Sudan. A country where growing up is risky and challenging. Salva's story begins with a harrowing flee into the woods from his schoolhouse. With danger never far away, Salva makes his way to Ethiopia only to be driven from there at gunpoint. As his story unfolds in 1985 and the years after, readers are introduced to Nya, a young girl who walks all day to deliver dirty water to her family. Water pl ...

This is historical retelling that engrosses and educates. Lyrically written text guides readers through the challenges of firefighting and how the relentless demands on firefighters required rethinking the way these services were managed. The setting comes alive with fast-paced drama driven by misguided choices and dire consequences. Timelines of the location and related events, and of the world g ...

This is a perfect blend of historical retelling and technical detail that shows the airship's place in the evolution of flight. The story-like text presents airships within the context of world events, helping readers understand the influence one had on the other, and how these influences may have contributed to the Hindenburg's demise. Compelling and instructive reading.

Eleven-year-old Joe Hanada's world falls apart after Japanese planes bomb Pearl Harbor. When the government orders people of Japanese heritage living on the West Coast to move to internment camps, Joe turns to the journal his father gave him to record his thoughts and feelings.

It is 1848 and 14-year-old Francis Tucket is heading west on the Oregon Trail. When he lags behind to practice shooting his new rifle, he is captured by Pawnees. It will take wild horses, hostile tribes, and a mysterious one-armed man to help Francis come of age and survive the gritty frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Rosie Beckett embarks on the adventure of her life when her family takes a trip to the World's Columbian Exposition, a.k.a. the Chicago World's Fair, in 1893. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

This engrossing and thorough biography of an American legend reads like a great story. The author, a black woman who passed away in the 1990's, uses the term "Negro" throughout the book (originally published in 1955), so young readers may need instruction regarding the term's background and use. While many books relate Harriet Tubman's story, this one may retell it the best.

Benjamin Banneker was born free when most blacks were still enslaved. A self-taught mathematician and astronomer, he was the author of the first published almanac written by a black man. Throughout his life Bannecker was troubled that all blacks were not free. So, in 1791, he sent a letter to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Here is the extraordinary correspondence between the two men. Full-co ...

Drawing from the rich store of Civil War reminiscences handed down in her family, acclaimed author/illustrator Polacco tells the true story of a remarkable wartime friendship between a young white Union soldier and a young black Union soldier who are captured by Confederate soldiers and sent to Andersonville Prison.

During the Nazi occupation of France, Monique's mother hides a Jewish family in her basement and tries to help them escape to freedom. In the tradition of "Pink and Say, " Polacco once again dips into her own family's history to reveal her Aunt Monique's true story of friendship from the French Resistance. Full color.

Young Henk was hidden on the farm when Nazi soldiers came and his family was taken away. Now that the war is over, can Henk make a new life for himself in the big city?

Eleven-year-old Willie McLean knows that General Lee will defeat the Yankees and win the Civil War, he just knows it. When a battle moves to the fields near his home in Appomattox, Virginia, Willie's thrilled--especially when General Lee, himself, comes to Willie's house! But then General Grant comes, too. Overhearing the two men talk, Willie hears one word: Surrender. Is the war really over?

Large watercolor illustrations warmly portray Helen Keller—overcomer, speaker, and briefly, actress. This reading experience highlights Annie Sullivan's belief in Helen's potential, and Helen's increasing connections that strengthened her mind and ambition. Readers sense the importance of pushing beyond difficult limits. Large-print quotes give voice to Helen's dogged determination that hig ...

Compelling, life-sized, carefully-detailed illustrations, punctuate the depth of Frederick Douglass's devotion to justice and liberty for all. The dark pain of loss at a young age translated into grim determination to learn words because "...Frederick sensed that words had power. ...he traded food for words." In a world of fast food and e-books, Rappaport reminds us to value the influence of speak ...

Raven and Ellison tell the true story of an all-black Little League team formed in 1955 in segregated Charleston, South Carolina, that was not allowed to participate in the Little League World Series.

Muted, neutral tones covey the gravity of war, while leaving room for the emotional warmth only a dog's devotion can elicit. One of the earliest-known "mascot dogs" allowed in the U.S. Army, Rags became trench mouse catcher, messenger, and guard dog. Even in the thick of battle, Rags and his owner worked together as one. A difficult sadness punctuates the text toward the end, but thankfully the ep ...