Books published by publisher Paul Dry Books

"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too."―John R. Erickson, author of Hank the CowdogWinner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award, silver medal for Western Fiction for Young ReadersEvery boy has it in his soul to make the big trip. Alone, into the wild. Wilder feels the call after reading about an obsidian deposit on a forgotten bluff in the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. If he can find the glassy, black, volcanic rock, he’ll be able to replace his family’s most cherished heirloom. Wilder wants to prove that he can make the journey alone, but his parents make him bring his best friend Big, and a new kid called Corndog. With no adults to turn to, can the three boys face the rigors of the outdoors―and each other?

"When push comes to shove, Katniss Everdeen has nothing on Inas, daughter of Daidalos."―Betsy BirdInas leaps at adventure. She dives to the bottom of the Aegean Sea to harvest sponges and somersaults over charging bulls in front of thousands of people. Best of all, she soars from cliffs wearing the glider-wings her father builds in secret, safe from the prying eyes of their neighbors, who think flying is sorcery.When Princess Ariadne seeks Inas's help to hatch a plan with Theseus, a young Greek who's held prisoner in the palace's Labyrinth, Inas doesn't realize how much adventure she is taking on. In fact, Inas suddenly finds that she may be about to lose everything she holds dear on the island of Crete.A fun, fast-paced retelling of the Greek myths of Icarus and Theseus, this 1934 Newbery Honor book was ahead of its time and is sure to find lots of fans among today's readers.Erick Berry was the pen name of Allena Champlin (1892-1974), an award-winning author and illustrator. She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, studied art in Paris, and spent time in Africa. She wrote nonfiction about life in Africa as well as historical fiction. She was married to author Herbert Best and illustrated many of his books in addition to her own.Betsy Bird is Evanston Public Library's Collection Development Manager. She has served on the Newbery Award committee and written for The Horn Book. Currently, she runs the blog "A Fuse 8 Production" on the School Library Journal website.

Spur Award finalist S.J. Dahlstrom has brought this coming-of-age tale to life through his natural, easy writing style and stunningly beautiful descriptions. I have been a Wilder fan from the start, and each subsequent adventure only gets better."―Rocky Gibbons, Roundup MagazineWhat if everything you thought about deer hunting was wrong? That the biggest deer wasn’t always the best one.Wilder is back on his grandad’s ranch in West Texas and a run-in with his dangerous neighbor, Saul, spins Wilder’s head like the blizzard that hits the ranch the day before Thanksgiving. Along with his sister, Molly, Wilder must rethink his ideas about what a trophy is, and how he relates to the wild landscape around him.Praise for S. J. Dahlstrom and The Adventures of Wilder Good series:“If you like Hank, you’ll like Wilder Good, too.”―John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog“Dahlstrom’s superb writing takes Wilder through those anxiety-producing years between childhood and adulthood, when life’s simplest and most important lessons are learned.”―Forbes“Very family-oriented, very wholesome.”―Lone Star Literary LifeS. J. Dahlstrom lives and writes in West Texas. He has numerous magazine credits for his writing and photography. The Adventures of Wilder Good is his first series. His writing draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, father, and founder of a boys' ranch.

"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too."—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the CowdogMeet 12-year-old Wilder Good, who lives with his parents and little sister, Molly, in a small town in southern Colorado. When he's lucky, he gets to go hunting with Gale Loving, a 72-year-old elder at the church the Goods attend, and a good friend and mentor to Wilder. They make sort of an odd pair, an old man and a boy, but they fit together pretty well in the outdoors. (Though sometimes Wilder still can't help but wonder what kind of a name "Gale" is for a grown man.)Wilder plays basketball, is active in his 4-H club, likes to read—his hero is Teddy Roosevelt—and does all the things that seventh-graders do. (He has a "secret" girlfriend, too.) He's a Dallas Cowboys fan. But mostly he loves the outdoors, hunting in the Colorado Rockies with Gale or his dad, or at his grandfather's Texas ranch.Wilder is on the threshold between being a kid and beginning to grow up, and he's trying his best to figure out just what it means to join that grownup world. There's a lot to learn, and he's grateful to have rock-steady Gale to guide him.In The Elk Hunt, Wilder accompanies Gale into the mountains in search of his first elk. It's a special day for Wilder in many ways—the biggest game he's ever hunted, and the first chance to use his grandfather's Winchester .270. He's determined to succeed with high marks.Hunting elk is an exciting and demanding pursuit, but even after Wilder and Gale are headed home, there's still danger to face—that's when nature decides to really test Wilder's resolve.S. J. Dahlstrom lives and writes in west Texas. He has numerous magazine credits for his writing and photography. The Adventures of Wilder Good is his first series. His writing draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, father, and founder of a boys' ranch.

