Synopsis: Beginning with Thomas Edison’s childhood, when he set up his first laboratory in his basement as a 10-year-old, and following through his many jobs before he was able to support himself as an inventor, this is the true story of the man who brought the world the phonograph, motion pictures, and even the electric light bulb—revolutionary inventions that forever changed the way people live.“One of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling…

Synopsis: In a unique mix of fact and fiction, this is the dramatic story of the Underground Railroad as seen through the eyes of two young girls--Eliza, a runaway slave, and Johanna, whose family gives her refuge. Kids will learn about life on a cotton plantation and about abolitionists who fought to have slavery made illegal. Activities include making a tin can lantern and locating the North Star, which guided many slaves to freedom. Beautifully…

Synopsis: A woman writer gives the United States one of its most beloved songsColorful, lively, and carefully researched, here is a picture book about the trip west that a young Wellesley professor took, which resulted in an expression of hope for America's spiritual life that has stirred citizens of all ages ever since. In 1893, when she was thirty-four, Katharine Lee Bates was invited to teach summer school in Colorado Springs. Crossing the country, and…

Synopsis: ETHEL IS 10 YEARS OLD in 1901 when her family’s life changed forever. Suddenly, Father is not only a famous cowboy, war hero, and politician, but also President Theodore Roosevelt, leader of the United States—and Ethel has a new place to call home. The White House is older and stuffier than Ethel imagined, but there’s never a dull moment with her adventurous family around. Ethel would love to spend every day following Father on horseback rides…

Synopsis: The Golden Gate Bridge. The impossible bridge, some call it. They say it can't be built. But Robert's father is building it. He's a skywalker--a brave, high-climbing ironworker. Robert is convinced his pop has the most important job on the crew . . . until a frightening event makes him see that it takes an entire team to accomplish the impossible. When it was completed in 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was hailed as an international…

Synopsis: Long ago, in 1845, a young girl named Gretchen and her family were on their way west. One day, the horse Gretchen was riding strayed far away from the wagon train. Gretchen was lost and all alone. But then a magnificent white stallion appeared. And Gretchen knew she didn't have to be afraid, because the beautiful horse would show her the way back home.

Synopsis: Born a slave in Maryland, Harriet Tubman knew first-hand what it meant to be someone's property; she was whipped by owners and almost killed by an overseer. It was from other field hands that she first heard about the Underground Railroad which she travelled by herself north to Philadelphia. Throughout her long life (she died at the age of ninety-two) and long after the Civil War brought an end to slavery, this amazing woman was proof of what…

Synopsis: Now in paperback - an important moment in history is presented in a cumulative format, accessible to the youngest readers. In 1955, a young woman named Rosa Parks took a big step for civil rights when she refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger. The bus driver told her to move. Jim Crow laws told her to move. But Rosa Parks stayed where she was, and a chain of events was set into motion that would eventually change the course…

Synopsis: This new paperback edition of the successful "Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Civil War" gives a highly visual and chronological account of our nation's bloodiest war. It features a striking new cover. This year-by-year account of the war which tore our country apart tells the story of the Civil War through eyewitness accounts, profiles of people famous and ordinary, point-of-view sidebars which capture the essence of the many differences…

Synopsis: A warm, moving portrait of Abraham Lincoln told through the eyes of his children and captured in exquisite full-color illustrations. Historians claim him as one of America’s most revered presidents. But to his rambunctious sons, Abraham Lincoln was above all a playful and loving father. Here is Lincoln as seen by two of his boys: Willie, thrilled to be on his first train trip when Lincoln was deciding to run for president; Willie and Tad barging…

Synopsis: In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark out west to explore. He tells them to make maps. He tells them to draw pictures and collect plants. Most importantly, he tells them to send presents! What kind of present is good enough for a president? Beginning readers will truly enjoy reading about this fun and little-known slice of American history.

Synopsis: When Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the "Corp of Discovery" left St. Louis, Missouri, on May 21, 1804, their mission was to explore the vast, unknown territory acquired a year earlier in the Louisiana Purchase. The travelers hoped to find a waterway that crossed the western half of the United States. They didn't. However, young readers will love this true-life adventure tale of the two-year journey that finally brought the explorers to the…

Synopsis: The most effective method used to influence children to read is to incorporate the information that interests them the most. National Geographic Readers are educational, high-interest, and comprehensive for children. In this title, readers will learn about the fascinating life and legacy of our 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln and his historic decision to abolish slavery. Readers will also learn why this decision impacted the…

Synopsis: Born into slavery, young Harriet Tubman knew only hard work and hunger. Escape seemed impossible - certainly dangerous. Yet Harriet did escape North, by the secret route called the Underground Railroad. Harriet didn't forget her people. Again and again she risked her life to lead them on the same secret, dangerous journey.

Synopsis: Elizabeth Cady Stanton stood up and fought for what she believed in. From an early age, she knew that women were not given rights equal to men. But rather than accept her lesser status, Elizabeth went to college and later gathered other like-minded women to challenge the right to vote.Here is the inspiring story of an extraordinary woman who changed America forever because she wouldn't take "no" for an answer.Elizabeth Leads the Way is a 2009…

Synopsis: Hallie isn't afraid of anything--that is, anything but storms, which she braves along with her grandmother, huddled beneath a special quilt. When her family joins a wagon train headed west, leaving her grandmother--and everything Hallie has ever known--behind, Hallie knows she will have to be braver than she's ever been before. But can she summon the courage to help a young buffalo stuck on a rocky ridge during a wild storm? The Newbery medalist…