Books with author Michael Harris

'There is magic at work in these tales, a magic that stirs the air around you and fills it with the wondrous sounds and echoes of the stories that made Wales.'A dozen stories from the magical land of Wales from a master storyteller who knows the mountains, lakes and paths of Wales first hand and who has been telling these stories in Wales and all over the world for over twenty years.‘This is a very enjoyable read. Michael’s easy storytelling style conjures up and takes you deep into the Welsh landscape’Expect love, magic, betrayal, heroism and humour with one of the most beautiful little countries in the world as a backdrop all told by a master storyteller who leads you gently into the landscape of story. ‘Michael Harvey’s voice speaks at one with the landscape of Wales; melodic and mythic, gruesome and grand – with stories for now of times long gone.’What better way to get to know a country and it’s secret charm than in the company of someone who knows it intimately? With this book you can. You’ll feel ‘The stories of Wales come to life as if Michael is beside you telling them. His qualities as a storyteller – warmth, wit and feeling for dramatic emphasis – leap from the page into the reader’s imagination. If you want an ear to the ground, this is the one to choose.’You may not be within striking distance of the lakes and mountains of Wales but as ‘Michael walks us through the wonderful Celtic Tales of Wales; tales of enchantment, bravery and magic are mapped out in glorious Welsh landscapes and told as always with a genteel lilt that is irresistible – ‘un-put-down able’ at any age.’The story world of Wales is populated by giants, the little people, monsters, heroes, lovers fools and villains and this is your chance to meet them ‘Celtic Folktales from Wales’ is a brilliant read. From the moment you step out of Michael Harvey’s front door with him, you feel the thrill of being taken on an adventure. You also hear him telling as you go and, beware, this may give you an irresistible urge to read out loud, which is exactly what my 25 year old son and I did; taking turns to read to each other. So not just for those who want a quiet read as this is also a fantastic ‘Reading Aloud’ resource for all ages.’‘Michael Harvey’s characteristic elegance dances over the pages as we wander at leisure through this fine selection, with the storyteller’s voice our trusty guide.’So join other readers who have tasted the mystery and charm of the Welsh story landscape in ‘Celtic Folktales of Wales’

Recess. A swing set. An argument. A resolution! Michael Hall’s transformative Swing is a celebration of friendship, joy, and kindness. Readers of all ages will look forward to seeing how four unlikely friends navigate their differences. A surprising and standout picture book from the acclaimed and bestselling creator of Red: A Crayon’s Story and Perfect Square. It’s recess! Four letters (O, V, E, and L) race to the playground to claim the swings. In several pages of recess banter and bullying, one letter is told it’s too round, one is from the wrong end of the alphabet, and one is a vowel and therefore not welcome.What does it take to save the day? Kindness . . . and a heavenly and joyful swing. And what do the letters—friends now because of their shared experience—spell when they finally come back to Earth? LOVE. A story about sharing, acceptance, and kindness, this transcendent and colorful picture book will keep readers guessing while also introducing the letters of the alphabet. Swing is for anyone who loves to hop on a swing and fly to the sky.

“Stick” is the best wide receiver in the history of his high school—the football seems magnetically drawn to his hands, hence his nickname. Preston is an outcast, and his pipsqueak stature and nerdy social status couldn’t be further from a star athlete’s. Stick puts on his football costume every week to make others—his teammates, his dad, everyone but himself—happy, but he’s fallen out of love with the sport and feels that he’s lost control of his future. Preston puts on his homemade superhero costume every night to help others, too: to avenge his father’s murder, he’s determined to right the wrongs he sees in his neighborhood and regain control of the flawed world he sees around him. A twist of fate brings this unlikely pair together in a friendship that is as odd as it is true. Each can see the other better than he can see himself, and in these unexpected reflections lies a chance for mutual redemption.

This is a story of the rise and fall of the wilderness empire of the Iroquois Confederacy. This is a story of powerful Indigenous confederacies and alliances, and the struggles for territory and dominance between Indigenous coalitions and the empirical powers of the Netherlands, France, and Britain in eastern North America. Central to this story are the five tribes of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. Centuries before Europeans found their way to eastern North America, the five tribes accepted the message of the Great Binding Law brought by the Peacemaker, declared an armistice among themselves, and became known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This is a story of how the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, later known as the Iroquois Confederacy, won a wilderness empire through military power and political prowess. This is also the story of how, confronted by overwhelming pressure from European encroachment, the Iroquois fell from princes of wilderness empire to refugees in their ancestral lands. This is a story of intelligent military strategy and bold diplomacy of Indigenous leaders that altered the history of European empires and shaped the cultural and political landscape of present-day eastern North America. The story of Wilderness Empire is a timely book release in this year of celebration of Canada's 150th birthday.

It’s true: After 17-year-old Ben’s father announces he’s gay and the family splits apart, Ben does everything he can to tick him off: skip school, smoke pot, skateboard nonstop, get arrested. But he never thinks he’ll end up yanked out of his city life and plunked down into a small Montana town with his dad and Edward, The Boyfriend. As if it’s not painful enough living in a hick town with spiked hair, a skateboard habit, and two dads, he soon realizes something’s not quite right with Billy, the boy next door. He’s hiding a secret about his family, and Ben is determined to uncover it and set things right. In an authentic, unaffected, and mordantly funny voice, Michael Harmon tells the wrenching story of an uprooted and uncomfortable teenaged guy trying to fix the lives around him–while figuring out his own.

Tate's younger brother Indy is probably the best skateboarder in Spokane. He's also really smart though he couldn't care less about school. But when Indy clashes with his father one too many times and drops out of school, it's up to Tate to win his brother back from the seedier elements of Spokane. Can Tate convince Indy to come home, finish his high school degree, and return to skating Under the bridge with their crew?Michael Harmon's fast-paced and highly charged novel captures the enduring bond between brothers and their struggle for survival on the gritty streets of Spokane.

Based on Michael Halls best-selling book My Heart Is Like a Zoo, Sticky Hearts turns his inventive animal creations into an interactive game. Children can select the appropriate reusable vinyl heart-shaped stickers to create 12 of Halls animals, each of which is shown in an accompanying booklet. A laminated board provides the perfect surface for arranging the hearts. Brightly designed and ingenious in its conception, Sticky Hearts teaches children how to discern the shapes and colors that comprise a picture and will likewise inspire them to create their own heart-animals