Ariel would love to be in the basket of Lucky Star on the day of the big balloon race against Bernard the Brave. Her mother, Carlotta the Great, is the best lady balloonist in America. But Ariel's parents think she is too young. Little do they know she is asleep in the Odds and Ends box when Carlotta the Great orders Hands off! and the balloon race begins. The thrills of Ariel's first ride in a h ...

“Unlike my parents, I had no concept of what war was actually like.” With these words, 10-year-old Leon Leyson foreshadows his shattered innocence. Deft writing presents horrific injustices of war, grievous loss, and unfathomable disdain for humanity with an authentic voice that acknowledges such evil but chooses to more significantly highlight every scrap of hope and celebrate every s ...

John James Audubon was a boy who loved the outdoors and believed in studying birds in nature, not just from books. Capturing the early passion of America's greatest painter of birds, this story will leave young readers listening intently for the calls of birds large and small near their own homes.

Rich descriptors establish this memoir’s compelling setting so that readers feel the African heat , the desperation of starving families seeking sustenance from dry, barren farmland, and the wind’s power to help a helpless community. Against this backdrop a small, young boy with an insatiable appetite for knowledge lets curiosity drive his desire to help his family and his village. T ...

A compelling account, told in easy-to-read format, of a sled dog who led his team over 53 miles of Alaska wilderness to deliver medicine during an outbreak of diphtheria in 1925.

Set in Galilee in the time of Jesus, this story tells of a young Jewish rebel who is won over to the gentle teachings of Jesus. A Newbery Medal Book.

The Brooklyn Bridge is the perfect subject for a picture book. This is the story of how it was built. This book is a classic tale of struggle and triumph, told in a manner that will thrill, fascinate, and inspire--all the more so because every word is true. 36 illustrations, prints, photos. 2 gatefolds.

This classic is a powerful story of love, prejudice, and survival. Set during World War II, two survivors--a white boy and an old West Indian man--from a torpedoed American freighter have much to learn from each other when the Germans invade the small island of Curacao.

Sarah and her father leave their family to build a home in the wilderness of colonial America. When they finish, he goes away to bring the rest of the family, telling her that "to be afraid and to be brave is the best courage of all." "This story is one to be long remembered for its beautiful simplicity and dignity."--"New York Times Book Review."

Illustrated in rich pastels, this child's-eye view of an important milestone in South African history allows young readers to experience every detail of this eventful day.

While the story is based on the Pinkerton National Detective Agency's beginnings and the notable detective work of its first female detective, Kate Warne, the pages dedicated to the restoration of family through testing fortifies this tale's telling. Hannigan weaves parallel stories -- of Underground Railroad workers and undercover detective agents whose survival depends on wits, disguise, truth-s ...

In 119 A.D., the Ninth Roman Legion marches north into the wilds of Britain--and disappears without a trace. Fifteen years later, Marcus Flavius Aquila, the son of the unit's commander, embarks upon a quest to recover the lost eagle standard of the Ninth.

Under arrest! The words came as a shock to young Esther Rudomin, Polish citizen. Because of their Jewish heritage and Father's business success, Esther's family faced certain deportment to Siberia. This sobering tale of a family torn from their homeland, from close relatives, and eventually from one another, paints a vivid picture of grim determination to survive against overwhelming odds. The Sib ...

Snow Hill, Alabama 1937 sets the stage for conveying important complexities Brother, a privileged white boy experiences when befriending Champion Always Luckey, a black boy from Detroit. While the plot isn't necessarily compelling, the power of healing a racial divide is as portrayed here. An excellent springboard for timelining events of that period.

From the acclaimed author of "Amelia Lost" comes the riveting story of the Russian Revolution as it unfolded. Deftly maneuvering between the lives of the Romanovs and the plight of Russia's peasantsNand their eventual uprisingNFleming presents fascinating portrait, complete with inserts of period photographs and primary-source material.

Rachel Marsh is a servant in the Boston household of John Adams. But her loyalty to the Adams family is tested by her friendship with a British private who leads his soldiers in firing upon a mob of Boston citizens.

How does a man decide to ignore life-threatening consequences in order to attempt the rescue of others? When a hurricane batters and breaks not one tanker, but two in half the same night, it leaves 84 seaman at its mercy. Survival is against all odds, and this story's authors pay relentless attention to detail and perspective that places readers in the midst of split-second decisions that risk eve ...

In 1847 the people of Niagara Falls, New York and their neighbors in Canada wanted to build a bridge across the river that separated them. The first step was to get a line from one side to the other. Only a kite flown with great skill could do the job. Tekla White tells the story, based on real events, of young Homan Walsh and the kite he called the Union. Ralph Ramstad's illustrations beautifully ...