Charles Maynard

Family Hiking in the Smokies is specifically geared toward taking children on excursions into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—the most visited national park in the United States. The park offers much to its nearly ten million annual visitors. For families who seek fun along with educational recreation, the park boasts splendid views and enormous biological diversity. While the guidebook concentrates on shorter day hikes, the book also presents longer trails for overnight or weekend camping. Organized by regions of the park, the forty-two concise trail descriptions include many of the most popular destinations, such as Ramsey Cascades, Grotto Falls, and Clingmans Dome Tower, as well as overlooked gems such as Midnight Hole, Lynn Camp Prong, and Juney Whank Falls. This fifth edition includes new trails not found in the book’s previous editions, and all are presented in a user-friendly format. This delightful volume also includes specific advice regarding safety, trail difficulty, and keeping children’s attention. In addition, Family Hiking in the Smokies provides interesting educational sidebars about fauna, folklore, and material culture along the way. This book, based on the experiences of three expert hikers who have walked with their own children and grandchildren in the park, will provide parents and grandparents with a perfect guide for establishing an adult/child bond with the natural world. HAL HUBBS, CHARLES MAYNARD, AND DAVID MORRIS are longtime East Tennessee residents who have hiked together and with their families for many years. The three friends formed Panther Press, which originally published Waterfalls and Cascades of the Great Smoky Mountains, along with many other titles on natural history, particularly in the Smokies. Hal, Charles, and David have worked as volunteers in the Smokies and have hiked in many national parks throughout the country.

Adapted from Within Arm's Length for a young adult audience, a rare inside look at the Secret Service from an agent who protected Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Dan Emmett was just eight years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. From that moment forward, he knew he wanted to become a Secret Service agent, one of an elite group of highly trained men and women dedicated to preserving the life of the President of the United States at any cost, including sacrificing their own lives if necessary. Armed with single-minded determination and a never-quit attitude, he did just that. Selected over thousands of other highly qualified applicants to become an agent, he was eventually chosen to be one of the best of the best and provided protection worldwide for Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush. I Am a Secret Service Agent skillfully describes the duties and challenges of conducting presidential advances, dealing with the media, driving the President in a bullet-proof limousine, running alongside him through the streets of Washington, and flying with him on Air Force One. With fascinating anecdotes, Emmett weaves keen insight into the unique culture and history of the Secret Service with the inner workings of the White House. I Am A Secret Service Agent is a must read for young adults interested in a career in federal law enforcement.