Showing results for "Stories" in Biographical Fiction

Growing up in 19th-century London, England, Ada is curious about absolutely everything. She is obsessed with machines and with creatures that fly. She even designs her own flying laboratory! According to her mother, Ada is a bit too wild, so she encourages Ada to study math. At first, Ada thinks: bleh! Who can get excited about a subject without pictures? But she soon falls in love with it. One day, she encounters a mysterious machine, and from that moment forward, Ada imagines a future full of possibility - one that will eventually inspire the digital age nearly 200 years later.

Sarah is the first person in her family who wasn’t born into slavery in Delta, Louisiana. But being free doesn’t mean that Sarah doesn’t have to work. She cooks, she cleans, she picks cotton, she does laundry and she babysits. And when she works, she wraps up her hair. One day, Sarah’s hair starts to fall out! It’s itchy, crunchy, patchy and won’t grow. Instead of giving up, Sarah searches for the right products. And then she invents something better than any shampoo or hair oil she’s used before.

Alicia was born to dance. From the moment she slips on pointe shoes for the first time, she’s determined to become a professional ballerina. A few years later, Alicia moves from Cuba to the United States to follow her dreams. Then, Alicia begins to lose her sight. How can a ballerina dance if she can’t see where she’s going? Stuck in bed and only able to practice with her fingertips, Alicia doesn’t give up. She finds a way to get back on stage, dancing into the hearts of audiences as one of the world’s most famous prima ballerinas.

This heartwarming fictionalized autobiography tells the story of what it is like for a little girl to be growing up in an unfamiliar place. While other girls her age were enjoying childhood in America, Jean Fritz was in China in the midst of political unrest. During this time, foreigners were becoming more and more unpopular, and evacuation at a moment’s notice was imminent. Although Jean appreciated the beauty of China - the mountains, the countryside, the sea - she knew she belonged in America and longed to make her home there.

King Lear has decided to retire from his royal duties. He calls his three daughters and asks each to tell him how much they love him. The eldest two, Goneril and Regan, flatter him with their words. Cordelia the youngest, only says that she loves him as a daughter must love her father. Furious, he disinherits her and divides his kingdom between her two sisters. But Goneril and Regan soon turn against Lear.

Junko is bad at athletics. Really bad. Other students laugh because they think she is small and weak. Then her teacher takes the class on a trip to a mountain. It’s bigger than any Junko’s ever seen, but she is determined to make it to the top. Ganbatte, her teacher tells her. Do your best. After that first trip, Junko becomes a mountaineer in body and spirit. She climbs snowy mountains, rocky mountains and even faraway mountains outside of her home country of Japan.

Wangari lives in the lush, green land of rural Kenya, where the soil is perfect for planting, the trees tower into the sky and the streams are full of mysterious creatures. All day, she plays beneath her favourite fig tree, and at night, she gathers around the fire with her family to listen to her mother's stories. Then Wangari grows up and goes away to school, and things start changing at home. Farmers chop down the trees. Landslides bury the stream. The soil becomes overworked and dry, and nothing will grow. People go hungry.

An inspiring story of Zheng Yi Sao, the real-life pirate queen who took control of her life—and the South China seas—in the early 19th century. The most powerful pirate in history was a woman who was born into poverty in Guangzhou, China, in the late 1700s. When pirates attacked her town and...

What is a light beam? What are photon particles? What are all things made of? These are questions young Einstein asked himself; questions that would change our world forever. Travel along with young Einstein to learn about his discoveries, still in motion today!

Eloise has always loved Joan of Arc. Noble, honest and brave, she was everything Eloise wishes to be. And on a bright sunny day in Orleans, Eloise has a very special daydream… A superb re-imagining of Joan of Arc by master storyteller and author of War Horse. “There was only one creature on...

Everyone makes mistakes, and brilliant scientist Harry Coover is no different. But Harry keeps making the same extra-sticky mistake, and he begins to wonder whether it's such a mistake after all....

John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, only mentioned one of his children in his memoirs: Mary. Born blind in 17th-century England, she held a special place in her father's heart. When Mr. Bunyan was arrested for unlawful preaching, young Mary travels the streets of Bedford each day, bringing soup to the prison. She resolves to prove she is independent and not hindered by her blindness. Only when she realizes she needs help does she turn to the Lord, the source of all strength.

It features coming of age stories on the theme of closeness to home, deftly interwoven with illuminating autobiographical pieces on the inspirations behind the fiction. Stories include: "The Missing Link", "Joe Quinn's Poltergeist", "Harry Miller's Run", "Slog's Dad", "Klaus Vogel and the Bad Lads", "Mary Malone", "Half a Creature from the Sea", and, "When God Came to Kathleen's Garden".

Itzhak is a young teen in Hungary when the Nazis barge into his home one day and force him and his family to leave everything behind and get on a train to a concentration camp. When Itzhak is separated from his entire family, he is left feeling scared and alone. With no one to talk to and no one to look after him, Itzhak knows that he will have to be strong—and very brave—to survive the war and be reunited with his family. But can he manage to do it on his own?

Chronicles of Wonder tells the story of the imaginative boy born in Ireland who loved books and poetry and grew himself to be a famous teacher and writer. But before he penned The Space Trilogy or The Chronicles of Narnia, Clive Staples Lewis found friends in other stories, including tales from Beatrix Potter, The Wind and the Willows, Phantastes by George MacDonald, and The Pilgrim’s Progress.

This Splash Read collection includes seven historical fiction short stories about Black Americans. While Splash Read stories are enjoyed by kids of all ages, they were written to facilitate a conversation between a child and parent or student and teacher. Each story introduces an influential person from history. Stories discuss life skills, challenges, problem-solving, and important issues. We’ve heard positive reviews from kids as young as first graders and as old as 10th graders.

Inspired by the true story of a girl who lived in the library, Kristen O'Donnell Tubb's The Story Seeker continues The Story Collector series with a heartwarming middle grade mystery that captures the illustrious New York Public Library during the roaring 20's. Twelve-year-old Viviani Fedeler...

Celebrate America's past and inspire young readers with Good Night, Young American, a richly illustrated children's picture book by Kelley Paul, wife of U.S. Senator Rand Paul. Publishing in time for America's 250th birthday in 2026, this patriotic book brings U.S. history to life.

A powerful coming-of-age story brought to life in audio. At thirteen, Orion Casey has stopped singing—and it’s not because she stopped loving it. After the girls everyone else follows start talking about her instead of to her, she’s finished performing for anyone. Then the messages start. Anonymous. Encouraging. A little too perfectly timed. Someone’s been watching her, really paying attention, and part of Orion can’t help hoping it’s the one person she wishes would notice her back.

This Splash Read collection includes 19 historical fiction short stories about US Presidents. While Splash Read stories are enjoyed by kids of all ages, they were written to facilitate a conversation between a child and parent, or student and teacher. Each story introduces an influential person from history. Stories discuss life skills, challenges, problem-solving, and important issues.