This funny, entertaining introduction to Ben Franklin and his many inventions includes the story of how he created the "magic square" -- a box of nine numbers arranged so that any line of three numbers add up to the same number, including on the diagonal! A "Step into Reading & Math(" title. Full-color illustrations.

Boom! Bang! Guns fire! Cannons roar! George Washington is fighting in the American Revolution. He sees a dog lost on the battlefield. Whose dog is it? How will it find its master? Early readers will be surprised to find out what happens in this little-known true story about America's first president.

Batter up! It's 1919 and baseball is in trouble! All across the country, people are throwing down their bats, and giving up America's national pastime. It's up to Babe Ruth to win back fans and save baseball! Can he do it, or will he strike out?

Jim Murphy's Newbery Honor Book available for the first time in paperback.The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully ...

The fast-paced story captures the desperation some families experienced when the Berlin Wall was erected. As the protagonist and her brother face critical decisions, readers will explore their own thinking and possible choices given the story's extraordinary circumstances. The result is a reading-based thrill ride.

Set in 1777 Philadelphia, this story of a young girl who is drawn into the events of the Revolutionary War beyond her imagining is a suspenseful tale of devotion, sacrifice, and patriotism with the stark realities of America's birth. Illustrations.

In July 1863 the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought outside the sleepy Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. In The Last Brother the story of one small boy is told amidst the dramatic events of those early days of July. Though he is only 11 years old, Gabe is a bugler in the Union Army. He takes his responsibility very seriously; after all, there are over 60 different battle calls for buglers ...

Viewed by many as a turning point in Americans' ability to trust their government, the Vietnam War remains controversial even today. Why? What was it about this war that led to overt lies, deadly protests, and a strong mistrust of elected leaders? An intriguing look at a period of upheaval in American history.

The morning of August 24, AD 79, seemed like any other in the Roman city of Pompeii. So no one was prepared when the nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted, spouting ash that buried the city and its inhabitants. The disaster left thousands dead, and Pompeii was no more than a memory for almost 1,700 years. In 1748, explorers rediscovered the port city with intact buildings and beautiful mo ...

The Navajo tribe's forced march from their homeland to Fort Sumner by white soldiers and settlers is dramatically and courageously told by young Bright Morning.

Miriam, a young Jewish girl, is forced to leave her parents and hide with strangers in the country during the German occupation of Holland.

In 1920 three American navy officers were on a routine practice run by balloon. A sudden storm hit sending them drastically off course. Subsequent actions to avoid a crash led them even further north into the snowy Canadian wilderness. Each man uses his strengths to encourage the others’ weaknesses. Kloor is the youngest, the most fit, and the best trained balloonist. Farrell is the oldest and l ...

In 1920 three American navy officers were on a routine practice run by balloon. A sudden storm hit sending them drastically off course. Subsequent actions to avoid a crash led them even further north into the snowy Canadian wilderness. Each man uses his strengths to encourage the others’ weaknesses. Kloor is the youngest, the most fit, and the best trained balloonist. Farrell is the oldest and l ...

Set in 17th-century Korea, this story is of a young girl who yearns to see what lies beyond the walls of her family's home and enlarge her world. Illustrations.

The Newbery Medal-winning tale of an orphan boy whose dream of becoming a master potter leads to unforeseen adventure in ancient Korea.​Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean village renowned for its ceramics. When he accidentally breaks a delicate piece of pottery, he volunteers to work to pay for the damage. Putting aside his own dreams, Tree-ear resolves to serve the master po ...

In a riveting narrative set in 15th-century Korea, two brothers discover a shared passion for kites. This touching and suspenseful story is filled with the authentic detail and flavor of traditional Korean kite fighting. Illustrations.

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 ...