Max and Hannah love maize; they eat corn on the cob in the summer and like to make popcorn, too. But, they have a lot to learn about maize and all its mysteries. The twins' grandfather has a great story to tell them and more interesting places to visit. On their adventures, Hannah discovers a link to Heron and Muskrat, a pair of twins from the ancient maize-growing people who lived in South Dakota. What does she find, and what do the modern-day twins learn about the brother and sister from thouseands of years ago? The Mystery of the Maize shows the development of maize as it links the past to...

Max and Hannah are about to go on their first pheasant hunt. They have taken their saftey course, and they can't wait to get out into the field. But there is much they don't know about the Chinese ring-necked pheasant, and the twins' grandfather has plenty to teach them before they load their shotguns for the first time. The Mystery of the Pheasants tells the history of the South Dakota state bird, from its arrival from China, through its successful adaptation to the plains, and on to the traditions of hunting that are so important to the state and the surrounding region.