agricultural high schools

"As Silver Spoon prepares for its official launch, Hachiken has decided to pay homage to the event that first sparked his passion for bringing people together and showcasing their individual efforts--by throwing a massive pizza party! Unlike that memorable first-year food fest, however, the tasters' reactions will be crucial to creating the most delectable German-style pizza--and setting Silver Spoon on the path to success"--Provided by publisher.

"With no goals of his own, Hachiken is devoted to helping his friends--especially Mikage--achieve theirs. To prepare her for the college entrance exams as promised, Hachiken swallows his pride and calls in a ringer: Tokyo U dropout and academic genius Shingo Hachiken. But collecting his brother's old notes means returning home for the first time since he started high school . . . Has everything he's learned at Ezo Ag readied him enough to face his past . . .?"--Back cover.

"November 30 looms large on the horizon-a day that will determine the path of Hachiken's and Mikage's futures! With their pasture-raised pork and meticulously selected ingredients, Silver Spoon is ready for their public pizza debut! Creating a good first impression is critical to securing new customers, not to mention certain investors! Meanwhile, Mikage's preparations (and nerves!) are tested to their limits as she sits for the college entrance exam. If only all the questions could be about horses!!"--Back cover.

"Funding continues to be a major obstacle as Hachiken tries to get his business up and running. Ookawa--still unemployed--has pinned all his hopes on Hachiken's new venture, so when proposal after proposal comes back rejected, he suggests a new source of funding: good, honest hard work. Picking up whatever part-time jobs he can, Hachiken pours every ounce of energy into realizing his goal. The year seems to fly by, but when spring comes again, will his efforts finally blossom into reality?"--Back cover.

"As their second year looms large, the first-years of Ezo Ag are taking a serious look at their future plans. A casual remark about starting a business gives Hachiken a spark of inspiration. He's already passionate about helping his friends achieve their goals: Could that become his goal? With only a half-formed not-quite-an-idea, Hachiken sets off to create a business plan that will meet not just his father's strict standards for approval, but also those of his equally fearsome consultant-Tamako!!"--Back cover.

"Year's end is traditionally the time when students return home to ring in the new year with their families--the very last thing Hachiken wants to do! He'll be the only one staying in the dorms, but after all, on a farm, someone always has to stick around to care for the animals. Little does he know that when the students are away, the teachers have their own tradition: a year-end feast of the bounties of Ezo Ag! Happy New Year, indeed!!"--Back cover.

"If there's one thing the farm school has taught Hachiken it's that food production is a laborious process. So when Nakajima-sensei taps the Equestrian Club to help rebuild his precious cheese stores, he is hardly surprised by how many careful steps go into making the perfect wheel of cheese. One small fluctuation can spoil the whole endeavor; the sameis true throughout the farming world. And when Komaba Ranch finds itself in financial trouble, Hachiken realizes his friends will inherit the uncertainties of the harvest along with their family farms-if they don't go out of business before then . . ."--Provided by publisher.

"To connect hearts with [a] partner who cannot speak . . . and then leap through the air to witness a view never seen before-that is what horseriding is all about . . . ! If it's just as a test, it'll be fine. Except it isn't! With his first equestrian experience happening in competition, the curtain falls on Hachiken's debut. To face off against others is to face oneself"--Amazon.com.

"The second Ezo Ag cleanup of the year yields a surprise even greater than the first! Once again, Hachiken makes the find that has the whole school talking--and fawning--when he uncovers an abandoned puppy in a rubbish pile. After a bath and blow-dry, the pup takes up residence in the stable as the unofficial mascot of the Equestrian Club. But with all the attention, the new 'Vice Prez' threatens to usurp the authority of his master! And no one hates losing more than Hachiken!"--Back cover.

"By purchasing Pork Bowl, Hachiken takes a step forward in reconciling a farmer's care and concern for livestock that will ultimately be eaten. But Pork Bowl has yielded a whole lot more than a pork bowl's worth--or even a dozen pork bowls' worth!--of meat, and all of Ezo Ag is more than happy to help with the surplus! Hachiken may raise a lot of tough questions, but he sure knows how to a make a mean batch of bacon . . ."--Back cover.