Books with author R. J. MacDonald

War is threatening. The grey parrot with the bright red tail named Kasuku is flying as fast as he can to reach the village of Kiritiri and the hut of the powerful and aging warrior, Chief Pachunga. But if Kjaz-Barbaroi, an evil leader with designs on ruling Africa, gets to the hut first, it will be too late for all of them. Kasuku carries orders from Olugbala to tell the chief, who has been held prisoner for three rainy seasons, that he must raise an army to fight against Kjaz-Barbaroi and his contingent of Dark Creatures. Pachunga and the parrot narrowly escape the village, and with Kjaz-Barbaroi close behind, they face constant danger. Joined by Muriel Sniggins, the trio travels through the jungle, descend into a cave system inhabited by a long-lost race of people, and finally reach the savannah. As they journey, Pachunga's army continues to grow person by person, group by group. In the meantime, Kjaz-Barbaroi's army also gets larger and larger. Each day brings them closer and closer to the final battle. Pachunga wonders if his army will be large enough, strong enough, and brave enough to defeat the evil Kjaz-Barbaroi.

The disabled teens of Ability Inc. don’t understand the words can’t or give up. They believe any obstacle can be overcome with the right friends and are willing to risk their lives to rescue defenseless animals from abuse. Goliath is an indomitable pit bull whose life has been a struggle to survive from one dog fight to the next. When David, a wheelchair-bound teen from Ability Inc., takes on a dog fight club to rescue Goliath, his friends are there to help. It will take more than courage to win against Goliath’s abusive owner. Will Ability Inc. overcome the odds and rescue Goliath -- or will the next fight be his last?

Henry’s Hand is a story about the friendship between Henry, a giant, and his right hand. You see, Henry sometimes has trouble keeping track of his body parts―everything from his ears to one of his legs can fall off. Once, his eye even rolled under the couch and wouldn’t come out until bedtime. But with help from Hand, Henry keeps himself together. In fact, Henry and Hand are the best of friends . . . that is, until Henry takes Hand for granted, pushes him too far, and Hand runs away. A charming tale of friendship, forgiveness, and loyalty, Henry’s Hand is also a quirky story for readers of all ages, especially those of us who know what it feels like to fight with your best friend. Praise for Henry's Hand “A charming story with wonderful illustrations―give Ross and Henry a hand!” ―Patrick McDonnell, Caldecott Honor–winning author/illustrator of Me . . . Jane and creator of Mutts “Clever, moving, and funny. What more can you ask for in a beautifully illustrated children’s book?” ―Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair and father of five “In Ross MacDonald’s world, fiendishly silly things happen as a matter of course. In Henry’s Hand, our weirdly lovable hero is falling apart―literally―and chasing after the pieces. Only Henry is more human than he appears to be―which can’t always be said about the rest of us!” ―David Small, author/illustrator of Stitches, a National Book Award finalist and #1 New York Times bestseller "Henry's Hand is funny and sweet, but creepily crazy enough to delight any young monster-lover. It delighted me." ―Paul O. Zelinsky, three-time Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator STARRED REVIEW "A good old-fashioned man/appendage love story for the ages… Kids will come for the monster and the disembodied hand. They’ll stay for the story." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review "All the pieces are in place, as it were, and MacDonald sets them in motion in a melodramatic plot that wraps up with a reunion worthy of applause―with both hands." ―Publishers Weekly "It’s a ridiculous and bizarre concept, but also filled with a lot of heart." ―School Library Journal "Fresh and quirky tale about the bumps that occur even in the best of friendships." ―The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books Award A Junior Library Guild Selection 2013 Parents' Choice Award - Recommended

