Showing titles in Historical

Abigail Adams did not succumb to the limitations facing women in her day. She married John Adams in 1764 as an educated and influential woman. From the beginning of their relationship, John Adams took her counsel. Her vision of equality and justice informed and inspired the first rumblings of equal rights for women.

This audiobook mixes pirates, riches, and adventure with issues of slavery and the tumultuous politics of Elizabethan England to create a book that is as informative as it is colorful. Students will love reading about the explorer who began life as the son of a poor Devon farmer and became the first person to sail around the world.

"Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere." This opening line, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's tribute poem "Paul Revere's Ride", celebrates a highlight of this Boston-born folk hero's life and times. Like many of his contemporaries, Paul Revere was not only a businessman and family man, but also a soldier and spy. Minutemen were patriots ready at a moment's notice to serve the cause of the Revolution.

George Washington Carver began life as a slave in the tumultuous world of pre - Civil War Missouri. After the war, the orphaned Carver worked as a farmer, a hotel cook, and a laundryman while pursuing an education. As a professor at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Carver spearheaded the initiative to cultivate peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes to revive the South's dismal agricultural economy. He is most remembered for the invention of peanut butter.

Focusing particularly on George Washington's youth, Sterling North fully captures the spirit of the man as he examines his childhood in colonial Virginia, his early experiences as a member of the militia, and his many other adventures leading up to the Revolutionary War. The fully rounded person who emerges from this captivating portrait is uncomfortable with words, shy with women, totally at home in the outdoors, and deeply in love with the country he helped found.

Guided only by legendary stories and unfinished 15th-century maps, Henry Hudson set out to search for the sea route through what was thought to be a polar passage to Asia. An English navigator in search of the riches of the Orient for the Dutch East India Company, Hudson got more than he bargained for on what was to become his last voyage in 1610. Young people will enjoy this fascinating biography, complete with primary source quotations from Hudson's ship logs.

He was the first person to lead an expedition across the Pacific Ocean. Students will learn how the Strait of Magellan got its name in this audiobook about the man who began life as a page in King John's court and became one of the most famous explorers of all time.

A biography of the Civil War general known for his part in the disastrous battle at the Little Big Horn in 1876.

Frederick Douglass was the foremost American abolitionist of the 19th century. From his 1847 founding of the North Star, the first African-American newspaper, to his term as U.S. minister to Haiti, the story of Douglass's life makes for inspirational reading. This compelling biography will give students a deeper understanding of how slavery shaped American history.

A revered citizen-soldier of the American Revolutionary War, South Carolina-born Francis Marion has been dubbed by some the "father of the U.S. Army Special Forces." This innovative patriot earned the nickname the "Swamp Fox" from a British colonel who all too often lost track of Marion when the clever soldier made stealthy retreats into American swamp lands.

American women were first allowed to vote in 1920. The quest to secure that right began in 1848, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others held the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Over the decades that followed, Stanton tirelessly wrote, petitioned, and lectured on behalf of securing not just the ballot, but also equality for women in the workplace, in schools, and within America's legal system.

As the seamstress of the American flag, an enduring symbol of liberty and democracy, Betsy Ross is an integral part of the fabric of American history. Her life story transcends that one great symbol, though. She was a mother, a businesswoman, and a contemporary of George Washington. This biography of Betsy Ross is a window not only into the life of a proud and courageous woman, but also into the early days of our nation.

The Declaration of Independence marked the beginning of the end of England's control of its American colonies. As one of America's most revered statesman, Benjamin Franklin played a key role in the creation of the document. This fictional telling of Franklin's role gives readers insight into his thoughts and emotions during those dramatic times.

In a time where thousands pushed westward to find their fortune, Stephen Austin went west to found a colony. The fierce struggle between Austin's settlers and the Mexican government would lead to the birth of Texas and countless stories of heroes and heroism. Jailed by Mexican authorities, Austin fought a long, bitter struggle for the survival of Texas. Many may not know that Austin's dream almost did not come true.

