Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

The bestselling author of Blue Latitudes takes us on a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he’s mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbus’s sail in 1492 to Jamestown’s founding in 16-oh-something. Did nothing happen in between? Determined to find out, he embarks on a journey of rediscovery, following in the... (more)

A Walk in the Woods

Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson has made a living out of traveling and then writing about it. In The Lost Continent he re-created the road trips of his childhood; in Neither Here nor There he retraced the route he followed as a young backpacker traversing Europe. When this American transplant to Britain decided to return home, he made a farewell walking tour of the British countryside and produced Notes from a Small Island .... (more)

1000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die

1000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

It's a traveler's life list, a guide, an inspiration, a memory book. Open it to check out where you've been, and where you should go next. What to see and what to do and what to show the kids. Where to eat and where to stay. And how to change your life. Covering the U.S.A. and Canada like never before, here are 1,000 spectacular, compelling, essential, offbeat, utterly unforgettable places. Pristine beaches and... (more)

READER'S DIGEST NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE

by Editors of Readers Digest

Detailed, specially drawn full-color illustrations of 230 species of mammals, 300 reptiles, and 200 amphibians in natural, realistic settings. At-a-glance identification capsules pinpoint behavior patterns, field characteristics, coloring, habitat, and more.

The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery (Modern Library Paperbacks)

The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery (Modern Library Paperbacks)

by J. M. Adovasio

J. M. Adovasio has spent the last thirty years at the center of one of our most fiery scientific debates: Who were the first humans in the Americas, and how and when did they get there? At its heart, The First Americans is the story of the revolution in thinking that Adovasio and his fellow archaeologists have brought about, and the firestorm it has ignited. As he writes, “The work of lifetimes has been put at... (more)

The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories

The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories

by S. T. Joshi, H. P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft's unique contribution to American literature was a melding of traditional supernaturalism (derived chiefly from Edgar Allan Poe) with the genre of science fiction that emerged in the early 1920s. This new Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics edition brings together a dozen of the master's tales-from his early short stories "Under the Pyramids" (originally ghostwritten for Harry Houdini) and... (more)

Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol 12 : Ancient History)

Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol 12 : Ancient History)

by Hugh Nibley

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War

by Nathaniel Philbrick, Nathaniel Philbrick

Nathaniel Philbrick became an internationally renowned author with his National Book Award– winning In the Heart of the Sea , hailed as "spellbinding" by Time magazine. In Mayflower , Philbrick casts his spell once again, giving us a fresh and extraordinarily vivid account of our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of Plymouth Colony. From the Mayflower ’s... (more)

Annals of the Former World

by John McPhee

The Pulitzer Prize-winning view of the continent, across the fortieth parallel and down through 4.6 billion years Twenty years ago, when John McPhee began his journeys back and forth across the United States, he planned to describe a cross section of North America at about the fortieth parallel and, in the process, come to an understanding not only of the science but of the style of the geologists he traveled... (more)

Amazing Places to Take Your Kids in

by Laura Sutherland

This beautiful book for families seeking to put a new spin on vacation time is filled with sites that are sure to please. Hundreds of adventures--educational, exhilarating, unforgettable, and just plain fun--are covered in this lively guide to the continent's most amazing family vacation destinations.

The Hunger Games: Book 1

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience... (more)

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

In his debut novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do. He manages to provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--in this case, Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over. And he does this on... (more)

Sea Lions (Blastoff! Readers Oceans Alive)

Sea Lions (Blastoff! Readers Oceans Alive)

by Colleen A. Sexton

Our Three Bears

by Ron Hirschi

Bears roam North America from the waters of the Canadian arctic to the forests of the United States southeast. Black, grizzly, and polar bears are thrilling to see in the wild and exciting to study. In order to appreciate how wonderful bears are it helps to get to know them. Black bears, the most abundant bear in North America, can be seen just a short distance from populated areas. Their numbers are stable and... (more)

Adele & Simon in America

by Barbara McClintock

Adèle and her younger brother, Simon, have just arrived in New York City to visit their Aunt Cécile and prepare for a grand train trip around America. “ Please try not to lose anything on our trip,” Adèle tells her brother with a sigh. But how can Simon remember to keep an eye on his belongings when there are so many wonderful distractions and astounding sights to take in? The endearing team from Adèle &... (more)

Alpine Americas: An Odyssey Along the Crest of Two Continents

Alpine Americas: An Odyssey Along the Crest of Two Continents

by Don Mellor

Alpine Americas is a mountaineer's tour of the 10,000 mile range of peaks from the Arctic to Patagonia. The book combines stunning mountain photography with elegant text that explores the places from all perspectives -- geologic, historical, philosophical -- as it takes readers up the cold wind-swept ridges of Denali or down into the caldron of a smoking Mexican volcano. Each mountain grouping is a different... (more)

Children's Illustrated Atlas

by World Book Staff

Presents a brief history and key facts about each country including its size, geographical features, wildlife, and how its people live, work, and play.

Illustrated atlasWorld Book Inc.

Illustrated atlas

by World Book Inc.

Mexico (World in Focus)Celia Tidmarsh

Mexico (World in Focus)

by Celia Tidmarsh

France is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It is a democratic republic and a founding member of the European Union. It has a strong industrial economy and an international reputation for technological expertise and flair in areas such as the automobile and aircraft industries. France's landscapes range from green pastures and vast rolling plains to volcanic plateaux and high mountains. Its varied... (more)

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip

by Matthew Algeo

On June 19, 1953, Harry Truman got up early, packed the trunk of his Chrysler New Yorker, and did something no other former president has done before or since: he hit the road. No Secret Service protection. No traveling press. Just Harry and his childhood sweetheart Bess, off to visit old friends, take in a Broadway play, celebrate their wedding anniversary in the Big Apple, and blow a bit of the money he’d just... (more)

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Tags: north america

Rediscovering the New World

by Tony Horwitz