Bøker av Mike Hoornstra

Born in a well-lit council room in a beautiful brick building in Philadelphia, our nation was conceived out of an unheard-of political ideal and shaped by five words which have echoed off the walls and streets of every town throughout the nation:All men are created equalHowever, when the men at Independence Hall dared to forge a new nation against impossible odds, their iconic phrase was little more than a fantasy to such a diverse group of fragmented people. Plantation owners. Slaves. Factory owners. Child laborers. Merchants. Indentured servants. Poor farmers. Privateers and pirates. Sailors. Politicians. Average people from all religions, all social classes, and all countries. A fragmented, dissonant people attempting to form a cohesive, harmonious orchestra. Average people pursuing an extraordinary goal:All men are created equalMeanwhile, the world watched America, the Great Experiment, with incredulous and scoffing eyes. A host of admirers, skeptics, emulators, and naysayers looked on, watching to see if the petulant colonists would succeed in their fool's errand or simply fall apart in their ineptitude.This is the dramatic story of America's successes and failures in its quest to achieve the highest possible ideal for mankind:All men are created equalA five-word phrase that left an indelible mark on the world by offering every unique individual something they had always searched for: hope.

It's a Living chronicled the author's jobs and But I Wouldn't Want to Live There recorded his travels. This book chronicles pretty much everything else as he considers his life's journey thus far. It is a hodge podge of memories collected from narratives, journal entries, letters, history lessons, poems, songs, and philosophical musings. The author pours a spectrum of emotions onto each page, ranging from nostalgic and humorous, to painful and broken, to introspective and inspirational, as he searches for a sense of identity and home.

8,000 years ago, the island nation of Gwyrthod rose to prominence as the epicenter of the greatest empire the world of Tarthalla had ever known. 6,000 years ago, everyone on Gwyrthod suddenly and mysteriously vanished without a trace. Dubbed Terra Maledictus - The Cursed Lands - Gwyrthod was summarily abandoned, its pristine buildings were left to rot, its literature was put out of print and destroyed, and its role as the progenitor nation of Tarthalla was promptly rewritten and downplayed in history books. The passage of centuries even caused subsequent generations to doubt that Gwyrthod had ever existed at all, and its tales were regarded as myths and legend. The book you are holding, recently uncovered, has been authenticated as the last known remnant of this lost civilization. Hidden within its pages may be the only clues historians will ever have about what happened to this great, noble empire.

"Do you have any baggage?" she asked. Henry shook his head. "Just a fanny pack full of rocks," he mumbled. "Rocks?" she asked. "Long story," he mumbled. "This is a long trip," Penelope said, "At least seven days by train across Zysa. I don't know if you realize this, but Zysa Railways is very strict. If at any point they suspect that you and I are not honeymooners, they'll put us off at the next available railway station - even if it's in the middle of nowhere. Plus, they'll still expect us to pay the full price." Penelope is a quirky, free-spirited gypsy who works remotely as she travels the world.Henry is a shell-shocked victim of circumstances, stranded on the other side of the world. And Penelope is his best chance to get home. These two very different people are about to be thrust into close quarters together in a roomette on a seven-day cross country train trip. Their journey will be like a crucible into which will be poured all of their pain and misery, their ruin, their love scorned and shattered, their injustices suffered and accumulated - along with the sum of their joys experienced, memories treasured, and love cherished - to be tested and purified by fire.What will emerge?

Captain Surov is a career Diaxophan navy man. He is a man with nerves of steel, and is capable of calming an angry crowd with his stoic presence. He is a man skilled at negotiating peace between the most hostile of peoples. And he has just been selected for the mission of a lifetime. He has been asked to explore Prazdny - an unexplored continent with a reputation for dark practices, mythological creatures, and death. Surov is a man of ambition who is determined to do what nobody believes can be done. But as the expedition spirals further and further into peril, Surov insists on moving ahead at all costs, causing his crew to rightly wonder... has his ambition become blind arrogance?

An unusual coin. A manuscript of questionable credibility. A lost city swallowed by a rainforest. A jewel-encrusted candelabra. A series of journals. Ular, hero of The Saga of Diaxophas books, uses these relics to piece together stories from Diaxophas' long-forgotten past. Five novellas tell stories from ancient Diaxophas. Discover the truth behind the first days of Diaxophas. Find out the connection between Vayle Forest's initial enchantment and the divisions of the Four Kingdoms. Witness four ruthless rulers battling for dominance. Learn why the divided kingdoms reunited. Explore the truth behind the Sopher Six. Uncover Diaxophan history in The Last Conqueror.

The Primary Source Analysis collection examines primary sources and secondary source narratives that bring to light certain eras of U.S. History. Each PSA contains resources to help students interact with the text and gather evidence to defend an argument in answer to the PSA question. Each PSA includes the full PSA with embedded questions, an abridged PSA, interactive notebook questions, graphic organizer, and writing planners for two, three, and four paragraph essays.

The Primary Source Analysis collection examines primary sources and secondary source narratives that bring to light certain eras of U.S. History. Each PSA contains resources to help students interact with the text and gather evidence to defend an argument in answer to the PSA question. Each PSA includes the full PSA with embedded questions, an abridged PSA, interactive notebook questions, graphic organizer, and writing planners for two, three, and four paragraph essays.

The Primary Source Analysis collection examines primary sources and secondary source narratives that bring to light certain eras of U.S. History. Each PSA contains resources to help students interact with the text and gather evidence to defend an argument in answer to the PSA question. Each PSA includes the full PSA with embedded questions, an abridged PSA, interactive notebook questions, graphic organizer, and writing planners for two, three, and four paragraph essays.

For millennia, the medieval world of Diaxophas has lived in peace. But when a scientist named Dyven shares his discovery with the High Council of Diaxophas, he and all its members soon turn up either dead or missing. What did Dyven discover and why was he silenced? Who is behind this treachery and why are they targeting the Royal Family itself for blame and scandal? Why is a haunting childrenÕs nursery rhyme suddenly on everyoneÕs mind? There are few clues to go on other than whispers of a mythical race of shape shifters and DyvenÕs hand scribbled drawing of a goatÕs eye. Aglar, the High King of Diaxophas, must solve this mystery and find his missing daughter in order to save a people on the brink of civil war. Welcome to the last days of Diaxophas!

The raw, dark inclination of humanity is for a person to elevate himself at the expense of another human being. Diaxophas is a dog-eat-dog world in which everyone is trying to claw their way to the top for his own purpose. One man's fate often rests in the hands of those whose actions may have wide-reaching and unforeseen ramifications. In this collection of stories, the fate of the Tempests is delicately intertwined with the actions of Sharpknife, King Aglar, Tasch, Malef, and Xeveryn. Come wallow in that gray area where wrong looks right, right looks wrong, and heroes and villains dance with similar cadences. Come experience the comedy, adventure, and intrigue of the Tempests. Come descend into the maelstrom.