Books in Legendary Heroes of the Wild West series

Zoologist Nicola Davies merges a heart-pounding adventure with a conservation message triggered by a life-changing—and mind-changing—encounter.Manuela had imagined that killing a manatee would be like killing a very big fish, just more exciting. But when her father successfully harpoons one, leaving its baby orphaned, she finds that her feelings have changed. She vows to rescue the baby manatee and return it to the river. But she soon realizes what an enormous task she’s taken on. Will she be able to save the baby manatee—and protect him from being hunted in the future, too?

Notorious for his widely publicized bank and train robberies, Jesse James will forever be known as the American outlaw and gang leader. James began his infamous career during the Civil War, as part of a group of Confederate guerrilla fighters in his native state of Missouri. But as the war ended, James turned his life toward crime and soon became a man on the run from the law. Joined by his older brother, Frank, and another set of brothers, James became one of the leaders of the famous James-Younger gang. As a group, these bandits ruled the West, terrorizing banks, stagecoaches, and railroads. Although James was feverishly hunted, he was never taken prisoner by US law enforcement. Instead, his career as an American outlaw was cut short when he was betrayed and murdered by a member of his own gang: Robert Ford. Already a celebrity when he was alive, Jesse James became a legend after his unforeseen death. With exciting text, vivid photos, and historical relics, Jesse James, part of the Wild West for Kids series, teaches kids why this one outlaw still fascinates people more than a century later!

A hunter, woodsman, and frontiersman who was an excellent shot with a rifle, Davy Crockett's adventures became well-known legend after his death at the siege of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Although he is remembered as an American pioneer, he also forged a career as a politician, serving as a Tennessee state legislator and later as a U.S. Congressman. Crockett had a remarkable life, from running away from home when he was 13 to holding political office with virtually no formal education. The desire for more land led Crockett to journey to Texas, where he joined the volunteer army to offer allegiance to the formation of a free Texas. At the Battle of the Alamo, Mexican general Santa Anna wanted to make an example of those involved in the rebellion; his take no prisoners order resulted in Crockett's execution. In Davy Crockett, read about a man whose life became a symbol of America's pioneering spirit.

The life of Crazy Horse, the greatest warrior of the Lakota people, is filled with mystery. He did not leave any letters, diaries, or speeches, and it is still unclear whether his death was a murder or an accident. Yet Crazy Horse remains a compelling symbol of freedom and dignity. As whites invaded Lakota lands and the buffalo herds shrank, many Lakota settled on reservations. Crazy Horse, however, completely rejected the reservation system and negotiations with the invaders. He helped lead the Lakota in two of the greatest defeats ever suffered by the U.S. Army: the Fetterman Fight in 1866 and the Battle of Little Bighorn against General George Armstrong Custer in 1876. In Crazy Horse, read about this mysterious man who played a large role in the Native American battles in the West.

A child, a wild animal - and a life-changing encounter. An exciting new range of books in which children find solutions to problems through conservation rather than killing. Zaki lives in northern India. His father mistreats his wife and children and the family's dancing bears - an old female and the two new cubs who are to replace her. Zaki wants all the bears to be free. With the help of his mother and sister, the old bear is taken to a sanctuary for retired bears while Zaki runs away to the forest with the cubs. There he spends months teaching them how to survive in the wild. When he returns to his family, he finds his father's cruel rule has finally been overturned. His mother has a new way of making a living - and Zaki and his sister can go to school at last.

Jesse James may be the most famous outlaw from the wild days of the Old West. He began his career during the Civil War, as part of a group of Southern-supporting guerrilla fighters in his native Missouri. After the war, James turned his hand to crime, becoming one of the leaders of the famous James-Younger Gang, along with his brother Frank and another set of brothers, the Youngers. These bandits became notorious for their bold robberies of banks, stagecoaches, and railroads around Missouri, but James was never taken prisoner, despite years of manhunts for him. James's legendary career ended when he was betrayed and murdered by Robert Ford, a member of his gang. As proved in Jesse James, his daring exploits are still fascinating more than a century after his death.

Billy the Kid is one of the most famous outlaws ever to come out of the Old West an expert at rustling, thieving, shooting, and breaking out of jails. Over the years, he has been the subject of hundreds of books, articles, movies, and more. Still, tantalizingly little is known about the Kid, and many questions remain. Before he died at the age of about 21, how many men did he kill? Was he a ruthless criminal or a good-hearted Robin Hood of the American Southwest? And why have his fame and legend survived for so long? Separate the fact from fiction in this new biography about Billy the Kid and how he played an important role in the legends during the settlement of the American West.