Books in PM Non-fiction series

In May 1996 the media scrambled to document the gripping story of sixteen-year-old Mark Pfetzer's expedition to Mount Everest. Not only was he the youngest climber ever to attempt the summit, he also witnessed the tragedy documented in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, in which eight climbers perished in a sudden storm. Within Reach is Mark's extraordinary account of this experience and of his triumphs over several other challenging peaks. At once triumphant and tragic, this story will be an inspiration to climbers, athletes, and armchair enthusiasts alike.

From ancient times, wolves have been mythologized as ferocious and predatory beasts. In Never Cry Wolf conservationist Farley Mowat sets out to correct the stereotypes. Using his observations of a Canadian wolf pack, Mowat paints a sensitive picture of the wolf as a mild-tempered and graceful animal with strong familial bonds and a taste for small prey rather than livestock. Whilst the scientific basis of some of Mowats conclusions has been contested, this affectionate and humorous account provides an intimate understanding of wolf behaviour, and has provoked readers to fight for the preservation of these majestic creatures. This fascinating study marked a watershed in attitudes, proving that the wolf bears little resemblance to the gluttonous villain of childrens fairy tales or to the gothic werewolf.

1949 A story about a boy who made a solemn vow and became a man keeping it.Saint Paul/Minneapolis - Those unforgettable days after World War II when people turned back to their personal lives with optimism, a time of Fibber McGee and Molly, newsreels, milkmen, boogie-woogie, The Best Years of Our Lives and chrome grilled automobiles.Against this evocative backdrop, Staley West composes this heartrending song, bittersweet lyrics that will lift your spirit, touch your heart and leave you humming… wishing it wouldn’t end. In one fateful moment, Donny Cunningham comes face to face with unthinkable horror, when his live caves in on him. Changed forever. The task of raising his brothers and sister falls to him when his mother dies. A senior at St. Paul Central, he does whatever it takes to keep his family together, while his father leads them ever closer to disaster. Surrounded aby his zany and lionhearted siblings, his fun-loving friends, and hoping to find love and understanding from his high school sweetheart, Donny is caught between the law – which has a claim on his young brother – and the gangsters – who have a claim on his father. This humor and daring and grit, he fights the dragon of regret with an inner courage and strength that belies his physical stature.

Zlata Filipovic was given a diary shortly before her tenth birthday and began to write in it regularly. She was an ordinary, if unusually intelligent and articulate little girl, and her preoccupations include whether or not to join the Madonna fan club, her piano lessons, her friends andher new skis. But the distant murmur of war draws closer to her Sarajevo home. Her father starts to wear military uniform and her friends begin to leave the city. One day, school is closed and the next day bombardments begin. The pathos and power of Zlata's diary comes from watching the destruction of a childhood. Her circle of friends is increasingly replaced by international journalists who come to hear of this little girl's courage and resilience. But the reality is that, as they fly off with the latest story of Zlata, she remains behind, writing her deepest feelings to 'Mimmy', her diary, and her last remaining friend.

Talking About Immigration takes a unique look at immigrants all over the world, including how they contribute to a country’s community and culture, and why they may choose to emigrate to another country. Learn to respect and understand others through an exploration of problems immigrants often face, such as racism, persecution, and feelings of isolation in their new country.