Books published by publisher Camden House

"Hoyt's passionate sense of kinship with orca makes his account effective as both a science and literature. He has chronicled his adventures and discoveries ...with grace, insight, wit--and a comprehensiveness that might satisfy even Herman Melville."(Discover Magazine) Star performers in aquariums and marine parks, killer whales were once considered to be too dangerous to approach in the wild. Erich Hoyt and his colleagues spent seven summers following these intelligent and playful creatures in the waters off northern Vancouver Island, intent on dispelling the killer myth. Orca: The Whale Called Killer is Hoyt's exciting account of those summers of adventure and discovery, and the definitive, classic work on the orca or killer whale. The Free Willy films, inspired in part by Hoyt's pioneering writing about orcas, tell the story of a captive orca being returned to the wild. (Hoyt, in fact, recommended Keiko, the orca who became the star of Free Willy, to Warner Bros.) But Orca: The Whale Called Killer tells the true story of wild orcas befriending humans.

What will they look like? That is the question addressed in this wonderfully illustrated book for "earthlings" who want to explore beyond the cardboard aliens of television science fiction to find out what science says about our cosmic cousins from other planet--if they exist. Author Terence Dickinson, an acclaimed astronomy writer, examines t! he picture we have absorbed from TV and movies about creatures from other planets, from the friendly visitor in E.T. to the savage creature in Alien and the gaggle of other-worldly folk from Star Trek and its clones. Dickinson then explains how the variety of environments in the universe could give rise to creature far more different from us than anything Hollywood's invented. Through the talents of illustrator Adolf Schaller, one of the chief artists and Emmy-award winner from Carl Sagan's Cosmos television series, alien worlds come alive with plants, insects and animals never dreamed of before. Yet, Schaller's vision is based on sound assumptions about the gravity of each hypothetical planet, the type of star that it orbits and other factors that bring plausible alien environments to life. The book winds up with a look at "life as we don't know it," featuring creatures and entities that might have evolved from something other that carbon-based biology, the foundation of ! Earth life. A unique blend of science and imagination, Extraterrestrials will compel anyone who has ever thought about what-and who-might be out there.

The Mare's Egg is a wonderful story about a gullible 19th century settler's search for a work horse -- one that isn't balky, won't nip, kick or run away -- to clear his new homestead. A mischievous farmer leads him to believe that he can hatch a colt from a pumpkin, and sells him a bright orange "mare's egg." Indeed, he advises the immigrant that he can shorten the hatching period by spending every available moment sitting on the pumpkin, by the fire. The man sits and sits, weeks pass, the leaves fall. As winter approaches, the firewood pile begins to dwindle. The man finally realizes that the egg will not hatch. Disheartened, he disposes of it in a way that gives him fresh hope that horses can be hatched from "mare's eggs." And, no wiser from his experience, he sets off to buy another. The text is amusing, instructive, and a pleasure to read aloud. The illustrations are brilliant, setting the humorous mood for children. Margaret Atwood's three-page afterword on the real difficulties faced by the pioneers, adds a fine historical perspective.

What will they look like? That is the question addressed in this wonderfully illustrated book for "earthlings" who want to explore beyond the cardboard aliens of television science fiction to find out what science says about our cosmic cousins from other planet--if they exist. Author Terence Dickinson, an acclaimed astronomy writer, examines t! he picture we have absorbed from TV and movies about creatures from other planets, from the friendly visitor in E.T. to the savage creature in Alien and the gaggle of other-worldly folk from Star Trek and its clones. Dickinson then explains how the variety of environments in the universe could give rise to creature far more different from us than anything Hollywood's invented. Through the talents of illustrator Adolf Schaller, one of the chief artists and Emmy-award winner from Carl Sagan's Cosmos television series, alien worlds come alive with plants, insects and animals never dreamed of before. Yet, Schaller's vision is based on sound assumptions about the gravity of each hypothetical planet, the type of star that it orbits and other factors that bring plausible alien environments to life. The book winds up with a look at "life as we don't know it," featuring creatures and entities that might have evolved from something other that carbon-based biology, the foundation of ! Earth life. A unique blend of science and imagination, Extraterrestrials will compel anyone who has ever thought about what-and who-might be out there.

What exactly is the Big Bang Theory? How do we know the universe is expanding? What is a black hole? Does a Planet X exist? What came before the Big Bang? How many galaxies are in the universe? These are just six of the 50 questions answered in this fact-filled guide to the latest findings and theories in astronomy. Concise yet authoritative, it is the perfect reference for the thoughtful reader who doesn't have the luxury of time.

Where have all the bluebirds gone? That was the big question only a few years ago. Now, with the help of people just like you, bluebirds are starting to come back to America. Once one of the most common birds in the land--and certainly the most popular--these beautiful little red, white and blue birds are thriving once more, flashing across the summer skies, symbolizing springtime, love, hope and happiness. In this book, you will learn about the three species of bluebirds, their lives and their habits. You will also find out how to help bluebirds survive. They can't do it on their own. Without assistance from us, they would vanish from the earth. This book tells us how to build special bird houses for them, how to put them up in just the right places, what to feed them, and how to protect them from their many enemies, such as house sparrows, starlings, raccoons, cats and snakes. Through these efforts, we all can take part in rescuing bluebirds.

Where have all the bluebirds gone? That was the big question only a few years ago. Now, with the help of people just like you, bluebirds are starting to come back to America. Once one of the most common birds in the land--and certainly the most popular--these beautiful little red, white and blue birds are thriving once more, flashing across the summer skies, symbolizing springtime, love, hope and happiness. In this book, you will learn about the three species of bluebirds, their lives and their habits. You will also find out how to help bluebirds survive. They can't do it on their own. Without assistance from us, they would vanish from the earth. This book tells us how to build special bird houses for them, how to put them up in just the right places, what to feed them, and how to protect them from their many enemies, such as house sparrows, starlings, raccoons, cats and snakes. Through these efforts, we all can take part in rescuing bluebirds.

In Stencil It! kids can learn how to decorate almost everything they own, from sneakers and school notebooks to jean jackets. With step-by-step instructions and colorful how-to photographs, this beginners' guide is perfect not only for kids who insist they can't draw but for kids who do nothing but. Sandra Buckingham describes how to set up, how to select materials and how to master the basic techniques involved in creating both original and classic designs, including birds, leaves, flowers, lizards, turtles, cave-art figures and more. The author's message is simple: With these easy-to-learn methods and a few affordable supplies, everyone can learn to stencil