Books with author Stephen Bird

This children's book explores the innermost workings of some extraordinary buildings and machines. From helicopters to submarines, skyscrapers to coal mines, open up a fascinating world packed with unique and detailed cutaway drawings.Whether it's a Spanish galleon or a medieval castle, each cross-section slice or exploded view reveals what's going on inside. See the people swarming inside the Empire State Building, the workers busy backstage at the opera house, and where the crew sleeps on a jumbo jet. Included also are two impressive foldouts showing an ocean liner and a steam train.There are lots of fun facts to be discovered, and curious details are highlighted and explained. Did you know one of the funnels of the Queen Mary liner was fake and used for storing deckchairs? And in almost every scene, there's the challenge to find a man on the toilet! With more than a million copies sold, Stephen Biesty's award-winning illustrated book is as fascinating today as it was when first published in 1992. Incredible Cross-Sections is the ultimate way to see how things work.

One Knight Fallen is a tale of high drama and low comedy. Roger is the half-wild 15-year old son of a 13th century forester. Raised in the isolation of the Ardennes, he's never seen anyone but his father, his stepmother, and his two hateful stepbrothers. He begins his first person narration with the discovery of a wounded man lying in his father's storeroom. The man is Sir Aelfred. As he heals, he fills Roger's head with tales of Chivalry and battle. When Sir Aelfred departs, Roger goes with him. Before a week is out, Roger faces his mortal combat. These are just the first steps to a life of adventure.

More than one million copies sold worldwide — now revised and updated! An intimate guide to the inside of a castle and the lives of its residents, this Stephen Biesty classic details the workings of a medieval fortress. With intricately detailed cross-sections, each layer of a castle is presented, so readers can explore layer upon layer of castle life including the people, their possessions, and how they lived, as well as how they defended themselves from enemy attacks and settled down for an evening of entertainment. Each time readers turn the page, they'll discover new details, making this the ultimate "insider's guide" to the structure of a castle and the lives of its inhabitants.

Nathan couldn't believe it. He and his dad and his friend Colin were going on a cattle drive. But as they set out, the trip began to take unexpected turns. Nathan's dad had to leave them to hunt down an escaped crook and would have to join the group later. Then Colin's friend Leah finagled her way along.When Pepper the cook hurt his foot and had to return to camp, the three kids were on their own. How would they round up cattle when they had never done it before? And how should they deal with the coyote family living beneath their cabin?Soon their situation turned ugly. Nathan found himself face to face with the hungry coyotes trying to take a newborn calf. Worse yet, in a terrifying encounter the escapee found their camp and threatened to kill Nathan, ambush Nathan's dad, and hold Colin and Leah for ransom.

Onepenny is exactly the kind of horse Nathan always wanted. He's smart, loyal, and easy to handle. Plus, this unusual horse with the spotted rump can do tricks. So Nathan is delighted to work out a trade to be the new owner. But then he encounters a posse looking for a stagecoach robber who had ridden a spotted horse. Seems that the former owner was not the drifter he claimed to be. And Nathan discovers Onepenny can lead him to the robber's house. What will he do if he actually finds the outlaw?

Nathan Riggins headed out west to the Nevada desert to search for his parents after his grandmother died. He faced one danger after another: hostile Indiands, a masked gunman, a blinding sandstorm, a rattlesnake. Now he frantically hurried from one empty building to the next. Where was everyone? How could everybody in town just disappear? In the deserted Post Office, bags of unopened mail lay everywhere. With increasing dread, he looked through the stacks of letters. He found his own letter to his parents telling them he was coming. No wonder they hadn't waited for him here in Willow Creek. What should he do? Then a strange dog seems to adopt him and come to his rescue.

Orphan Gabriel (Gabe) Young barely survives in the unforgiving West by working for meals at mining camps and frontier towns. Then in 1860 he gets lost in Nevada Territory. He meets a girl who takes him to her parents at a Pony Express station. There he finds a whole lot more than shelter and a meal. He can hardly believe the family's tender care for him. When he gets a chance to help them, he agrees to ride several legs of the dangerous Pony Express trail with the news of Abraham Lincoln's election and the impending Civil War.

