Most Popular Books by Rachel Dickinson

In this portrait of a man obsessed, "Dickinson presents a clear picture of the strange and fascinating lives of modern falconers" (Ted Floyd, editor, Birding). Falconer Steve Chindgren is a man willing to make extreme sacrifices to continue practicing the sport that has ruled his life. This portrait of him and the world he inhabits conveys a sense of falconry''s allure: the unpredictable nature of the hunt and the soaring exhilaration of success. Further exploration unveils the enormous emotional cost to a falconer who establishes an extraordinary tie to his birds. When, in the space of two days, Chindgren loses two birds that he''d been training for years, he is plunged into a profound depression that is only deepened when Jomo, his best bird, slows down because of old age. In addition to this challenge, Chindgren faces the danger to falconry that the modern world presents. Grouse habitat is being degraded by mining, agriculture, and gas industry interests. And the number of falconers is dwindling—the corps is graying and has few acolytes. Falconry is a sport that requires persistence, stoicism, and sacrifice; in this captivating account, Dickinson illuminates a fascinating subculture and one of its most hardcore personalities.

Approached from a historical lens, learn about the great and influential families, their rise and sometimes their fall. No one likes to believe that America has its own aristocracy, but the families described in this narrative share how these American families climbed the social ladder and their resulting legacies. Approached from a historical lens, learn about the great and influential families, their rise and sometimes their fall, including the following families:Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Ford, Getty, Hearst, Morgan, Astor, Coors, Adams, Kennedy, Nampeyo, Wyeth, Carter, and Barrymore. , , ,

The true story of the world’s first robbery of a moving train, and the real origins of the Wild West They were the first outlaws to rob a moving train. But from 1864 to 1868, the Reno brothers and their gang of counterfeiters, robbers, burglars, and safecrackers also held the town of Seymour, Indiana, hostage, making a large hotel near the train station their headquarters. When the gang robbed the Adams Express car of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad on the outskirts of Seymour on October 6, 1866, it shocked the world—and made other burgeoning outlaws like Jesse James sit up and take notice. The extraordinary—and extra-legal—efforts to take them out defined the term “frontier justice.” From the first report of the robbery, Allan Pinkerton’s operatives were on the scene, followed by kidnappings, lynchings, and an extradition from Canada to Indiana that caused an international incident. In the end, ten members of the Reno Gang were hanged, including three of the Reno brothers. And no one was ever charged with the murders. The Notorious Reno Gang tells the complete story for the first time, revealing how these gangsters, Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency, and the little city of Seymour ushered in the Wild West.

What was it like to be an American pioneer during the 1800s? Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself introduces readers ages 9 and up to the settling of the great American frontier with over 25 hands-on building projects and activities. Young learners build replica sod houses, log cabins, and covered wagons and create their own printing presses and maps. Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself provides detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project. Historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and fascinating trivia support the fun projects and teach readers about the American pioneers’ relentless push westward. Together they give kids a first-hand look at daily life on the trail and on the frontier. Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself brings the American Pioneer experience to life.

STools of the Ancient Romans: A Kid’s Guide to the History and Science of Life in Ancient Rome explores the history and science of the most powerful empire the world has ever known. Through biographical sidebars, interesting facts, anecdotes, and 15 hands-on activities that put kids in ancient Roman shoes, readers will learn about Roman innovations and ideas of government, science, religion, sport, and warfare that have shaped world history and our own world view.

"A child''s suicide pitches you into a hellish place of fragmentary images, the deepest depression imaginable, efforts to destroy yourself, and an almost complete break with what''s happening in the world around you. That was my experience. I wish it upon no one." The essays of The Loneliest Places began as a chronicle of Rachel Dickinson''s life after her son''s suicide. The pieces became much more. Dickinson writes the unimaginable and terrifying facts of heartbreaking loss. In The Loneliest Places she tells stories from her months on the run, fleeing her grief and herself, as she escapes to Iceland and the Falkland Islands—as far as possible from the memories of her dead son, Jack. She frankly relates the paralyzing emotion that sometimes left her trapped in her home, confined to a single chair, helplessly isolated. The tales from these years are bleak and Dickinson''s journey home, back to her changed self and fractured family, is lonely. Conjuring Emily Dickinson, however, she describes how hope was sighted, allowed to perch, and then, remarkably, made actual.

"The great Library Edition of the Works of John Ruskin spans 39 volumes and, over the course of the century, further compilations of his private diaries and letters have appeared: but the most important epistolary relationship of his later years, shared with his Scottish cousin Joan (Agnew Ruskin) Severn, has until now been entirely unpublished. These letters - more than 3,000 of them - have been challenging for Ruskin scholars to draw upon, with their baby-talk, apparent nonsense and unelaborated personal references. Yet they contain important statements of Ruskins opinions on travel, on fashion, on the ideal arts and crafts home, on effective education and other questions: and Ruskin often used his letters to Severn as a substitute for his personal diary. In this important new edition, Dickinson presents an edited, annotated selection of a correspondence which, until now, has been almost inaccessible to scholars of Ruskin and of the Victorian period."

Using drama right across the curriculum to improve and invigorate teaching and learning, this book provides whole school and individual class approaches underpinned by sound theory and implemented in a real primary school. Explanations and examples are given in a clear and accessible style, and links are made to The National Strategy. The book illustrates a wide range of strategies that show how drama can help with: behavior inclusion and multicultural issues improving the whole school ethos involving parents and governors. This user-friendly and comprehensive text is the perfect support tool for teachers and managers ready to improve their school regardless of whether they''re approaching drama for the first time or are already passionate about it.

This field guide to ghosts is full of scary stories and tales of haunted houses, plus hints on where to find ghosts and how to differentiate a good one from a bad one. Full-color illustrations.

This guide for and about witches will help to dispel any misinformation about these paranormal beings. Included is information on how to determine if you or someone you know is a witch, tips on how to become a successful witch, a section on the necessary witching tools, concocting spells and potions, and much, much more.

Describes the history and technology of the methods people have used to find their way on sea, land, and air, and provides 15 activities designed to improve one''s navigation and orienteering skills.