Synopsis: The laughingstock of the girls' basketball team, klutzy Samantha Byrd is determined to pay back mean Judith Bellwood for making fun of her on the court, but she never expects her revenge to get so out of hand. Original.

Synopsis: A man of wisdom and courage. President Abraham Lincoln sits alone in the White House one evening in 1865. The war between the states is over at last, and the slaves are free. This man has come a long way from his small log cabin in Kentucky. What is he thinking about? What memories run through his mind? Powerful text and stunning, historically accurate paintings combine to present a unique portrait of one of the greatest presidents in…

Synopsis: "When 14-year-old William Kamkwamba's Malawi village was hit by a drought in 2001, everyone's crops began to fail. His family didn't have enough money for food, let alone school, so William spent his days in the library. He came across a book on windmills and figured out how to build a windmill that could bring electricity to his village. Everyone thought he was crazy but William persevered and managed to create a functioning windmill out of…

Synopsis: "The story of how a boy who loved to read changed the world forever." This is a captivating book, written in what seems to me to be free verse. I would say it is suitable for all elementary grades, to be read to the younger students and read by the older ones. Its emphasis lies in Abe Lincoln's childhood. He doesn't study law until page 34 out of 37, and he's elected the 16th President on page 36. Children will learn about young Abe's family…

Synopsis: This easy-to-read biography describes the early lives and notable achievements of Susan McKinney Steward, the first Black female doctor in New York State; George Washington Carver, the world-famous agricultural scientist most noted for his work with peanuts; Ernest Everett Just, a remarkable marine biologist known as "the expert" on the early life of sea animals; Percy Lavon Julian, an outstanding chemist who discovered drugs to treat glaucoma…

Synopsis: A portrait of daily life in Colonial America includes discussions of houses, schools, food, clothes, and money

Synopsis: An introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, extraordinary singer and civil rights activist, who was the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, whose life and career encouraged social change.