From the time he was a young boy on a farm in Alabama until he received his fourth Olympic gold medal in Berlin in 1936, all Jesse Owens wanted to do was run. Overcoming sickness, poverty, and racial discrimination, Jesse worked hard, shattered many track and field records, and earned countless medals and trophies. But perhaps his greatest and most important accomplishment came when he stood up to ...

In 1957, nine teenagers were chosen to be the first black students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. A small group of people in Little Rock, including the governor of Arkansas, wanted to keep them out. But those nine students knew they had a right to a good education. And they would do anything to crack the wall that had kept black people and white people apart.

From lightning to blizzards, learn all about the awesome power of super storms. Illustrations.

When Mouse happens upon the remains of a Thanksgiving feast, his eyes override his self-control. His choices become unwieldy, landing him square in his enemy's path. All young readers should be exposed to these lyrical illustrations that dramatize the disaster of unwise choices, and highlight the happiness of contentment.

While it borders on the silly, who can resist a tale with chicken detectives named Dirt, Sweetie, Poppy, and Sugar? Although humorous wrong assumptions complicate their investigative strategy, the Chicken Squad bumbles its way to finding the "weird blue chicken's" missing home, restoring peace and order in their community. Very entertaining — a good choice for reluctant readers.

Tables get turned when a hike in the woods reveals that Pedro is already pretty good at surviving in the wold, much to the surprise of his dad. A fun story featuring a likable main character.

On a soccer field, the goalie is the last line of defense. Does Pedro have what it takes to be his team's goalie? Perhaps skills he's learned off the field can help. Another great story with a likable main character.

Bright illustrations complement the vibrant conversations Worm and Caterpillar share. According to Worm, their friendship is perfect because they have a lot in common. But what happens when change challenges comfortable ways of thinking? Love is patient and kind, and both are witnessed here amidst the humor and complex wonderings of a delightful friendship.

In the winter of 1856, a storm delays the lighthouse keeper's return to an island off the coast of Maine, and his daughter Abbie must keep the lights burning by herself. Full-color illustrations.

Johnny Moore watched as the amazing airplane moved along the track. He wondered if the Flyer would make it off the ground and if the pilot would be able to stay in control. then suddenly it was up--soaring into the strong winds before plunging back to the ground. The flight of the Flyer had lasted only a few seconds, but it had flown! This historic 12-second ride will always be remembered as the f ...

The boat creaked and moaned as the storm's waves smashed into the ship. Down in the hold, Andre' sat between crates that held the great copper lady, the Statue of Liberty. They were on their way to America, but would the storm that raged prevent them from getting there? Given to the people of the United States in 1885 by the people of France as a symbol of friendship between the two countries, the ...

Six days a week Minnie and Tessa sit, shoulder to shoulder, bent over sewing machines in a big room overflowing with piles of fabric, patterns, and lace. There is no fresh air, the light is dim, and there are too many people in the room. The work is hard and the days are long. Minnie and Tessa work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City. The two fourteen-year-olds are best friends. It ...

In 1946, six-year-old Wilma Rudolph dreamed of walking and playing like other children, but a sickness called polio had damaged her left leg. Wilma spent hours each week doing painful exercises at a hospital for African American patients. The rest of the time, she was forced to wear a heavy and cumbersome leg-brace. Still, Wilma never gave up. She knew she could walk again, and if she could walk, ...

Jackie Mitchell has always wanted to be a great pitcher, and she finally has the chance to become one! In her first minor league game, she is up against two of the greatest home-run hitters of all time--Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Does she stand a chance?

Born a slave near the end of the Civil War, George Washington Carver was a small and sickly child. Too frail to work in the fields of the Missouri farm where he grew up, George did chores around the house. But when his work was done, he headed for the woods. There his lifelong love of nature was born. As a teacher and scientist at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in the 1900s, George Washington Carver ...

As a successful former slave, Clara Brown used her money to help other freed slaves get a new start in life. In 1859 Clara bought her own freedom and headed west to Colorado to find her daughter, who was sold when she was just a little girl. Clara didn't find her daughter there, but she did get rich. The people she helped became her family, and she became known as Aunt Clara Brown.

On December 21, 1848, Ellen Craft and her husband, William, slipped out into the cold, dark night and took their first steps towards freedom. They were runaway slaves. Posing as a white man traveling with a slave, Ellen courageously boarded a train bound for Philadelphia. Could they actually make it a thousand miles without being discovered? As each tension-filled day passed and freedom got closer ...

When nine-year-old Sarah and her little sister, Annie, set out on their way to school on January 12, 1888, they have no idea what their day will hold. The weather's so warm they go outside to play. Suddenly, the wind turns cold and begins to roar--it's a blizzard! The wind is so strong it rips the school's roof off. What will they do? The freezing snow is already up to their knees and without a ro ...