For only a dollar, Thunder is a terrific bargain. But what does a boy do with a dangerous 2,500-pound buffalo that can break out of any corral ever built?Nathan Riggins has to find some way to keep Thunder from killing someone or being killed. He finally decides to donate his buffalo to the Carson City Zoo. But getting him to do the zoo will be a problem. Thunder has already destroyed one rail car and damaged the train's engine. The railroad refuses to ship him again. The answer comes in a surprising way. And there's an exciting contest between Thunder and a prize fighting bull.

Travel Saint Junipero Serra’s Camino Real in California with a pilgrim’s heart—and this book in hand— and prepare to continue, in your own way, the forward journey that he began in the 1700s. You’ll make your way to 21 missions, stretching from San Diego to Sonoma north of San Francisco Bay. The more you seek, the more you will find. The more you ask, the more you will receive. Such is the nature of a pilgrimage. Each of the missions is a unique jewel and a spiritual oasis. Some are found wedged into cities; others are surrounded by mountains and valleys. They range from simple to ornate. The grounds are filled with bells, statues, fountains, and gardens, all symbols of life and feasts of color. Old Spanish mission art can be found next to Indian wall paintings. Symbols of piety from two centuries form a wonderful holy mix. But author Stephen J. Binz does not gloss over the sometimes-painful historical aspects of the missions. The mission histories are difficult reading, documenting mistreatment and uprisings. But despite the many flaws of the Spanish mission system, the gospel still found ways in these missions to break through to hurting communities—and it continues to break through today. For each of the 21 missions, this guide offers you the street address for your GPS, the mission’s website, a brief history of the place, the story of the mission’s patron or namesake, and information about the mission bells. You’ll be given a tour of the mission church, as well as a prayer service for your visit.But this book is much more than a simple travel guide. You’ll learn more about the life of Saint Junípero Serra, whose vision is responsible for this holy Camino. You’ll be enriched by two interwoven traditions: the Spanish Franciscan and the American Indian. You’ll find yourself becoming more committed to being a missionary disciple, always desiring to communicate the reason for the joy and hope that is within you. Let the journey begin.

It's summer in Galena, Nevada. Everyone is leaving town for good! After the harshest winter on record and the shutdown of the Shiloh Gold mine, Nathan and his friends watch as businesses board up and houses empty. Rumor has it that even their school may close. Who will be the next to move away?When the bank is robbed, Nathan and Leah get their answer. It's not one they'd have chosen. In facing the loss of his friends, Nathan discovers what makes a town feel like home.Finally, in a deserted hotel, Nathan and Leah come face-to-face with the bank robbers. They encounter the most frightening showdown of their lives.

Nathan's got a real job for the summer. He'll be helping Push-Bill Horn freight supplies to the booming, brawling mining town of 10, Nevada. However, his dog Tona's disastrous fight with a bobcat on the second trip out thrusts Nathan into a dilemma. He wants revenge. And he desperately wants to save Tona's life. Will he take Push-Bill's advice to do the kind thing and put Tona out of his misery?Then, later in a chilling face-off at gunpoint, Nathan confronts two bushwhackers intent on stealing his gold. He also meets new friends: the six Rialto sisters who are trying to made a go of a ranch by themselves. This complicates his relationship with his good friend, Leah.

This children's book explores the innermost workings of some extraordinary buildings and machines. From helicopters to submarines, skyscrapers to coal mines, open up a fascinating world packed with unique and detailed cutaway drawings.Whether it's a Spanish galleon or a medieval castle, each cross-section slice or exploded view reveals what's going on inside. See the people swarming inside the Empire State Building, the workers busy backstage at the opera house, and where the crew sleeps on a jumbo jet. Included also are two impressive foldouts showing an ocean liner and a steam train.There are lots of fun facts to be discovered, and curious details are highlighted and explained. Did you know one of the funnels of the Queen Mary liner was fake and used for storing deckchairs? And in almost every scene, there's the challenge to find a man on the toilet!With more than a million copies sold, Stephen Biesty's award-winning illustrated book is as fascinating today as it was when first published in 1992. Incredible Cross-Sections is the ultimate way to see how things work.