Books published by publisher Pineapple Press

An exciting biography about the man who changed Florida's east coast with his hotels and his Florida East Coast Railway.Henry Morrison Flagler was already a millionaire when he first visited Florida in 1878. He liked what he saw. He came back and built railroads along the east coast so that others could more easily come. And he built grand hotels so that those who came had a beautiful place to stay. By the end of his long and productive life, he had built a railroad all the way to the very end of the Keys. It arrived in Key West in 1912. Henry Flagler was very determined and practical. He met all the great challenges he set for himself.Ages 9-12< < Previous in seriesNext in series > >See all of the books in this series

Fourteen-year old Frank Hollahan moves to Florida in 1943, at the height of World War II, to join his father, a navy seaman. When Frank and his mother arrive at the busy naval port of Jacksonville, a surprising new life awaits them. In this new place, Frank's life changes in ways he never imagined. In his new school, his tendency toward exaggeration quickly builds him a reputation as a teller of tales. He wanders to the beach one night and sees what seems to be a man coming ashore from a submarine. When he informs his family, friends, and teachers that he saw a spy from a German U-boat land on the local beach, no one believes him. Is the spy real, or is he only a part of Frank's imagination and exaggeration? Frank is certain the spy has plans for sabotage. With the aid of Rosemarie Twekenberry, who has eyes only for Frank, and a mysterious beach recluse known as Weird Wanda, Frank sets out to prove the spy's existence. With time running out, Frank must figure out a way to stop him. Each rumor and discovery—whether a buried chest, a secret code, or a mysterious note—presents new problems. The truth finally comes to light at the big bond rally in the shipyard as Frank's class presents a rousing patriotic program, led by Mr. Jolly, an ex-clown turned teacher. Thrown into the mix are a brash, redheaded student named Howard; Gladys, the organizer; and other zany characters who all join in the tangled web of this wartime mystery, based on an actual occurrence. The spy who came in from the sea ends up teaching Frank—and the people of Jacksonville—valuable lessons about friendship, perseverance, and the power of the truth.< < Previous in seriesNext in series > >See all of the books in this series

Between 1539 and 1543 Hernando de Soto led an army of six hundred armored men on a desperate journey of almost four thousand miles through the wilds of La Florida, what is now the southeastern United States, facing the problems of hostile natives, inadequate supplies, and the harsh elements, as they left a path of destruction in their search for gold and glory in the name of God.During the ordeal, de Soto's private secretary, Rodrigo Ranjel, kept a daily journal. Modern historians believe that Ranjel's writings are the most accurate of those covering de Soto's travels through the Southeast, but unfortunately his journal survives only partially, embedded in a work by an early Spanish historian. E. H. Haines has given us the gripping story of de Soto's quest in a novel from Ranjel's point of view, as he would have written it years later, based on his diary. Haines has meticulously researched the time, the place, and all the extant histories to bring us a story written from inside a conquistador's command center.This is a riveting account of the tragic expedition—a tale of adventure and survival, of undying faith, unconquerable friendship, and the dark aspects of human nature that greed and power brought to the depths of the unexplored New World.

Cracker Westerns are rip-roarin, action-packed, can't-put-'em-down tales set in the frontier days of Florida. They are full of adventure, real heroes, and vivid, authentic details that bring Florida's history to life.Tree Hooker will take on anything—man, animal, or force of nature—that stands in the way of his cattle drives during the Civil War. He's a Confederate soldier trying to save his country from starvation. Assigned to lead a group of tough, sun-baked cow hunters, he sets out to supply the South with beef from the herds on Florida's plains. Plenty of others also want those herds. There are the Yankees, led by men like Major Dan Greenley. He's tired of the war and knows that it will end quickly once the Confederacy runs out of food. Greenley is new to Florida and still believes in fighting by the rules of civilized warfare. But he's also a fast learner. He soon realizes that there is no such thing as civilized warfare in the palmetto scrub. A few people try to keep their humanity despite being surrounded by the horrors of war. Doris Brava is one of those. A young widow surviving on her own in Yankee-occupied St. Augustine, she finds hope and love in an unlikely place—Greenley's arms. But hope and love can't shield Doris from the savagery that rules on the palmetto plains.< < Previous in seriesNext in series > >See all of the books in this series

Cracker Westerns are rip-roarin, action-packed, can't-put-'em-down tales set in the frontier days of Florida. They are full of adventure, real heroes, and vivid, authentic details that bring Florida's history to life.In the spring of 1771, John MacKenzie arrives in British-ruled St. Augustine after a year of fur trapping. He is quickly drawn into an adventure that involves defending a young woman indentured to the powerful and treacherous James Tyrone. MacKenzie and Becky Campbell set out across the untamed Florida wilderness, accompanied by a crusty sailor named Blackpool Bobby and Jeremiah, a black slave-hunter. They are pursued by Tyrone's murderous trackers toward buried gold and a showdown on the windswept sands of the Florida Gulf coast.Next in series > >See all of the books in this series

