Synopsis: A fun historic tale by Newbery Honor-winning author, Jean Fritz!No matter how busy he was, Ben Franklin always found time to try out new ideas: a remote-control lock (so he could lock his door without getting out of bed), a rocking chair with a fan over it (to keep flies away), and a windmill (to turn his roast meat on its spit). Aside from being a mad of ideas, he was an ambassador to England, a printer, an almanac maker, a politician, and even…

Synopsis: A biography examining the life of Benjamin Franklin and his leadership as a statesman, scientist, inventor, and printer. Written in graphic-novel format.

Synopsis: Filled with archival photographs and amazing facts, this groundbreaking series introduces young readers to some of history's most interesting and influential characters. The series now features a refreshed design, taking the series' original look in a more modern direction. DK Biography: Thomas Edison tells the story of the famous inventor, from his childhood as an "addled" student, to his reign as the "Wizard of Menlo Park," where he developed…

Synopsis: With magnificent dioramic illustrations, Gilbert Ford captures the joy, creativity, and determination behind the invention of an iconic, one-of-a-kind toy: the Slinky!One day, a spring fell from the desk of Richard James, an engineer and a dreamer. Its coils took a walk…and so did Richard’s imagination. He knew right away that he had stumbled onto something marvelous. With the help of his wife, Betty, Richard took this ordinary spring and turned…

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: I am the creator of Mickey Mouse. I am Walt Disney. As a child, I had a wild imagination and a great curiosity. As I grew up, I used those qualities to become a cartoonist. Eventually, I turned these drawings into films and began my own animation business. One of my characters, Mickey Mouse, became so popular that movie theaters sold out and I won an Academy Award. After pursuing a career as a film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor,…

Synopsis: Black-and-white illustrations on every spread and a lower reading level than other biographies in this age group makes this a highly accessible biography for upper elementary students.

Synopsis: If you've ever imagined what it would be like to pilot a test plane or travel in space, you won't want to miss the real-life adventures of astronaut Neil Armstrong--the first person to walk on the moon!

Synopsis: Celebrate Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the Super Soaker, in this inspiring STEM picture book biography about the maker of one of the world’s favorite toys.You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy.A love for rockets,…

Synopsis: In Stronger Than Steel, readers enter Randy Lewis' lab where they come face to face with golden orb weaver spiders, and transgenic alfalfa, silkworm silk, and goats, whose milk contains the proteins to spin spider silk--and to weave a nearly indestructible fiber. Learn how this amazing material might someday be used to repair or replace human ligaments and bones, improve body armor, strengthen parachute rope, and even tether an airplane to an…

Synopsis: Track dinosaurs with the earliest fossil hunters and modern-day geologists! Read about their amazing discoveries! These 48-page books about fascinating subjects like pirates, mummies, and volcanoes are for proficient readers who can understand a rich vocabulary and challenging sentence structure. In addition to the stunning photographs, informative sidebars, and glossary, readers will find archival photographs and paintings. Averaging 4,500 to 5…

Synopsis: Bill Gates, born in Seattle, Washington, in 1955, is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. In this Who Was...? biography, children will learn of Gates' childhood passion for computer technology, which led him to revolutionize personal computers. Through the success of his now-world-famous software company, Microsoft, Bill Gates became one of the wealthiest philanthropists in history.This fascinating story of a child…

Synopsis: The instant New York Times bestseller!From the author of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History comes the highly anticipated follow-up, a beautifully illustrated collectible detailing the lives of women creators around the world.Featuring the true stories of 35 women creators, ranging from writers to inventors, artists to scientists, Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World inspires as it educates. Readers will meet trailblazing…

Synopsis: Introducing Smart About Scientists! These books feature fascinating biographical information about the world's greatest scientists, ideas on scientific thinking, and real science experiments kids can try at home.Annie Marcus is just nuts about peanut butter! When Annie finds out that George Washington Carver was responsible for the popularity of peanuts, she picks him for her scientist report. Annie learns all sorts of fascinating info-George…

Synopsis: Introduces environmental issues at a basic level. Child characters play the role of a tree, a river, animals and the earth. The characters give the messages they believe would be forthcoming if these familiar features of our environment were able to speak for themselves. This story can lead your class into exciting activities that will increase their understanding of the importance of protecting our environment.

Synopsis: Engaging 16-page books on must-know, inspiring Americans. Features lively text, captions, realistic illustrations, glossaries, diagrams, and more. Correlate with Guided Reading Levels I and J. For use with Grades K–2.

Synopsis: A beginning biography of Jacques Cousteau.