Based on Tempe Wick's life and the tale of hiding her horse in her house during the coldest winter of the American Revolution, Rinaldi's story poignantly addresses the question of compromising one's loyalty for "victory."

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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.

While many books on Jamestown chronicle Pocahontas, this captivates readers with Samuel Collins's struggle to survive in a hostile environment. Through well-written text, readers grow to understand how uninformed England was of the Colonists' dire situation.

Based on a true story, this is a tale of brave school children who outwit the invading Nazis by sledding 13 tons of gold bricks down the mountain in Norway to a ship waiting to take the country's gold to America for safekeeping. Illustrations.

Based on a true story, young Sadako faces the battle of her life when she is diagnosed with "atomic bomb disease" (leukemia). She turns to her native Japanese beliefs and makes one thousand paper cranes so the gods will grant her wish to be well.

Eleven-year-old Willie Johnston is the youngest soldier to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. According to this outstanding fictionalized account, Willie got into the Union army Òby accident.Ó His courageous participation in McClellan's Seven Day Campaign on the Virginia Peninsula was no accident however, but the result of tremendous determination. His experiences are typical to those o ...

Nine-year-old Mary Ellen Todd, filled with the pioneer spirit, treks cross country in 1852 with her family in search of a better life. The Todds survive Indians and swollen rivers, but what will happen when mother has a new baby and winter arrives? Jean Van Leeuwen has written highly acclaimed book for both children and young adults, including Dear Mom, You're Ruining My Life.

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.

In 1941, Frank meets Kenji, a Japanese-American boy who lives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where Frank and his family have just moved. But then the unthinkable happens--Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese. Can Frank and Kenji still be friends? "A good springboard for thoughts and discussion of perennial, increasingly visible issues".--Kirkus Reviews.

This compelling story of adventure, romance, and intrigue, set in ancient Egypt, was written by the three-time Newbery Honor and Edgar Award winning author Eloise Jarvis McGraw. Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom in ancient Egypt, under the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. Mara is not like other slaves; she can read and write, as well as speak the language of Babylonian. So, ...

A powerful look at an unforgettable era in history "If we take these children, we can never betray them, no matter what the Nazis do." During the German occupation of France, twenty French children were brought to a refuge in the mountains. One day a young man came to their school with a request: Could they take in, and hide, ten Jewish refugee children? Sister Gabriel spoke up. "The Nazis are l ...

Ranofer struggles to thwart the plottings of his evil brother, Gebu, so he can become master goldsmith like their father in this exciting tale of ancient Egyptian mystery and intrigue. A Newbery Honor Book.

"This full-length junior novel should hold a place with the best Civil War fiction for young people. The fighting takes place in the West. . . . A young farm boy joins the Union forces, becomes a scout . . . There is suspense in the telling and many a colorful character".--The Horn Book.

"In this (Level 3) I Can Read book, Turner takes a sad episode in history (the Great Depression) and fashions it into a story that has depth as well as drama. . . . Realistic, nicely executed illustrations decorate every page".--"ALA Booklist". Full color.

Based on the true story of the boy who flew in the Wright brothers' glider, this title is "a good introduction to the Wright Brothers from a child's point of view."--("Booklist"). Full-color illustrations.