High in the sky, Bessie Coleman could soar like a bird. She was free--at least until she landed. As a black woman in the 1920s, she wasn't allowed to learn how to fly. Forced to travel to France to learn, she became the first African American woman to earn her pilot's license. Whether she was wing-walking, giving a speech, parachuting, or flying, Coleman inspired people with her bravery and resolv ...

Gazing up at the stars, Benjamin Banneker longed to understand how and why things worked as they did. In a time when most black Americans were slaves, Banneker lived a life of freedom and became known as America's first black American man of science. He helped survey Washington, D.C., and became the first black American to write an almanac. Through his accomplishments, he helped advance the cause ...

Watercolors rich with color and undertones speak to the deep character of Harriet Tubman, once General Tubman, Union Spy, Moses, Araminta, and more. Concise word selection shapes historical contrasts within short lines of verse on each spread, conveying poignant truth with hope and a relentless spirit bound only by freedom.

With stunning illustrations, unique fonts, and surprising extra features on every page, this book is a delightful introduction to the creativity and determination of Tony Sarg. Detailing his quest to create, and all the ways he made choices and adjustments as he worked to conquer new projects, this book inspires readers of all ages to think critically and find the confidence to solve problems of a ...

Lester tells her personal story, sharing her struggles as a child and later as a successful author. Using her unique ability to laugh at her mistakes, Lester creates a guide for young writers and an amusing personal story of the disappointments and triumphs of a writer's life. Full color.

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.

Vibrant, full-color illustrations describe the life and accomplishments of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel and a figure in the early women's rights movement. Full color.

It seems like Alexander Hamilton faced challenges from the very start of his life. This early biography relates the many times and ways Hamilton overcame barriers to become an early visionary for the young USA.

While his early schooling suggested a lack of potential, Einstein kept learning, and his thinking changed the world. A remarkable biography scaled for newly independent readers.

This is a richly layered biography, best enjoyed by late elementary ages. Ada Byron Lovelace possessed an inquisitive mind that relished numbers, patterns, and challenge. However, she grew up during a time when measles and cholera puzzled the medical community, and both left her very ill. It was also a time when men were more readily associated with the mathematical work and invention for which Ad ...

A thorough but accessible biography that includes interesting graphic representations of some concepts.

Winner of 2021 Orbis Pictus Award! The story of Elgin Baylor, basketball icon and civil rights advocate, from an all-star team Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball's all-time-greatest players--an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games ...

Now in paperback, just in time for President's Day, comes the award-winning, evocative picture book. On a cool spring evening in 1865, Abe Lincoln reflects on his life, his law studies, and the war that tore his country apart. Full color.

In an unusual move within book publishing, this author/illustrator team researched Horace Pippin together. The result is a remarkably tight text-illustration experience. While Bryant's careful word choice flows easily, delighting and informing simultaneously, Sweet's illustration conveys Pippin's life story via his folk-art style, as if we readers are privy to his sketching pad. Sweet prominently ...

We can't get enough of this author/illustrator duo. They discover the most interesting individuals and masterfully shape the telling by relating familiar, present-day experiences with their characters' experiences, enabling details to stick. In this telling, William Carlos Williams faces the difficulty of balancing the need to earn a living with pursuing his artistic endeavors. He manages to estab ...

Martin Luther King, Jr. is having some problems with his best friend, Bobby. They are going to different schools this year, and Bobby's dad is not letting his son play with Martin. When Martin learns why, he is confused and hurt--but he learns a lesson that he will never forget. Full color.