Using a broad range of literature to examine the political culture of white South Africa, Peck finds both a preoccupation with political issues and a dislike for politics. The literature examined ranges from South African propaganda, through a variety of bestsellers--adventure stories and mystery novels written by authors such as Wilbur Smith and James McClure--to self-conscious literary works of the canonical white South African authors such as Alan Paton, Andre Brink, and Nadine Gordimer. The study gives attention to anti-political features of the liberal tradition that dominated South African writing, and to the failure of writers who undermined that tradition to generate a more positive view of politics. The morbid fascination with politics that is found across the full spectrum of creative writing is a reflection of the circumstances in which writers found themselves, but it is still a worrisome feature of the white South African political culture.

If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it," begins Richard Peck's latest novel, a book full of his signature wit and sass. Russell Culver is fifteen in 1904, and he's raring to leave his tiny Indiana farm town for the endless sky of the Dakotas. To him, school has been nothing but a chain holding him back from his dreams. Maybe now that his teacher has passed on, they'll shut the school down entirely and leave him free to roam.

No such luck. Russell has a particularly eventful season of schooling ahead of him, led by a teacher he never could have predicted-perhaps the only teacher equipped to control the likes of him: his sister Tansy. Despite stolen supplies, a privy fire, and more than any classroom's share of snakes, Tansy will manage to keep that school alive and maybe, just maybe, set her brother on a new, wiser course.

Don Freeman's classic character, Corduroy, is even more popular today then he was when he first came on the scene over thirty years ago. These favorite titles are ready for another generation of children to love.

Mary Alice's childhood summers in Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town were packed with enough drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. But now she is fifteen, and faces a whole long year with Grandma, a woman well known for shaking up her neighbors-and everyone else! All Mary Alice can know for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out . . . better not. This wry, delightful sequel to the Newbery Honor Book A Long Way from Chicago has already taken its place among the classics of children's literature.

Davy Bowman's dad looks forward to Halloween more than a kid, and Davy's brother, Bill, flies B-17s. Davy adores these two heroes and tries his best to follow their lead, especially now. World War II has invaded Davy's homefront boyhood. Bill has joined up, breaking their dad's heart. It's an intense, confusing time, and one that will spur Davy to grow up in a hurry. This is one of Richard Peck's finest novels--a tender, unforgettable portrait of the World War II home front and a family's enduring love.

The year is 1861. Civil war is imminent and Tilly Pruitt's brother, Noah, is eager to go and fight on the side of the North. With her father long gone, Tilly, her sister, and their mother struggle to make ends meet and hold the dwindling Pruitt family together. Then one night a mysterious girl arrives on a steamboat bound for St. Louis. Delphine is unlike anyone the small river town has even seen. Mrs. Pruitt agrees to take Delphine and her dark, silent traveling companion in as boarders. No one in town knows what to make of the two strangers, and so the rumors fly. Is Delphine's companion a slave? Could they be spies for the South? Are the Pruitts traitors? A masterful tale of mystery and war, and a breathtaking portrait of the lifelong impact one person can have on another.

Thirteen-year-old Rosie Beckett has never strayed further from her family's farm than a horse can pull a cart. Then a letter from her Aunt Euterpe arrives, and everything changes. It's 1893, the year of the World's Columbian Exposition-the "wonder of the age"-a.k.a. the Chicago World's Fair. Aunt Euterpe is inviting the Becketts to come for a visit and go to the fair! Award-winning author Richard Peck's fresh, realistic, and fun-filled writing truly brings the World's Fair-and Rosie and her family-to life.

Winner of the 2001 Newbery Honor Medal!

It was within the pages of Richard Peck's Newbery Honor-winning A Long Way from Chicago that Mary Alice and Grandma Dowdel first made their captivating debut. Now they're back for more astonishing, laugh-out-loud adventures when fifteen-year-old Mary Alice moves in with her spicy grandmother for the year. Expect moonlit schemes, romances both foiled and founded, and a whole parade of fools made to suffer in unusual (and always hilarious) ways.

