Sensei Masa was a master swordsmith known throughout all of Japan. Young Michio is apprenticed to the master swordsmith. He watches and learns not only the skills to make a fine sword, but also lessons in humility, hard work, and compassion, elements of Bushido, the samurai code of honor. When he and Sensei create a sword that rivals all others, warriors from around Japan come to claim ownership o ...

Just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Olympic-class passenger liner's ill-fated journey, this title is replete with brilliant photographs and exclusive in-depth coverage including Bob Ballard's 1985 discovery. Illustrations.

This easy-to-understand book tells why and how the Constitution of the United States was created. Simple, attractive, informative....The most accessible history of the Constitution to date.--School Library Journal.

Matt is a little apprehensive when his father leaves him alone to guard their newly built cabin in the wilderness. But when he meets the proud, resourceful Indian boy Attean, Matt discovers new ways to survive in the forest. And in getting to know his friend, Matt also begins to understand the heritage and way of life of the Beaver clan.

The award-winning author pens a fascinating account of the potato blight thatstruck in Ireland, telling the story of the men, women, and children who madeevery attempt to survive and hang on to hope.

With its winning combination of satisfying story and cinematic illustrations, Mudball should make a splash with underdogs and baseball fans alike. --The Horn Book Andy Oyler is the shortest player on the Minneapolis Millers baseball team, not to mention in the whole league. And no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to get a hit. But one fateful spring day in 1903, a sudden change in the weath ...

Francis Scott Key was so inspired by what he saw at the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, he was led to write a poem that would become America's national anthem. Full color.

This biography tells the story of a woman who rose from a bleak world of poverty and discrimination to unprecedented success. "This impressive picture book will delight young readers as it gives a sense of this remarkable woman and the times in which she lived."N"School Library Journal" (starred review). Illustrations.

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.

Gaining the freedom America promised cost immigrants in the early 1900's much. Focusing on the children, Freedman presents the plight of the typical immigrant-crowded cities, scarce jobs, and child labor. The accompanying photographs provide a visual glimpse of what it meant to be a young newcomer to America. Another remarkable photo-essay from one of the genre's masters.

When Sugar, living as an orphaned child cared for by fellow plantation workers, decides to befriend the Plantation owner's son, she is rebuked by her "family." When Chinese immigrants arrive to share the workers' responsibility, tension escalates until Sugar's determination deconstructs barriers. Just as healing begins, a dark reminder of selfish unforgiveness rears its ugly head. This time, it ta ...

Text and illustration connect present day to Franklin's times and inventions. A novel and engaging look at a truly remarkable "founding father."

Paul Revere didn't make his famous midnight ride alone. Meet a patriot unlike any other: Scheherazade, the mare who doesn't mind mentioning she was once the fastest and most admired horse in the King's army. But on arrival in America, Sherry is quickly let down by her British rider and recruited by Sam Adams to join the Sons of Liberty. Before long, she finds herself teamed with Raul Revere to pla ...

In wartime Germany, Rose Blanche witnesses the mistreatment of a little boy, and follows the truck that takes him to a camp. Secretly, Rose Blanche brings him and other children food. An excellent book to use not only to teach about the Holocaust, but also about living a life of ethics, compassion, and honesty.--School Library Journal. Full color.

It is the winter of 1944. In Nazi-occupied Europe, a Jewish couple realize their fate is sealed and make a heart-rending decision so that their infant daughter might live. Ruth Vander Zee's elegant narration and Roberto Innocenti's searing and beautiful illustrations combine to capture the fear, love, and sadness of a Holocaust survivor's story.

Illus. with photographs from the Dust Bowl era. This true story took place at the emergency farm-labor camp immortalized in Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath. Ostracized as "dumb Okies," the children of Dust Bowl migrant laborers went without school--until Superintendent Leo Hart and 50 Okie kids built their own school in a nearby field.

This is historical fiction at its best, portraying Revolutionary Boston as seen through the shrewd eyes of a young apprentice silversmith. Features an Afterword by the author.

More than 50 years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is the subject of this picture-book tribute to her courageous action and the events that followed.