Tired of being a wimp? Try being a goat! Welcome to Raybury Village where corn is king and strange is normal. Billy Smudge and his best friend Shamus McNutt are about to have an adventure they will never forget. Someone is experimenting on animals in a secret laboratory and Billy is convinced that HE is one of the experiments! But the trouble is double when the boys find out that the mad scientist is someone they thought they knew and trusted!Diary of a Real "Kid" pokes fun at the multitude of "diary" books available in a light and humorous way. Twelve-year-old, Billy Smudge is a wannabe writer with a passion for "Stranger Than Weird" magazine. Billy's well-fed imagination takes a wild leap though when he wakes up one day and discovers that he is turning into a goat. Yep, a real "kid." Along with his best friend, Shamus McNutt, the boys navigate a series of misadventures on their way to discovering what caused the mysterious transformation. There is plenty of fun, a sprinkling of light sarcasm, friends, teachers, siblings and even a mad scientist. Everyone learns something about the 'power of suggestion' and how it might just be possible to become what you 'think' you are. It's a wild escape with lots of visual cues. Cartoon characters further the plot and make funny commentary. As the story is written from Billy's point of view, the comics mimic his narration and allow deeper insight into his feelings. Educators and parents will find this book suitable for most readers in the 8 - 12 year- old range, including reluctant readers. Diary of a Real "Kid" was written with the intent to amuse and entertain but a great deal of thought and attention has been given to the responsibility of writing for young people. 5 Stars From Reader's ChoiceWatch out for the puns! In the tradition of the “Diary of” books comes this one-of-a-kind Diary of a Real Kid: The Stranger Than Weird Story of How Billy Smudge Turned into a Goat by J. Garden Macdonald. When Billy Smudge and his best friend, Shamus McNutt, break into the school (to retrieve Billy’s stinky gym clothes so Mr. Atlas won’t say Billy smells like a farm animal), Billy topples into the science lab and accidentally swallows some purple goo. That night Billy dreams he’s a goat and the next day he has goat hairs on his chin. And he starts eating really weird stuff. Billy and Shamus try to get help from their science teacher, Dr. Prankenstein, but he's just too weird. Billy starts fainting (apparently he’s turning into a fainting goat) and everything just goes from bad to worse. Before it’s all over, Billy is surprised to learn about who certain people really are and who he himself is becoming. Diary of a Real Kid is a quick, light read that should appeal to preteens, especially boys. Cartoon drawings are scattered throughout and they further the story as some of them show what Billy is thinking. True to the cartoonish feel, most of the characters are one-dimensional, but it all works. You have the boys, who spend their weekly allowance on "Stranger Than Weird" magazine, a giggling girl gang, a bossy older sister and her pizza-delivering boyfriend, and a mad scientist with a talking cat. Diary of a Real Kid doesn’t take itself too seriously and yet Macdonald sneaks in a really positive message to kids (real kids, not goat kids) about who they can become. Diary of a Real Kid should find a place on the bookshelves of 4th-6th grade classrooms everywherJ.M. Macdonald is an award-winning author with 3 grown children.

We had something together once. Carrie Milligan and I. But it was long gone. She came to me now, years later, looking older and used and very scared. She had a lot of money with her. Over a hundred thousand dollars. She wanted me to keep it safe. Until she returned. And no questions, please - for old times' sake. So I kept the money, but Carrie never came back. And never would. She was suddenly very dead. The papers aid it was an accident. But I didn't believe it for a moment. I did not know then that Carrie had been mixed up in a dangerous and dirty business. But I suspected it. And I was certain that someone had "arranged" that accident. Now I was damn well going to find out who.

Welcome to MOUTHPIECE, BOOK FOUR of the MY CRIME SERIESGo to WWW.CRIMEBIOS.COMto listen to FREE INTERVIEWS with the subjects of the MY CRIME SERIESThe MY CRIME SERIES presents to the world books written on inmates by inmates.Each book of the MY CRIME SERIES was written in 2018 by the presently incarcerated about the presently incarcerated.Each book of the MY CRIME SERIES has been dictated, read, and reviewed by the subject.Go to WWW.CRIMEBIOS.COMto listen to interviews recorded off of the prison phones.Buy the paperback for someone else and receive the eBook free for yourself.The books of the MY CRIME SERIES grant citizens insight into the lives of unknown felons in the California prison system. YOU become the judge. YOU will read about each subject’s interactions with family. YOU will get a sense of the subject’s neighborhood and school. YOU will come to know each subject’s motivations. YOU will move from childhood, youth, and adulthood with each subject. YOU will get a sense of the why’s and how’s of what makes someone choose crime. The MY CRIME SERIES books have been produced so we better know each other, including the felon. The ultimate goal is to create a better system, a system that lives up to our own standards of justice. All books are written on inmates, by inmates. Welcome to BOOK FOUR of the MY CRIME SERIES. MOUTHPIECE grants an understanding into inner city life. Understand the motivations and the temptations experienced by a youth who leans toward wrong doing, despite the best intentions of his family. Understand how crime is chosen as the best alternative from bad options. Witness, how the young subject fully dedicates himself to criminal enterprising. Go to WWW.CRIMEBIOS.COMto hear a portion of the audiobook plus extensive phone interviews with the subject.All books are written on inmates, by inmates. Welcome to BOOK FOUR of the MY CRIME SERIES: MOUTHPIECEMouthpiece is a brutally told biographical sketch of an incarcerated pimp, in prison for human trafficking. Raw boasts and brazen inner-city tales litter the story’s violent, unrepentant landscape.Like a marked man, Mouthpiece keeps after the reader with a cold perspective. Money is the aim and young women are the product.Bullets fly, tears drop, and children watch, Mouthpiece communicates the pride and prejudices of a warrior-pimp seizing plunder, camaraderie, and a demigod sense of self, through violence, street credentials, and psychological manipulation.Thank you for taking time out of your day to read and learn about MOUTHPIECE and the MY CRIME SERIES Content Includes:Family Life - Neighborhood Life – Gang Life - Drug Use – Youth/Adult Incarceration – Murder – Beatings – Property Theft - California Culture – Youth/Adult Sexuality – Prostitution - Profanity

