Our books
Who are the Thompson Twins? Tina and Tony preteens from Minnesota who are known for being friendly, clever, and particularly good at solving puzzles. They are also very good at solving mysteries, which means people often turn to them for help when something is missing.
When people first meet Tony and Tina, they often ask, “How are you twins? You look nothing alike!” Depending on whose turn it is, Tony or Tina explains about fraternal twins as quickly as they can so they can get to work on solving the mystery. After all, they were called to solve a mystery not to give a science lesson!
Collected for the first time, here are the first five "Minnesota Mysteries," including The Case of the Missing Beaver Teeth, The Mystery at the Comic Shop, The Mystery at the Mansion, The Mystery at the Zoo, and The Case of the Missing Mascot. Also included for the first time are profiles of each of the family members (Tina, Tony, Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Aunt) and new art!
Join Tony and Tina and learn a little something along the way as you investigate and sleuth along with the Thompson Twins. Choose which clues to follow and which people to question. See if you can find the solution before the Twins do!
On the surface, Teaching Fools is about carpentry, design, and artistry, but it's also about the complex human condition. Written with a sense of humor, Dyer's book tells the story of building his cabin on Lake Superior's South Shore and the myriad of characters that make that happen. At the center of the storm stands Howard Bowers. Howard is both a political "lefty" and a redneck prone to political incorrectness. Though he does not suffer fools kindly, he is also incredibly generous with his time, inviting others into his projects, and selflessly teaching the skills he's acquired over his 50+ year career.
Dyer's cabin would be Howard's final outdoor project. A capstone project that only Howard could complete. Neither Socrates nor Howard would ever admit to being one, but, as Dyer's book will show, the best teaching is the kind that doesn't profess; and it's the inductive stuff that binds everything in the book together.
Teaching fools.
Merton Clivette once dominated the 1920s and 1930s art world. He ruled the Orpheum Circuit as a magician, shadowgraphist, mindreader, and acrobat. He performed in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Clivette worked with Houdini and PT Barnum, and he inspired Mark Twain. He taught Sir Arthur Conan Doyle how to be a medium. He went by names such as Clivette the Great, The Man in Black, The Mysterious Stranger, and many others. Clivette led a remarkable life then, like the magician he was, he disappeared from the history books after his death in 1931.
This new biography seeks to rectify that.
Michael MacBride has collaborated with the Clivette Estate to reintroduce the Great Clivette to the world. Using Clivette’s journals, letters, and books he wrote during his lifetime, the new book—The Great Clivette—tells the full story of Clivette’s life for the first time using Clivette’s own voice. It is an adventure you won’t want to miss.