy with who they are! Penelope is a pine tree. She lives in the forest with oaks, poplars, and maples, and enjoys playing with her tree friends. But when autumn rolls around and her friends turn beautiful colors, Penelope the evergreen believes that she doesn’t measure up. But when winter comes and her friends are suddenly very cold without their leaves, Penelope learns that she is perfect just the way she is. The story was crafted by the daughter and father team of Amelia and Evan Balkan.

Penelope Pine is a delightful story that teaches young readers to be happy with who they are! Penelope is a pine tree. She lives in the forest with oaks, poplars, and maples, and enjoys playing with her tree friends. But when autumn rolls around and her friends turn beautiful colors, Penelope the evergreen believes that she doesn’t measure up. But when winter comes and her friends are suddenly very cold without their leaves, Penelope learns that she is perfect just the way she is. The story was crafted by the daughter and father team of Amelia and Evan Balkan.

Paris, South Dakota, summer 1976. Fifteen-year-old Lilly is crushed by the news that her mother's boyfriend will become her father, making her feel lonelier and more invisible than ever. That same morning, she runs into Lee, a handsome and mysterious stranger. It isn't long before she takes off with him, deeming it a grand adventure across the Great Plains. New Orleans, Louisiana, autumn 1992. Fifteen-year-old Lindsey has just learned that her father is not, in fact, dead-but will be shortly if the state of South Dakota has its way. As she and her mother embark on a long bus ride north, Lilly slowly opens up, revealing to her daughter the true story of her past: why she and Lee went on the run, how Lindsey came to be, and the reason Lee is about to be executed for a crime of passion. Independence is an evocative story of true love, youthful mistakes, desperation, and breath-taking betrayal.

Baltimore, 1952 With her father fighting in the Korean War, bigotry in her school, and the desire to play a "boy's sport," one girl struggles to find her place in the world.Caroline Panski harbors one dream: to play ice hockey. But, as the neighborhood boys—and her mother—tell her: Boys play hockey; girls figure skate. Caroline, however, refuses to give up, and she navigates her world with determination. Knowing that her beloved father is fighting for freedom far away in Korea saddens her but also gives her strength. And when her school is integrated and she develops a crush on an African- American student, she will need strength and courage to stand up to her classmates just to be his friend. In the end, Caroline's is a difficult and imperfect world, but one that allows for moments of triumph and friendship.

Called "America in Miniature" by National Geographic editor Gilbert Grosvenor, Maryland packs an extraordinary amount of natural diversity into a relatively small area. With the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Allegheny Mountains in the west, and the country's largest estuary--the Chesapeake Bay--splitting the state down the middle, any outdoors enthusiast finds a happy home in Maryland. Splitting the state into three distinct geographical regions--Western Maryland, Central Maryland, and Southern Maryland/Eastern Shore--Best Tent Camping: Maryland, by Evan Balkan, will guide campers to 50 of the best campgrounds the state has to offer. Within these 50 profiles are campgrounds with every imaginable facility, as well as primitive campsites far from population centers and everything in between. For camping in Maryland, this is an indispensable guide.