Adams, Richard

Tales from Watership Down

The original Watership Down is one of those wonderful works that appeals to readers both young and old. The story of a group of rabbits on an adventure into unfamiliar yards, farms, and fields made for an imaginative, captivating journey. This latest work follows the aftermath of the original's climactic ending and includes the rabbits' retelling of various myths associated with their rabbit-hood, plus some new twists and developments. This is a captivating introduction to Adams's warren for first-time visitors, and those who loved the original Watership Down won't be disappointed.

Return Again to the Warren for
the All-New Adventures of Fiver,
Hazel, BigWig, Dandelion, and
The Legendary El-Ahrairah.

In one of the most enduring classics of contemporary literature, author Richard Adams enthralled millions of readers by creating a glorious world of danger and discovery at once uniquely strange and strikingly similar to our own. Come back now to this remarkable society hidden beneath the tall grasses and open fields; to old friends and new heroes whose courage and tenacity are tested at every turn by predatory nature and the short-sighted cruelties of man. Come back to the excitement and enchantment, to the heartsoaring wonder of a place called Watership Down.

Watership Down (Scribner Classics)

Watership Down has been a staple of high-school English classes for years. Despite the fact that it's often a hard sell at first (what teenager wouldn't cringe at the thought of 400-plus pages of talking rabbits?), Richard Adams's bunny-centric epic rarely fails to win the love and respect of anyone who reads it, regardless of age. Like most great novels, Watership Down is a rich story that can be read (and reread) on many different levels. The book is often praised as an allegory, with its analogs between human and rabbit culture (a fact sometimes used to goad skeptical teens, who resent the challenge that they won't "get" it, into reading it), but it's equally praiseworthy as just a corking good adventure.

The story follows a warren of Berkshire rabbits fleeing the destruction of their home by a land developer. As they search for a safe haven, skirting danger at every turn, we become acquainted with the band and its compelling culture and mythos. Adams has crafted a touching, involving world in the dirt and scrub of the English countryside, complete with its own folk history and language (the book comes with a "lapine" glossary, a guide to rabbitese). As much about freedom, ethics, and human nature as it is about a bunch of bunnies looking for a warm hidey-hole and some mates, Watership Down will continue to make the transition from classroom desk to bedside table for many generations to come. --Paul Hughes

The setting is the rolling hills and meadows of England. The time is now -- or tomorrow -- or always. WATERSHIP DOWN is a saga of the maverick band who set out, against all odds, on a quest for a new home, a better society.

The heroes of this tale are animals -- wild rabbits. Their behavior is consistent with the laws of nature, yet each is endowed with an unforgettable personality. The characterization and compelling plot fuse, transcending the animal world and illuminating man's great humanity -- and terrible inhumanity.

"WATERSHIP DOWN is one of those great stories, destined to be a classic, that every once in a long while lets us know the universe has something really mysteriously great going for humanity." --R. Buckminster Fuller

Traveller

Maia

The Girl in a Swing

The Girl in a Swing

Daniel

The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire

From the acclaimed Rick Carey ("a humanist and a journalist of considerable depth" Washington Post), a fascinating chronicle of a fast-disappearing fish-and of the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on it.

Since the days of the Persian Empire, caviar has trumpeted status, wealth, prestige, and sex appeal. Today it goes for up to one hundred dollars an ounce, and aficionados will go to extraordinary lengths to get their fill of it. According to acclaimed writer Richard Adams Carey, that's just the problem. In this spectacular jaunt, Carey immerses himself in the world of sturgeon, the fish that lays these golden eggs. What he finds is disturbing: Sturgeon populations worldwide have declined 70 percent in the last twenty years, most drastically in the Caspian Sea. The beluga sturgeon, producer of the most coveted caviar, has climbed to number four on the World Wildlife Fund's most-endangered species list.

Armed with a novelist's eye for human eccentricity and an investigator's nose for trouble, Carey takes us on an illuminating journey across the globe to uncover the secrets of the sturgeon. On that trek we meet the fascinating real-life characters both profiting from its scarcity and fighting to save it. A high-stakes cocktail of business, diplomacy, technology, and espionage, The Philosopher Fish is, at its heart, the epic story of a 250-million-year-old fish struggling to survive.

Ship's Cat

Handbook for Literacy Tutors: A Practical Approach to Effective Informal Instruction in Reading and Writing

This textbook is intended as a guide for non-educators who want to learn how to tutor individuals in literacy tasks. A short introductory section is included that is devoted to theory, but only as much as necessary to allow tutors to make reasonable instructional decisions about their students. The remainder of the book focuses on the practical aspects of instruction in literacy for those who have no formal training in teaching. Because many tutors work without the supervision of professional educators, the book seeks to make tutors independent in their instruction. Initially, a 6-point procedure for tutoring lessons in literacy is outlined. Subsequent chapters provide specific teaching and learning strategies for each of the six points. The book represents an effort to combine whole language literacy learning techniques with a lesson structure that is manageable for tutors and yet sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of the students effectively. Suggested record-keeping procedures are outlined, and the text includes a chapter containing the record-keeping forms as well as directions for their use. At the end of each chapter is a summary of the important points from the chapter, as well as a section of questions and statements for the tutor to reflect upon and respond to.