Books published by publisher Fountain Press

There is a place where the grizzly bear is still king, mountain goats live among craggy peaks, and glaciers dominate the horizon. It is a place where snow falls in summer, water seeps from rock, and you can see icebergs on your way to the sun. What is the name of this magical place? It’s called Glacier National Park, the Crown Jewel of the Continent.In Glacier National Park: An ABC Adventure, nature photographers KC Glastetter and Jeremie Hollman take readers on a letter-by-letter journey through one of our nation’s treasures. Look up the letter C and learn about cedars so big you can fit inside their trunks. Move on to P and find pika, a furry little rabbit cousin that lives on bare, rocky slopes high in the mountains. Flip back to G and take a trip along Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most breathtaking drives on earth. With stunning color photographs and lively text, Glacier National Park: An ABC Adventure is perfect for anyone fascinated by this wild and rugged land.

Many forest communities in the West need fire to maintain a healthy ecosytem. Forest Communities profiles three forest types�ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and white-barked pine�that benefit from the occasional wild fire. The Whizpops, an educational band based in Montana, created the song �Forest Communities� as part of the score for a dance production called Fire Speaks the Land. Forest Communities introduces young fans to the science behind the song. As the lyrics draw you through the book, natural history notes explain such topics as how trees survive fire, how soil exposed by fire provides an ideal place for seedlings to grow, and how fire releases seeds from resin-sealed pine cones. Combining songs with picture books is an engaging way to introduce young children to topics that affect their lives and the world around them.

Anyone who has ever stopped to watch a butterfly flit across a mountain meadow or backyard garden will love Western Butterflies for Young Explorers. This beautifully illustrated guide helps children identify twenty-six butterflies of the western United States―one for each letter of the alphabet, from the Anise Swallowtail to the Zerene Fritillary. In between, young explorers will discover a wide variety of species, including such favorites as the Monarch, the Tiger Swallowtail, and the Painted Lady. Each entry presents a lovingly rendered watercolor of a specific butterfly along with a simple but thorough description of its caterpillar, it coloring, and its mature wingspan, as well as its range, habitat, and preferred host plant. In addition are fun facts about butterfly natural history. Did you know that butterflies identify their host plants by tasting them with their feet? Western Butterflies for Young Explorers is a wonder-filled guide for budding naturalists and their families to share.

From the unwelcome prickle of the thistle to the generous shade of the catalpa tree, leaves come in a remarkable and surprising variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Children will be delighted by the fourteen diverse North American plants depicted in Fiddleheads to Fir Trees, from weeping willow and cedar to cattail and poison ivy. The author introduces each plant with a poem and explains its leafy character in a nature note. The plants are organized by season, starting with the tender fiddleheads of a fern in early spring and ending with the snow-dusted needles of the balsam fir. Scientifically trained illustrator Laurie Caple deftly places insects and animals among the foliage in her beautiful watercolors, adding to their visual appeal.

These five captivating tales are real-life stories of animals who made a mark in Alaska history. Young readers will love Stikeen, the little dog who traversed glaciers with famed naturalist John Muir; Mark and Hannah, the intrepid mules who helped Judge James Wickersham attempt to scale Mt. McKinley; and Margie, a feisty malamute who became a mother on an expedition to explore the ancient volcanoes of the Aleutian Islands.?Sumptuously illustrated by award-winning artist Jon Van Zyle and peppered with historical photos, this engaging book will delight readers of all ages. Bonuses include several historical anecdotes and a list of places to visit.

Few things in nature can capture children's attention better than colorful wildflowers. Parents and teachers can make the most of this with Mountain Wildflowers for Young Explorers, a fact-filled and beautifully illustrated guide adults can share with the budding botanists in their lives. Author and artist Sharon Lamar's charming watercolor paintings depict 26 flowers common to Western mountains and valleys, one for each letter of the alphabet. This book is packed with extras. The illustrated glossary helps aspiring naturalists identify plants, a section notes each plant's traditional significance to Native peoples, and an appendix outlines a variety of wildflower activities for kids. This fun and fascinating book is sure to inspire kids and grownups alike to get outside and scour the mountainsides for beautiful buds and blossoms.

In Daughters of Two Nations, Peggy Caravantes tells the life stories of nine Native American women who brought change and unity to two cultures historically at odds. These short but well-researched biographies describe the hardships and triumphs of each of these courageous women as they spoke up, spoke out, and fought their way into history. The stories in this book span centuries, from Mary Musgrove, who used her bilingual skills to help settle the future state of Georgia in the 1700s, to Wilma Mankiller, whose education and leadership ability helped her overcome her tribe�s prejudice against women to become the first female Cherokee chief in 1985. In between are tales of dancers, teachers, storytellers, and activists who made a difference in the world�or, more precisely, in two worlds.Perfect for school or home, Daughters of Two Nations is both a valuable historical resource and an entertaining read for young and old, complete with stunning full-color illustrations by Carolyn Dee Flores.

Homesteading: Settling America’s Heartland describes the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of the brave pioneer families who set out into the unknown to create a home on the vast, desolate grasslands of the Great Plains. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered, practically free, a 160-acre plot to anyone willing to develop it. Hundreds of men, women, and children took advantage of the opportunity to build a home, a farm, and a while new life on the western prairie.The homesteader’s life could be harsh. The Great Plains had few resources, unpredictable weather, and numerous dangers. Nevertheless, many stalwart Americans and immigrants took up the challenge. Many failed, but others survived and eventually thrived, opening the way for generations of Westerners to come.Kids and adults alike will delight in this engaging short history, beautifully illustrated with full-color photographs by William Muñoz

From Natalia Shelikhova, unofficially the first woman governor of Russian Alaska, to the pioneer Iditarod racer Mary Shields, the eleven women portrayed in this engaging book were indeed bold�breaking down barriers of sexism, racism, and political opposition to emerge as heroines of their time. The fourth in Mountain Press�s state-by-state series for teen readers, Bold Women in Alaska History reveals the feminine side of our northernmost state�s storied past. Among the fear-less femmes we meet are Mary Antisarlook, the Reindeer Queen of Sinrock; Elizabeth Peratrovich, an early crusader for Native Alaskan civil rights; and Thelma Buchholdt, the first female Filipino American to serve in the Alaska legislature.Perfect for school or home, this collection of short but informative biographies is both a valuable resource and an entertaining read.

The protagonist, Jay Cooley is an 11th grade high school student at the exclusive private Essex School. Jay is an outstanding student and a developing athlete but he never feels that he really is able to fit in socially with his peers. Through hard work, discipline, and blind confidence Jay is able to overcome his own obsessive compulsive demons and finally begins to realize his potential both athletically and in the academic arena. Several runners on Jay’s team are using performance enhancing drugs which brings them great initial success. Soon however, they are discovered and this sets the stage for their fall from grace. Their fall, is largely cushioned by the bed of privilege in which they live. In an ironic twist however, the drug dealer himself a product of the most privileged background is liberated from the perfectionistic measures defining his claustrophobic environment when becomes a fugitive from justice. In the end, both the drug dealer and Jay find their unique personal independence and freedom and begin to live their lives authentically.