"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too."—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog"I am a big fan of this series. Last fall I included The Elk Hunt in my list of favorite books of 2013, and Texas Grit is every bit as insightful and positive as the first one."—Glenn Dromgoole"Dahlstrom writes about ranch life with flair and specific detail."—WORLD magazineWill Rogers Medallion Gold Medal Winner - 2015In Texas Grit, Wilder spends a week in West Texas at his grandfather's ranch, while his mother and father travel to Denver to see her doctors.Wilder finds it hard to leave his parents. Papa Milam is a cowboy, gruff and sometimes a bit intimidating, yet grandfather and grandson care for each other very much—and find they actually have lots to learn from each other, too.Wilder works cattle on horseback and explores the rough ranch country with Papa. One night they start out to hunt for whitetail deer in the cottonwood bottoms but end up encountering a rattlesnake instead. A few days later, four cowboys arrive at the ranch to help with the branding of Papa's new calves. Wilder gets the opportunity to join the crew and takes his place alongside the grown men in the strenuous and sometimes dangerous work of herding, roping, and branding.Wilder does a lot of growing up over the week, and together he and Papa experience the kind of adventures that only a place like Texas can provide.S. J. Dahlstrom lives and writes in west Texas. He has numerous magazine credits for his writing and photography. The Adventures of Wilder Good is his first series. His writing draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, father, and founder of a boys' ranch.

"A snapshot of the civil-rights movement in one city provides insight into the important role of individual communities as change moved through the country a case study of how citizens of one city both precipitated and responded to the whirlwind of social change around them."—Kirkus Reviews"A profoundly moving tribute to the intrepid unsung heroes who risked their lives to help bring an end to Baltimore's Jim Crow Era."—Kam Williams, syndicated columnistOn August 28, 1963—the day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech—segregation ended finally at Baltimore's Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, after nearly a decade of bitter protests. Eleven-month-old Sharon Langley was the first African American child to go on a ride there that day, taking a spin on the park's merry-go-round, which since 1981 has been located on the National Mall in front of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Round and Round Together weaves the story of the struggle to integrate that Baltimore amusement park into the story of the civil rights movement as a whole.Round and Round Together is illustrated with archival photos from newspapers and other sources, as well as personal photos from family albums of individuals interviewed for the book. There is a timeline of major Civil Rights events."Amy Nathan's book deftly describes the courageous struggle by blacks and whites to end discrimination in the park, the city, and the nation. Readers will walk away with a clearer understanding of segregation and the valiant Americans who fought against this injustice."—Debra Newman Ham, Professor of History, Morgan State University"Round and Round Together tells the inspiring story of how a generation of college and high school students provided the energy and enthusiasm that ended racial segregation in Baltimore's Gwynn Oak Amusement Park and changed the direction of Maryland's history."—James Henretta, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland"With clarity and passion, Amy Nathan portrays the struggle of everyday citizens to end racial segregation in Baltimore. This compelling history, for and about young people, is simple but profound like freedom itself."—Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of the trilogy America in the King YearsAmy Nathan is an award-winning author of several books for young people, including The Young Musician's Survival Guide, Count on Us: American Women in the Military, Yankee Doodle Gals: Women Pilots of World War II, Meet the Musicians, and Surviving Homework. She grew up in Baltimore and went to Western High School.

"Spur Award finalist S.J. Dahlstrom has brought this coming-of-age tale to life through his natural, easy writing style and stunningly beautiful descriptions. I have been a Wilder fan from the start, and each subsequent adventure only gets better."―Rocky Gibbons, Roundup MagazineWhat if everything you thought about deer hunting was wrong? That the biggest deer wasn’t always the best one.Wilder is back on his grandad’s ranch in West Texas and a run-in with his dangerous neighbor, Saul, spins Wilder’s head like the blizzard that hits the ranch the day before Thanksgiving. Along with his sister, Molly, Wilder must rethink his ideas about what a trophy is, and how he relates to the wild landscape around him.

