Synopsis: What would you do with a billion dollars? This question gets a definitive answer from billionaire Richard Branson: do everything! Born into a wealthy family in London, Branson suffered from dyslexia and was a poor student. Still, his knack for business started early with a successful parakeet-breeding enterprise at age 11.The charismatic entrepreneur launched his first major business, Virgin Records, at age 22 and spent the next few decades…

Synopsis: Follow the development of information technology from the invention of writing through the earliest computers (earlier than you think!) to the present day.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest,…

Synopsis: Would you rather put your grubby clothes in the washing machine, or take them down to the river and beat the dirt out of them?This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even…

Synopsis: Helicity is well aware that her name is unusual . . . kind of like Helicity herself. The word helicity means to spin in a corkscrew motion, and for as long as she can remember, Helicity has been fascinated by the weather. Her heroes are not reality TV stars, but meteorologists and storm chases.The weather is Helicity's escape from her own reality-be it school, her father's strict discipline, or her brother's imminent departure for college, where…

Synopsis: Imagine living in a world without pain.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.You wouldn't get headaches or stomach aches, and it wouldn't hurt…

Synopsis: Count down to liftoff! You are about to go on the most exciting and dangerous journey of your life.This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. You are part of the crew on the spacecraft Apollo 13. Find out all…

Synopsis: With every new feat, there is at least one big failure. Learn about some of the biggest technological feats and failures in human history in this fascinating nonfiction title that allows readers to discover some of the technological innovations that have made life easier. Featuring detailed images, charts, and graphs, informational text, and intriguing facts, children will be engaged and captivated from cover to cover!

Synopsis: Get to know the woman who made many of NASA’s early missions possible in this fascinating, nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”Meet Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician who worked at NASA in the early 1950s until retiring in 1986. Katherine’s unparalleled calculations (done by hand) helped plan the trajectories for NASA’s Mercury and Apollo missions (including the Apollo 11…

Synopsis: Up, up, and away! When Tom Tate hears that Wilbur and Orville Wright are building a flying machine, he can't wait to try it. Tom's dad thinks it's dangerous. Some people think the Wrights are crazy. Can Tom help the brothers get their dream off the ground?

Synopsis: If you loved The Stories Julian Tells, wait until you hear about the adventures of his best friend, Gloria! The Julian's World chapter book series is all about friendship, family, and imagination! What if your dream came true . . . and nobody believed you?   When Gloria goes to the store to buy an onion, she can’t believe who she meets! A real astronaut named Dr. Grace Street. Dr. Street explains to Gloria that problems aren’t always as big as…