Books published by publisher Dockside Sailing Press

Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka (2nd edition) by Florence (Johnny) Frisbie is the first book written by a Polynesian woman. It tells the amazing story of a young girl growing up on a remote island in the Cook Islands group. Written when Johnny was between the ages of 12 and 14, and published in 1948 when she was 15, Johnny likens her travels through South Pacific islands to those of Ulysses in the Odyssey. Through Johnny’s fresh and unspoiled eyes, we read of a Garden-of-Eden existence on a remote atoll, where the land and the sea provide all that is necessary for life. The sea brings danger as well; Johnny describes the terror of a hurricane that all but destroys a deserted island where she and her family are marooned. The sea rises and floods the entire island to a depth of six feet; they barely survive by tying themselves to the topmost branches of a tall tree. Johnny’s writing sparkles. She has humor and wisdom beyond her years as she describes life and customs on the island where she grew up. Her grandmother’s extended family, the trading station operated by her father, the local witch doctor, a native missionary, her father’s mistress after the death of her mother, and her first boyfriend are among the characters she describes with unflinching honesty. Cut off from the outside world, the island is so remote that six months pass between visits by passing ships. She learns at an early age to be self-reliant. Struck early by tragedy (her mother died when Johnny was nine years old), she helps her father care for four brothers and sisters until he falls ill and dies when she is sixteen. Friends including James A. Michener arrange a foster family in Hawaii where she pursues her education and re-unites with her two sisters. Out of print for more than sixty years, Johnny has added two new chapters to this classic and compelling book and illustrated it with family photos and three maps.

Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka by Florence (Johnny) Frisbie is the first book written by a Polynesian woman. It tells the amazing story of a young girl growing up on a remote island in the Cook Islands group. Written when Johnny was between the ages of 12 and 14, and published in 1948 when she was 15, Johnny likens her travels through South Pacific islands to those of Ulysses in the Odyssey. Through Johnny’s fresh and unspoiled eyes, we read of a Garden-of-Eden existence on a remote atoll, where the land and the sea provide all that is necessary for life. The sea brings danger as well; Johnny describes the terror of a hurricane that all but destroys a deserted island where she and her family are marooned. The sea rises and floods the entire island to a depth of six feet; they barely survive by tying themselves to the topmost branches of a tall tree. Johnny’s writing sparkles. She has humor and wisdom beyond her years as she describes life and customs on the island where she grew up. Her grandmother’s extended family, the trading station operated by her father, the local witch doctor, a native missionary, her father’s mistress after the death of her mother, and her first boyfriend are among the characters she describes with unflinching honesty. Cut off from the outside world, the island is so remote that six months pass between visits by passing ships. She learns at an early age to be self-reliant. Struck early by tragedy (her mother died when Johnny was nine years old), she helps her father care for four brothers and sisters until he falls ill and dies when she is sixteen. Friends including James A. Michener arrange a foster family in Hawaii where she pursues her education and re-unites with her two sisters. Out of print for more than sixty years, Johnny has added two new chapters to this classic and compelling book and illustrated it with family photos and three maps.