Wise, exuberant, and slyly heartwarming, Mary Alice's story is a fully satisfying companion to the celebrated A Long Way from Chicago, which, in addition to receiving the Newbery Honor, was a National Book Award finalist, an ALA Notable Book, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Puffin Classics - everyone's favourite stories. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer and his friends seek out adventure at every turn. Then one fateful night they witness a murder. The boys swear never to reveal the secret and run away to be pirates and search for hidden treasure. But when Tom gets trapped in a cave with the murderer, can he escape unharmed? The Introduction is written by Richard Peck, an American novelist known for his young adult books. He was awarded American's highly prestigious Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder. The book includes a behind-the-scenes journey, including an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more.. The Puffin Classics relaunch includes: A Little Princess Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass Anne of Green Gables Black Beauty Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales Heidi Journey to the Centre of the Earth Little Women Peter Pan Tales of the Greek Heroes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of King Arthur The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Call of the Wild The Jungle Book The Odyssey The Secret Garden The Wind in the Willows The Wizard of Oz Treasure Island

Set off on an amazing quest with this lovable orphaned mouse.
The tiniest mouse in the Royal Mews is such a mystery he doesn't even know his own name He scampers off on a epic adventure in and around Buckingham Palace with a plan to seek the advice of Queen Victoria. The exhilarating journey takes him to strange and wonderful places, but will it help him discover who he is and where he came from? This delightful follow-up to the acclaimed "Secrets at Sea" from Newbery Medal winner Richard Peck is full of laughs, surprises and excitement.
"This clever yarn should delight fans of animal adventure stories." --"Booklist," starred review
"Readers will gleefully suspend disbelief as they trace Mouse Minor's exciting journey." --"Publishers Weekly," starred review

The adorable tale of a family of mice stowaways on an adventurous ship's journey
In the beloved tradition of "The Borrowers," "The Tale of Despereaux," and "The Cricket in Times Square," here is an irresistible adventure story about the tiny creatures who secretly live among us humans, as only Newbery Medal winner Richard Peck could imagine it. Set on a grand cruise ship to England in 1887, this beautifully illustrated tale of a charming family of mice is full of laughs, near misses, and surprises. Multiple-award-winning author Richard Peck at his best and most playful

One of the most adored characters in childrenOs literature is the eccentric, forceful, bighearted Grandma Dowdel, star of the Newbery Awardwinning "A Year Down Yonder" and Newbery Honorwinning "A Long Way from Chicago." And it turns out that her story isnOt over. ItOs now 1958, and a new family has moved in next door to Mrs. Dowdel: a minister and his wife and kids. Soon Mrs. Dowdel will work her particular brand of charm on all of them, and they will quickly discover that the last house in town might also be the most vital.

Traditionally, it has been thought that the lives of bison and Native Americans were intricately entwined, with the movement of the animals influencing the movement and behaviour of the people. However, there is another school of thought that argues that there was no mass migration of bison and that the encounters between people and bison were less predictable. This thesis examines different types of evidence, includig ethnography, oral traditions and bison dental remains, to uncover trends in the movement of bison and their relation to identified human sites, focusing on twenty-one sites on the northwestern plains dating to the Old Women's Phase or late prehistoric period.

Being the new girl at school is rough. But when the popular girls choose Kerry as the newest member of their ultra-exclusive clique, she thinks her troubles are finally finished. When her three new friends are killed in a horrifying car crash, her life seems over as well. But then the texts begin. . . .
Richard Peck returns to his contemporary teen- and ghost-story roots in this suspenseful page-turner with a subtle commentary on peer pressure that fans of television dramas such as "Pretty Little Liars" and "Vampire Diaries" will devour.

Gail Osburne is a normal, carefree teenager-until she starts receiving the obscene notes and threatening phone calls. "YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT. YOU'LL GET IT. AND YOU WON'T HAVE LONG TO WAIT." Gail surrounds herself with friends and family and tries to pretend that nothing is wrong. But when she comes face to face with her stalker one dark night, Gail must confront the harm he has done her-and the tragic truth that there was very little she could have done to protect herself.

Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Award

Together, they won college football's highest award.



This is a true, memorable, compassionate story of courage and love between two brothers. In 1973, while John Cappelletti was winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding college football player in America, his younger brother Joey was suffering from leukemia. But John, now a running back for the Los Angeles Rams, had a very special medicine for Joey. It was called touchdowns. And John scored them in bunches because they were "Something for Joey." The story of the Cappelletti family is a story of courage you will never forget.