Accelerated Reader Quiz #129357. Level 5.3Winner of the Florida Historical Society's Horgan Award, The Treasure of Amelia Island focuses on eleven-year-old Mary Kingsley, daughter of historical figure Ana Jai Kingsley.It is December 1813. Mary and her family live in La Florida, a Spanish territory under siege by Patriots of the United States of America. The Patriots want to force Spain out of the land it has ruled for nearly three hundred years. Mary is the youngest child of former slave Ana Jai. Her white father freed Mary and the rest of the family, but the Patriots don't care. They see no place for freed people of color in a new Florida and want to make Mary's family slaves again. Against these mighty events, Mary decides to search for a legendary pirate treasure with her brother, George, and her half-brother, Diego. This treasure hunt, filled with danger and recklessness, changes Mary forever.The Kingsley family actually existed in this era. Zephaniah Kingsley married the African slave Ana Jai. He freed her and their three children and they lived at a plantation that you can visit today in northeast Florida.< < Previous in seriesNext in series > >See all of the books in this series

All Cubans agree on one thing: José Martí is the "Father of Cuba." He was and remains Cubas national hero. Cubans from all walks life simply call him "The Apostle."Poet, political philosopher, statesman, novelist, journalist, translator, and firebrand revolutionary, Martí was the driving force behind the final Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule in the late nineteenth century.This young adult biography begins with Martí's origins in the mid-nineteenth century Cuba, which was then among the last of Spain's New World possessions. Next, the narrative traces his one-track mission into adulthood as a firebrand, intellectual radical who dies a martyr's death while fighting in Cuba.Martí's remarkable talents emerged in his boyhood. A revulsion against slavery in Cuba and Spains oppressive rule evoked powerful moral response in him. Havana's revolutionary circles drew him in and turned him into a radical in his early teens. Unjustly convicted, imprisoned, and exiled for treason against Spain at 17, he dedicated his life to the ousting Spanish from in Cuba. As an adult, he lived as an expatriate in four nations, honing his skills as journalist, poet, political thinker, and organizer of revolution. More than any other Cuban he motivated the Cuban émigré population, especially in Florida, to take up arms against Spain. He conducted much of the war planning, fund raising, and troop-recruiting in Florida, including cities such as Key West, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Ocala.The book relates Martí's personal story—both his strengths and weaknesses—culminating in a depiction of how at 42 he was killed in action and became a martyr. His legacy remains powerful. Today, both Castro's regime and his opponents in exile claim Martí as their own. For the past 120 years, his standard for leadership has endured. No other Cuban reaches his stature. No one probably ever will.

Learn all about lizards. They live all over the world and come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. You'll find out if a lizard can change colors to match its surroundings, if a lizards tail can really grow back, which lizard runs on water, whether boy and girl lizards look the same, why lizards stick out their tongues, and if they are endangered.Activities include a lizards crossword puzzle and a lizard puppet that sticks out his dewlap. (Whats a dewlap? you'll find out!)

Florida is lucky to have had three women — three Marjories — speaking out about saving Florida's natural environment.Marjory Stoneman Douglas is known as the “Mother of the Everglades.” She wrote The Everglades: River of Grass, the seminal and now classic book on this unique region of south Florida. She was a tireless campaigner for the environment and helped make the Everglades a national park. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is best known for her books set in Florida: The Yearling, Cross Creek, and South Moon Under, all set in the then-remote wilderness of central Florida. Her very popular books brought the world's attention to the importance of the culture and natural environment of this region. Marjorie Harris Carr fought to save the Oklawaha River by challenging the building of the Cross Florida Barge Canal. She argued that this would cut the ecology of the state in two, particularly ruinous for the wildlife. Now there is the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, which serves as a bridge for wildlife through developed areas and over I-75.

Just south of Miami Beach lies the southernmost sand barrier island of the continental United States—Key Biscayne. Long the symbol of an idyllic, barefoot, island lifestyle, this swirl of sand, 5 miles long by 1 1/2 miles wide, is the subject of this lucid history, which begins 4,000 years ago and continues through its discovery by Ponce de Leon, its use as a military and lighthouse reservation, the Seminole Wars, shipwreck salvaging, and its present function as public parkland and residential and high-rise condominium village. On Cape Florida, Key Biscayne's southern end, the Cape Florida Lighthouse, newly restored, stands watch as it has for over 170 years. Drawing from original documents, including many letters and pictures saved by descendants of settlers and lighthouse keepers, Key Biscayne offers a vivid portrait of this compelling Florida island.