"Children of all ages will delight in its song and story." —Charles Martin, author of Signs & Wonders"Davey McGravy, Davey McGravy,a name to conjure with,to dream with by the cedar treesout in the rainy woods."In a misty, faraway-feeling "land of rain," Davey McGravy lives with his father and brothers, but mourns his missing mother. He follows the rhymes in his head into a forest of ferns, moss, and cedar trees where he meets animals wise and strange. A coaxing crow urges him onwards. A consoling peacock tells him that nothing is really lost. A fierce lioness frightens him. Following their voices, Davey travels deeper and deeper into the mysterious woods. Then he must find his way home, to a father who is sad but loving, and brothers who care for him no matter how they fight.Caught between his forest-world and the world of school, shopping, and family life, Davey wanders his way through grief. With playful and evocative verse, poet David Mason delivers him back to his boyhood but leaves the mysteries of love intact. Full of humor and melancholy, Davey McGravy movingly captures the longing of a child for his lost mother."Across a series of poems, accompanied by early-Sendakesque etchings by artist Grant Silverstein, we meet a little boy named Davey McGravy living in the tall-treed forest with his father and brothers. A few tender verses in, we realize that Davey is caught in the mire of mourning his mother. Without invalidating the deep melancholy that has set in, Mason makes room for the mystery of life and death, inviting in the miraculous immortality of love…Only a rare poet can merge the reverence of Thoreau with the irreverence of Zorba the Greek to create something wholly unlike anything else — and that is what Mason accomplishes in Davey McGravy." —Brain Pickings"From his first full-length narrative poem, The Country I Remember, to his extraordinary verse novel, Ludlow, David Mason's ambition to expand the realm of narrative in contemporary verse has been central to his poetic project, even as successive collections revealed him as one of the best lyric poets of his generation. The latest proof of Mason's necessity, Davey McGravy, is both a vibrant celebration of language as play and the moving tale of how a young boy discovers, through heartbreaking loss, the transformative powers of the imagination. Children of all ages will delight in its song and story." —Charles Martin, author of Signs & WondersDavid Mason is the author of numerous books of poetry and the verse-novel Ludlow. He was poet laureate of Colorado from 2010 to 2014, and he now divides his time between Colorado and Oregon.Grant Silverstein, the illustrator, specializes in etchings.

"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too."—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the CowdogIf you've read the first two books about Wilder Good, you already know he's 12 years old and lives with his parents and little sister, Molly, in a small town in southern Colorado. He's on the threshold between being a kid and beginning to grow up, and he's trying his best to figure out just what it means to join that grownup world. There's a lot to learn, and Wilder is grateful to the adults in his life who guide him.In this third installment of "The Adventures of Wilder Good," Wilder and his "secret" girlfriend, Sunny Parker, set out with Wilder's mentor, Gale Loving, for a day of fly fishing on the Rio Grande. But in the Colorado wilderness an afternoon of fishing and fun can shift suddenly to a life-and-death challenge. When Gale is injured, Wilder and Sunny must take charge. Together, the two learn what it is to aid and protect a friend. With no one to turn to, they have to make their own decisions and rely on their own skills as darkness falls and they prepare to spend the night in the canyon tending to Gale."I am a big fan of this series. Last fall I included The Elk Hunt in my list of favorite books of 2013, and Texas Grit is every bit as insightful and positive as the first one."—Glenn Dromgoole (a review of Wilder Good 2: Texas Grit)"Dahlstrom writes about ranch life with flair and specific detail."—WORLD magazine (a review of Wilder Good 2: Texas Grit)S. J. Dahlstrom lives and writes in west Texas. He has numerous magazine credits for his writing and photography. The Adventures of Wilder Good is his first series. His writing draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, father, and founder of a boys' ranch.