"McGee has become part of our national fabric."SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCERA lovely young girl steps in front of Travis McGee's headlights. McGee misses the girl but lands in ten feet of swamp water. As he's limping along the deserted road, someone in an old truck takes a few shots at him. And, when he goes to the local sheriff to complain, the intrepid Travis McGee finds himself arrested and charged with murder. And he can't help but ask himself, is this what they call southern hospitality...?

Set in a 1920s coal-mining town, Trapper Boy is the story of 13-year-old JW Donaldson, a good student with a bright future. As school ended for the year in 1926, JW was looking forward to summer. Sure, he would have chores – feeding the horse and milking the goat, tending the garden, that kind of thing – but he would also have lots of time for fishing, building his cabin and reading. Lots of reading. But there is something worrying his parents. His father works in the mine, and there is a lot of talk around town about the mines. JW doesn’t know the details – Adults had a lot to worry about, and he was in no hurry to become one.Slowly, JW’s parents reveal the truth: his father’s hours at the mine have been reduced and they face difficult decisions to try to make ends meet. One such decision will have a previously unimagined impact on the young man’s life.

Henry's Hand is a story about the friendship between Henry, a giant, and his right hand. You see, Henry sometimes has trouble keeping track of his body parts--everything from his ears to one of his legs can fall off. Once, his eye even rolled under the couch and wouldn't come out until bedtime. But with help from Hand, Henry keeps himself together. In fact, Henry and Hand are the best of friends . . . that is, until Henry takes Hand for granted, pushes him too far, and Hand runs away. A charming tale of friendship, forgiveness, and loyalty, Henry's Hand is also a quirky story for readers of all ages, especially those of us who know what it feels like to fight with your best friend.* "A good old-fashioned man/appendage love story for the ages. . . Kids will come for the monster and the disembodied hand. They’ll stay for the story." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Shel Silverstein has achieved unprecedented success and longevity in a highly competitive field of childrens poetry. In these collections Silverstein addresses lifes pleasures and pitfalls by focusing on a schoolchilds humor; employing simple cartoons and mischievous jokes, he mentions the unmentionable but never preaches. Silverstein has brought poetry to generations of children who would otherwise avoid it. In this first book-length study devoted to Silverstein, Ruth K. MacDonald presents a thought-provoking appreciation of the poets contributions to childrens literature, particularly childrens poetry and humor. Arguing that Silversteins works will endure because they speak for children so precisely and without historical limitations, MacDonald gives much attention to the poetry collections while also treating the picture books and other works that preceded and followed them. A balanced assessment of a forceful and provocative voice in childrens literature, SHEL SILVERSTEIN will appeal to students and teachers at the secondary and college levels and find a ready niche in courses on popular culture, childrens literature, and elementary education and reading. 01

Mr. Fred used to be an unhappy office manager, until he received a letter from his long lost uncle MacDonald, who gave him an amazing challenge: Fix up the old family farm, and it would become his inheritance! Looking for a change of pace, Mr. Fred quickly became Farmer Fred, and took up his uncle's challenge. He now has one year to learn how to live off the land, restore his family's ancient farm to working order, and make enough money to secure his future. Arriving at his family's farm, Farmer Fred finds it in disrepair. The fences are broken, the farmland is full of overgrown trees, the land needs to be tilled and planted, the greenhouse is broken, and there is so much more work to be done! Adjusting to his new life, Farmer Fred decided to keep a daily journal, detailing his efforts towards restoring the family farm and helping the local community. What kind of adventures will Farmer Fred have as he adjusts to life on the farm? How will he learn the skills needed to survive and thrive? How will he turn this ruined farm into a thriving business? Read this exciting series of books to find out!