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The virtues and foibles of the human race are fascinating fodder for any writer. The austere and primitive conditions of life in the Southwest in the last century add extra color to the tales of the saints, sinners, and scalawags of those days. These were God's unpampered people, living in a harsher time and place. Although these severe conditions were sometimes instrumental in determining specific circumstances, it is only necessary to look beyond the trappings of the story to find the eternal human emotions--heroism, greed, determination, fear, anger, patriotism, revenge, self-indulgence, madness, and all the rest. In this collection you will find no Billy the Kid, no Sheriff Elfego Baca, no tunstalls or their Lincoln County War, no Geronimo, and no Pat Garrett. Instead, you will find a fascinating group of lesser-known people who were all caught up in exciting or unusual events. Each tale has some connection to the New Mexico Territory, although, in some cases, most of the action took place outside its borders in other Southwestern states. The protagonists are as varied as the narratives and their deeds range from the foulest to the finest.

Examines the life and work of award-winning picture book author Jacqueline Briggs Martin and describes the research, writing, and illustration of each of her featured books.

The animations of Japan’s Studio Ghibli are amongst the highest regarded in the movie industry. Their delightful films rank alongside the most popular non-English language films ever made, with each new eagerly-anticipated release a guaranteed box-office smash. Yet this highly profitable studio has remained fiercely independent, producing a stream of imaginative and individual animations. The studio’s founders, long-time animators Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, have created timeless masterpieces. Although their films are distinctly Japanese their themes are universal—humanity, community, and a love for the environment. No other film studio, animation or otherwise, comes close to matching Ghibli for pure cinematic experience. All their major works are examined here, as well the early output of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, exploring the cultural and thematic threads that bind these films together.