Every weekday, just before dawn, a commuter train full of business people pulls out of the train station in Santa Ana, California and rumbles toward downtown Los Angeles. Typically the “quiet” car of this train is packed full of suited men and women who are busy preparing for their workdays. Some are sitting quietly, hunched over coffee cups. Others are poking at their phones, reviewing documents, or catching a final few moments of sleep. Then there’s Peter Nielsen, a banker with an office on the 26th floor of a very tall building, near LA’s Union Station. He spends nearly all of his morning commute writing non-fiction true stories with a wide-ranging team of themes and characters. One describes a young boy from the California suburbs who visits his challenging grandfather’s ranch in Utah and ends up running from an angry bull. Another, set in the jungles of Guatemala, tells the tale of a Missionary who is asked to raise an infant from the dead. Still another describes the actions of a federal agent who brings pizzas to the managers of insolvent banks he has just closed. In turn, these stories are happy, sad, tense, surprising, anguished and occasionally angry. They take place all over the United States and in Central America. Some describe events that took place in the early 1960s, while others occurred more recently. These stories have important things in common. Each them is full of love, curiosity, generosity and faith. None of them attempts to force conclusions on the reader. Oh, and there’s one other thing: the central character in all of them is Peter Nielsen. Born in 1958 in San Francisco, California, he was raised in Northern California communities like Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Sunnyvale. When he was still young, his family moved to the suburbs of Washington DC and then to Ventura and San Diego counties. He has a B.A. from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from the Claremont Graduate University.All that I Have Seen is an unusual autobiography in the sense that it does not hew strictly to a chronological byline. Instead, like life itself, it is more complicated and more rewarding than that. Reading this book is more akin to eating a long happy dinner with a grand collection of one’s former selves. Everybody talks, laughs, eats and listens, all in no particular order, and when it’s all over one feels not only happily full but grateful to have had a seat at the table.All That I Have Seen, essentially, describes the making of a good, wise man. As it progresses, the many life stories it contains converge and merge into the mind and body of the friendly looking banker who is always busy writing in the quiet car of the early morning Metrolink train out of Santa Ana.

Every weekday, just before dawn, a commuter train full of business people pulls out of the train station in Santa Ana, California and rumbles toward downtown Los Angeles. Typically the “qui-et car” of this train is packed full of suited men and women who are busy preparing for their workdays. Some are sitting quietly, hunched over coffee cups. Others are poking at their phones, reviewing documents, or catching a final few moments of sleep. Then there’s Peter Nielsen, a banker with an office on the 26th floor of a very tall building, near LA’s Union Station. He spends nearly all of his morning commute writing non-fiction true stories with a wide-ranging team of themes and characters. One describes a young boy from the California suburbs who visits his challenging grandfather’s ranch in Utah and ends up running from an angry bull. Another, set in the jungles of Guatemala, tells the tale of a Missionary who is asked to raise an infant from the dead. Still another describes the actions of a federal agent who brings pizzas to the managers of insolvent banks he has just closed. In turn, these stories are happy, sad, tense, surprising, anguished and occasionally angry. They take place all over the United States and in Central America. Some describe events that took place in the early 1960s, while others occurred more recently. These stories have important things in common. Each them is full of love, curiosity, generosity and faith. None of them attempts to force conclusions on the reader. Oh, and there’s one other thing: the central character in all of them is Peter Nielsen. Born in 1958 in San Francisco, California, he was raised in Northern California communities like Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Sunnyvale. When he was still young, his family moved to the suburbs of Wash-ington DC and then to Ventura and San Diego counties. He has a B.A. from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from the Claremont Graduate University. All that I Have Seen is an unusual autobiography in the sense that it does not hew strictly to a chronological byline. Instead, like life itself, it is more complicated and more rewarding than that. Reading this book is more akin to eating a long happy dinner with a grand collection of one’s former selves. Everybody talks, laughs, eats and listens, all in no particular order, and when it’s all over one feels not only happily full but grateful to have had a seat at the table. All That I Have Seen, essentially, describes the making of a good, wise man. As it progresses, the many life stories it contains converge and merge into the mind and body of the friendly looking banker who is always busy writing in the quiet car of the early morning Metrolink train out of Santa Ana.

In An Immigrant’s Grandson, Al Gravallese tell the poignant story of a young Italian-American growing up in Boston’s North end at the end of the depression. His parents were first-generation immigrants. The courage and tenacity of his grandparents, who left rural poverty in small villages in Italy to seek a new life in America, made a lasting impression on Al. From his father he learned the importance of hard work, first as a brick layer, then a college graduate, a Sloan Fellow at MIT, and an aerospace engineer. He became a naval officer, serving in the Naval Reserve for 31 years. He was appointed deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, later formed his own consulting company, and eventually became corporate vice president of DMJM/FRH a major national architect engineering firm and subsidiary of AECOM Technology Corporation. Throughout his career, Al remained a deeply devout Catholic. In this book, he reveals how he was able to expand the company’s business to the new field of program management, securing the largest contracts in the history of the company, including the renovation of the Pentagon and of the Washington Dulles and National airports. He credits his success in part to his upbringing and to those who served as mentors throughout his career. After retiring, Al devoted time to philanthropic activities in support of his church and local veteran’s groups. At a time when the role of immigrants is being questioned, Al Gravallese’s life is an example to be emulated by future generations.