"For a child poised between Harry Potter and Tolkien, there really is nothing better than Sutcliff."—The New Yorker"Rosemary Sutcliff is a spellbinder."—New York Times Book Review"The preeminent master of British historical fiction for young people."—Kirkus Reviews"All three stories are powerful, deep, and memorable; the (original) Victor Ambrus illustrations infuse further intensity and emotion."—The Horn BookCherished author Rosemary Sutcliff presents three stories of youthful courage and fidelity in ancient times.The Chief's Daughter: A Welsh chieftain's daughter helps a young Irish boy—captured from a raiding party and held prisoner by her father—make his escape, risking the wrath of her gods and her Clan.A Circlet of Oak Leaves: A horse-trader is reminded of his past with the Roman Legions, of the life-changing, secret favor he once did a friend and the glory he will never be able to openly claim.A Crown of Wild Olives: A tentative, but caring, friendship is formed between two young runners, a Spartan and an Athenian, who will compete against each other for the Olympic Olive Crown and the honor of their warring nations.These stories are clever and powerful, the plots twisting and turning unexpectedly while the characters remain always true to their own moral codes. Indeed, in each story the characters are full of heart and human failings—and feelings that transcend time and history.British writer Rosemary Sutcliff (1920–1992) authored more than fifty books including The Eagle of the Ninth, The Lantern Bearers, Sword at Sunset, and Song for a Dark Queen. Acclaimed for her historical novels for young adults, she won many book awards including The Carnegie Medal, the UK's oldest and most prestigious book award for children's writing.Victor Ambrus has twice won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Gold Medal for Illustration. He has illustrated over 200 books.

Winner of the Western Heritage Award for Juvenile BookWinner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Young ReadersFinalist, Western Writers of America Spur Award for Juvenile FictionFinalist, Lamplighter Award "The Green Colt is told beautifully, with grace and quiet power, and shows S. J. Dahlstrom to be a big new talent. I highly recommend this wonderful book."―Nancy Plain, award-winning author and vice-president of Western Writers of AmericaTwelve-year-old Wilder Good likes basketball, 4-H club, hanging out with his friends, and reading. But, more than anything, he loves to be outdoors.In this fourth book of the series, Wilder is back at his grandfather's ranch in West Texas. Papa Milam gives him an unexpected gift―his very own 'green' colt to break. Wilder is excited to begin, but he quickly realizes that even getting near the colt is much harder than he expected. So Papa hires Tequito, a Mexican vaquero, to help. Tequito doesn't speak much English, and at first Wilder is intimidated. But the vaquero is both gentle and firm with the colt, and soon they're making good progress. Wilder sees how skilled Tequito is with horses, and learns that American cowboying has its roots in a much older Mexican tradition.Breaking his new colt is a challenge, but―as Wilder discovers―it's only the beginning of the joy and pain of owning a horse.Award-winning author S. J. Dahlstrom delivers a powerful story with a timeless theme. A welcome addition to any child's bookshelf.S. J. Dahlstrom lives and writes in West Texas. He has numerous magazine credits for his writing and photography. The Adventures of Wilder Good is his first series. His writing draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, father, and founder of a boys' ranch.

"For centuries to come, this book will inspire imaginative people. Beyond all doubt, it will be an ingredient of future poetry."—Rebecca West"It may be read with a great deal of simple enjoyment and then it sticks like a splinter in the mind."—Angela Carter"It seems to me a perfect, utterly original novel, and no one but a poet could have written it The book is totally idiosyncratic and yet there isn't a line you couldn't identify yourself with."—Harry MathewsMiss M., the narrator of these fictional memoirs, is a diminutive young woman (though just how diminutive, the author never says) with a "passion for shells, fossils, flints, butterflies, and stuffed animals." Miss M. tells of her early life as a dreamy orphan and, in particular, of her tempestuous twentieth year—in which she falls in love with a beautiful and ambitious full-sized woman and is courted by a male dwarf. Concluding that she must choose either to simply tolerate her difference or grow callous to it, Miss M. resolves to become independent by offering herself up as a spectacle in a circus."One of the strangest and most enchanting works of fiction ever written."—Alison Lurie, from her foreword"De la Mare's masterpiece It acts upon the reader like a ghostly visitation, at once unsettling and revelatory."—Washington Post"Here is a great book."—New York Times Book Review"Sentences, pages, whole chapters cause us to catch our breath."—Atlantic Monthly"After a long period of neglect de la Mare may be beginning to be seen as the remarkable writer that he is."—John Bayley, New York Review of BooksWalter de la Mare (1873–1956) wrote numerous novels, short stories, essays, and poems. He was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Memoirs of a Midget. Other major works include the children’s novel, The Three Royal Monkeys, Henry Brocken, and The Return. His book Desert Islands is also available from Paul Dry Books.Alison Lurie is the author of many highly praised novels as well as two collections of essays on children’s literature, Don’t Tell the Grown-Ups and Boys and Girls Forever. She has taught children’s literature and folklore at Cornell University for many years.