Books with author Barbara Gowan

What Will happen during the summer of 1944 when ninety year old Katie Rennals is removed from her home by her adopted son and left to survive on her own in a wooded area of northwest Louisiana during one hundred degree weather? Where was she exactly? How far away was the nearest store? How would she get there to buy groceries and other necessities? How would she cook without a stove in the small trailer? What could she do when she used up the bottles of water he left for her? Based on an actual incident, Barbara L. McGowan's first novel, "Summer on 75th Street," recounts drama, life lessons, love, loss and recovery when ten year old Margaret Tunnell and her middle class family become involved in Katie Rennals' survival while living out their own lives. A book for all ages, it overflowing with life as it gives a child's viewpoint of living in the 1940's during hard but happy times.

Jim Weatherby, orphaned when arsonists burnt down his home and his parents killed, slaves as a scullery boy at a New Forest inn. Naively drawn into a smuggling ring, the young teenager increasingly finds solace in the forest as he determines to uncover some dark secrets. Intrigued to find his godfather living covertly in a cottage in the forest, memories of his past life unravel into reality. And when he becomes infatuated with a young girl of some breeding, Lily, he is anxious to better himself - learn to read, especially the Bible he sees at his godfather's home. As disaster strikes, Jim becomes aware of a spiritual presence looking out for him in the forest - could it be the Gypsies who befriend him, or the fallow deer that always seems to be close by? Mystery and conspiracy abound in this delightfully evocative story of life in the New Forest in the 1840s.

Jim Weatherby, orphaned when arsonists burnt down his home and his parents killed, slaves as a scullery boy at a New Forest inn. Naively drawn into a smuggling ring, the young teenager increasingly finds solace in the forest as he determines to uncover some dark secrets. Intrigued to find his godfather living covertly in a cottage in the forest, memories of his past life unravel into reality. And when he becomes infatuated with a young girl of some breeding, Lily, he is anxious to better himself - learn to read, especially the Bible he sees at his godfather's home. As disaster strikes, Jim becomes aware of a spiritual presence looking out for him in the forest - could it be the Gypsies who befriend him, or the fallow deer that always seems to be close by? Mystery and conspiracy abound in this delightfully evocative story of life in the New Forest in the 1840s.

Scorpions and Gila monsters, jackrabbits and coyotes, bats, butterflies and 14 varieties of hummingbirds are just a few examples of the diverse wildlife population of Arizona. While 25 percent of Arizona is blanketed by lush forests, it is also the only state where four deserts are found. Its varied terrain includes vast plateaus, deep caves and caverns, steep canyons and lofty mountains -- even volcanoes. Desert Digits guides children through the wonders of Arizona, where they can pan for gold, shoot the rapids on the Colorado River and camp in the Grand Canyon. They will also learn about Native American art and traditions, how to avoid a scorpion sting, how tall cacti grow, and the right way to make and eat a tortilla.