Tales of Two Peninsulas – Gary Swagart takes readers back to days of yesteryear in his tales about Michiganders from the Northcountry. Many of his characters are from the ranks of the poor and downtrodden who are just trying to survive one way or another. Aside from the mention of snow with cold weather and the names such as Toivo, Einard, Gutsu and Laakaniemala that may sound a bit strange, these tales could have happened anywhere. Real “characters” are not unique to Northern Michigan. They are scattered throughout the country and are much more plentiful than you might think if you just pay a little attention. In these folksy tales, Gary has captured several of these poor and downtrodden characters on paper where they can survive and go on sharing their joys and sorrows forever, though they would fall through the cracks left by the history books.

In Tales of Two Peninsulas and an Island, Gary Swagart recalls some of his experiences as a semi-Yooper kid before he changed to a Troll and later became a Yooper again. Many of these experiences revolved around subsistence living farm life, which contained a lot of hard work, drudgery, even. Some of the stories are about some real characters, simply because that is just what they were. His love of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Lake Superior, and Isle Royale shows through despite some hair-raising, near-miss incidents that easily could have resulted in catastrophe (including putting his wife in jail.) In this sometimes harsh, but always beautiful part of the world, Death can slip its icy fingers around the unwary without warning. Something as simple as getting a wet foot or forgetting to put car flaps down can be fatal. As can be getting lost in a Lake Superior fog, going downwind, or dropping a wrench in a boat. Simply underestimating the amount of time it will take to get from point A to point B can be fatal. The person who escapes the icy fingers learns to appreciate just how tenuous the thread of life can be.

With humor and perceptive candor, the twenty-six short stories in this anthology build upon the author's earlier works on Michigan small town life. Set during different time periods from the early twentieth century to twenty years into the future, often in spectacular outdoor settings, the stories pursue such themes as the innocence of youth, ethnic customs, the troubled state economy, fear of those who are different, dubious claims of morality, heartbreak, the corrupt side of academia, career options, and the loneliness of old age. Anyone who has ever lived in, or even visited at some length, an American small town will identify with many of the not so common situations depicted in this collection.

A magnificent landscape of rugged peaks, impenetrable rainforest and wild coastlines, Washington's Olympic Peninsula makes a perfect setting for the unexpected. Dive into the stories of pioneers who created wealth and celebrity out of threadbare beginnings and immigrants who found fleeting success in Port Townsend. Discover the unsavory methods of land-grabber Daniel Pullen, who became indirectly responsible for the creation of the Quileute Reservation, and the rumrunning escapades of Claude Alexander Conlin, magician and con man. Author Carol Turner shares tales of daring and desperation amid the remote towns and beautiful scenery of the Olympic Peninsula.

With hundred of original illustrations, Tales of the Great Lakes encompasses the stories of the men who built the Midwest,

These are the memoirs of Sergeant John Dougl as, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Scots, and his experiences as a soldier from 1809-1817. The book provides a narrative of the Peninsular Campaign, with a descriptions of Quatre Bras an d Waterloo '

This unique and diverse selection of traditional folktales from the countries of the Arabian Peninsula appeals to a broad audience, ranging from storytellers and educators to folklorists and scholars. A unique compilation of stories, Folktales from the Arabian Peninsula includes tales from seven countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Coauthored by a renowned folklorist and a professor of education who recalls some of these poignant tales from her own childhood, the book opens with a discussion of the Arabian Peninsula that introduces each country and discusses its terrain, peoples, and current situation to provide important background information. The engaging stories that follow will serve elementary, junior high, and high school librarians as well as public librarians, professional storytellers, and folklorists. The tales themselves—many of which have never been published in English language children's collections—are appropriate for readers grades five and up.