The Rumble, Grumble Roar is a story about the adventures of three bearded dragons—Wiggle, Squiggle, and Beardie. They live in the central Australian desert. One day they hear a terrible sound that rumbles and grumbles and roars. They are very curious, so they decide to find out what is making this sound. They gather their friends with them to investigate. As the rumbling, grumbling, roar comes their way, the three bearded dragons bravely flare their chin frills. The roar disappears, and Wiggle, Squiggle and Beardie think they have scared it away. Unexpectedly the Rumble Grumble comes back and stops. It grabs Beardie. Everyone is worried and scared. What can they do to save Beardie? Target audience: 3rd to 5th grades

“An amazing friendship between boy and beast” While visiting his grandparents on Balboa Island, Connor was pleased to learn that the island had a resident Dinosaur named Fred. Even though he was warned to stay away from the dinosaur, Connor quietly sneaked up to view something very shocking. Connor was afraid he too might be bitten. Looking very closely into the beast's bright yellow eyes, he saw a teardrop. This secret is what made the dinosaur so mean! What was the cause of that giant teardrop and how Connor was able to become Fred’s friend is the heart and soul of this touching story.

In Big M: The Mammoth of Moorpark, Curt Abdouch tells the story of the fascinating discovery of a southern mammoth, Mammuthus meridionalis, a species far older (and larger) than the more recent and common mammoths that also lived in North America. Southern mammoths were the first to enter North America from Asia over a million years ago. Big M was found by a contractor working to build a 265 home community known as Meridian Hills, just north of Moorpark, California. While grading the 325 acre site, an earth mover uncovered some bones. A quick inspection verified that this was something rare and unusual. After recovering more than 75 percent of the skeleton, and carrying out detailed tests and inspection, it was determined that Big M was a female, about 50 to 55 years old, 12 feet tall at the shoulder, and weighed 5 tons or more. Her feet were as big as car tires, her tusks 9 feet long with as much ivory as two large elephants. Read on to learn how Big M likely died in a sudden storm. She was not alone: other skeletons found with her gave important clues about when she roamed Southern California.

The Rumble, Grumble Roar is a story about the adventures of three bearded dragons—Wiggle, Squiggle, and Beardie. They live in the central Australian desert. One day they hear a terrible sound that rumbles and grumbles and roars. They are very curious, so they decide to find out what is making this sound. They gather their friends with them to investigate. As the rumbling, grumbling, roar comes their way, the three bearded dragons bravely flare their chin frills. The roar disappears, and Wiggle, Squiggle and Beardie think they have scared it away. Unexpectedly the Rumble Grumble comes back and stops. It grabs Beardie. Everyone is worried and scared. What can they do to save Beardie?

In ‘Iwa Tales, by author Craig B. Smith, Kaimi Kanahele, a young boy living in Honolulu meets a mysterious ‘Iwa (Frigate Bird) on the beach. Intrigued by the large bird’s peculiar behavior, the boy approaches the bird. He is surprised to find that the bird speaks to him in a series of guttural croaks and hissing sounds, strange, but perfectly understandable. The first tale told by the bird describes how the early Polynesians arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, guided by one of the ‘Iwa’s ancestors. The bird then tells a series of other tales about the islands, with the result that Kaimi becomes committed to solving the pollution and other problems facing the oceans. The book targets 4th to 6th graders. This Instructor’s Activity Guide describes a series of activities, key questions, projects, and field trips that can be used in connection with the book.