Most Popular Books by James McDonald

The Reader encourages students to explore significant topics that impact their lives and have shaped the wider culture around them. Classic, timeless readings underscore the staying power of each topic (including identity; marriage and family; faith and religion; langua≥ education; work; wealth and property; popular culture; and war, terrorism, and protest) but are complicated by current issues, contemporary perspectives, and varied genres that offer new opportunities for critique and exploration. The Reader draws on research that connects reading and writing in order to help students practice literacy strategies that broaden and strengthen their reading, writing, and researching skills. Three rhetoric chapters explain how the problem-posing, problem-solving aspects of college-level inquiry require that students engage texts and the research that informs them using a process of thoughtful questioning-and that students bring this questioning methodology to their own processes of inventing, researching, drafting, and revising.

Across the solar system and on to the Milky Way! School’s out for the summer and Sami and Thomas have big plans. They’ve built a spaceship in their tree house and are going to blast off for a tour of the solar system, but one of the planets holds a special surprise. Vibrant images and flowing verse bring this imaginative story to life. Space lovers and adventurers of all ages are sure to love this cosmic journey.

This is a translation of Voltaire''s work on the Cathar Crusade - the thirteenth century papal war against the people of the Languedoc. It includes parallel texts with James McDonald''s English translation against Voltaire''s original French, along with notes, and short essays on Voltaire, his life and his works.

On a visit to Grandma''s, Sami and Thomas learn how to be good horse-sitters and in the process make a new friend in Pascal the horse. Cleaning the stall and brushing Pascal''s shiny coat are just the beginning of this Sami and Thomas horse adventure. Endearing artwork and a story written in rhythm and rhyme make this a book for horse lovers of all ages.

After the battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland, called ''Sweet William'' by his admirers, sent his army on an orgy of destruction through the Highlands of Scotland. Arthur McKinnon was just sixteen when he saw the redcoats murder his father, rape his mother, burn his house to the ground, scar him for life and deport him halfway around the world into servitude. But Arthur had an indomitable spirit and set out to overcome everything and anyone that stood in the way of his freedom.

Learn about the amazing changes that frogs go through, and how their lives are uniquely tied to ours.Frogs don''t start out as the hopping, green creatures that we might see sitting on a lily pad or under a leaf. They go through an amazing change.I Am a Frog introduces kids to basic biological concepts about this awesome amphibian. Big, vibrant illustrations capture the attention of children ages 3-7. Large print and easy to follow words make this a great book for parents introducing kids to science, as well as for teachers reading to a preschool or elementary school classroom.

Starting from a neutral position, this book looks at claims made by Christian leaders over the centuries and analyses them in the light of modern scholarship. Erudite yet mischievous, the book''s scope is wide, from early history to the present day, from America to China, and spanning many different disciplines. Many of the conclusions reached will shock devout believers, though all of them can be verified with reference to sympathetic works by biblical scholars and theologians. A recurring theme is that of open secrets - facts well known to historians and other academics in the Church, but kept from the faithful masses. These open secrets are not actively denied, just avoided so as not to cause offence to those who are familiar only with the Sunday-School version of events. Many Christians see their system of belief as dating from the earliest times, but this idea becomes difficult to sustain in the light of when and how key doctrines were established. Many ordinary Christians would be shocked to discover, for example, the prominent role played by violence and forgery in developing and promoting Christian doctrine. Whatever one''s own religious beliefs, the Christian Churches provide huge amounts of material for the enquiring mind. Repercussions from crusades that happened over 900 years ago are still in evidence today. The division of the Roman Empire in early Christian times also reverberates to the present day. To a large extent, the history of the Western World over the last 2,000 years is the history of the Christian Church. Without a proper understanding of the role of the Church, it is not possible to truly understand the history of Europe, the Middle East, or indeed the Americas.

The Sun warms our days and brings light to the dark. Let''s find out about the Sun, and why it''s so important to life on Earth.There are many stars in the night sky, but only one that we''ve found so far that supports a planet filled with life, that''s our star, the Sun! I Am the Sun introduces kids to the basic concepts of Space and Earth science while also teaching how important the Sun is to our very existence here on Earth. From the air we breathe to the everchanging weather, the Sun is a source of life for all of us.Young children will learn about basic concepts of astronomy, how the sun got its start in space, and how it''s the glue that holds the solar system together. I Am the Sun is a great beginning science book for kids. Images are big and bright for kids ages 3-8. The concepts are basic and geared for preschool through second grade learners.

Sami and Thomas Learn to Read Book 2 gives more learning material for beginning readers to confidently build their reading skill. Vocabulary development combined with entertaining stories that have simple sentences keep children engaged and excited about their reading accomplishments. Using a combination of words that can be sounded out and common sight words, Learn to Read with Sami and Thomas is the perfect continuation of your child''s reading journey. Vibrant images with captivating characters help young readers want to read again and again. For Beginning Readers ages 5 and up

A complete book on breeding and marketing the most popular species of pet birds for the pet industry. The author has 25 years of experience in the field of exotic birds.

Arthur McKinnon had succeeded in prospering in America. Now there was one more thing he had to do. See the last of the hated Redcoats who had devastated his family