Peter Stuyvesant: legends abound about the character, temperament, and wooden leg of the last director-general of New Amsterdam, fueled primarily by Washington Irving's satirical A History of New York. Krizner and Sita set the record straight here and address other misconceptions about the early days of the colony. Indeed, historical evidence does not support the legend of the 24-dollar purchase of Manhattan Island. Stuyvesant did, however, rule with an "iron fist", but he loved New Amsterdam.

A leader in American victories against the British in the American Revolutionary War, Lafayette also championed the Americans' cause at peace talks in France. A life story interwoven with issues of international diplomacy, military expertise, and contributions to another nation's fight for freedom, Lafayette is an important reminder that not all the heroes of the American Revolution were American.

Bereits als kleiner Junge träumt Cristoforo davon, zur See zu fahren und Abenteuer in der Ferne zu erleben. Dass aus dem Sohn eines italienischen Wollwebers tatsächlich der Admiral des Weltmeeres wird, grenzt an ein Wunder. Genau wie das, was er im Herbst 1492 erlebt, als nach einem kräfteraubenden Monat auf dem Atlantik der Ruf "Land in Sicht!" vom Krähennest der Santa Maria herunter schallt: Kolumbus hat zwar keine neue Schiffsroute nach Indien gefunden, sondern einen für die Europäer damals unbekannten Kontinent.

This New York Times Bestselling biography series by Brad Meltzer has an inspiring message: We can all be heroes. Jackie Robinson always loved sports, especially baseball. But he lived at a time before the Civil Rights Movement, when the rules weren't fair to African Americans. Even though Jackie...

We can all be heroes. That’s the inspiring message of this New York Times Bestselling biography series from historian and author Brad Meltzer. Even when he was a kid, Albert Einstein did things his own way. He thought in pictures instead of words, and his special way of thinking helped him...

We can all be heroes. That’s the inspiring message of this lively biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. “Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it,” Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to...

We can all be heroes. That’s the inspiring message of this lively biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. “Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it,” Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to...

Discover how animals influenced 20 of the world's most beloved authors, from Charles Dickens to J. K. Rowling. Did you know that a dog saved Pablo Neruda's life? Or that Mark Twain had a cat named Bambino? Or that Edgar Allan Poe wrote with a cat on his shoulders? Writers and Their Pets tells these stories and many more that will delight not only children but also literary experts, history lovers, and animal enthusiasts. Writers and Their Pets features a diverse list of both male and female international authors, from the 19th to the 21st century.

Before Amelia Earhart (1897-1939) became a world-famous pilot, she was a little tomboy from Kansas with a taste for adventure. When she visited an airfield and took a short plane ride, she knew she had to be a pilot. She signed up for flying lessons and cropped her hair short so that the other pilots would take her seriously. She became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1858, New York City was growing so fast that new roads and tall buildings threatened to swallow up the remaining open space. The people needed a green place to be - a park with ponds to row on and paths for wandering through trees and over bridges. When a citywide contest solicited plans for creating a park out of barren swampland, Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted put their heads together to create the winning design, and the hard work of making their plans a reality began.

Author Teri Kanefield examines the life of Americas famous suffragette, Susan B. Anthony. Anthony was born into a world in which men ruled women: A man could beat his wife, take her earnings, have her committed into an asylum based on his word, and take her children away from her. While the...

Dramatic, lyrical, and beautiful, O Captain, My Captain tells the story of one of America’s greatest poets and how he was inspired by one of America’s greatest presidents.  

Edith Schwalb’s story is remarkable not only for her own bravery, but for the bravery of those that helped her: an entire village, including its mayor and citizenry, heroically conspired to conceal the presence of hundreds of Jewish children who lived in the safe house. Hiding Edith details not only the amazing courage and struggles of one young girl, but the inspiring spirit of the people she met.

Anne Frank’s diary is a gift to the world because of Miep Gies. One of the protectors of the Frank family, Miep recovered the diary after the family was discovered by Nazis, and then returned it to Otto Frank after World War II. Displaced from her own home as a child during World War I, Miep had great empathy for Anne, and she found ways - like talking about Hollywood gossip and fashion trends - to engage her. The story of their relationship - and the impending danger to the family in hiding - unfolds in this unique perspective of Anne Frank’s widely known story.

Most people know about President FDR, but do you know the woman who created his groundbreaking New Deal? As a young girl, Frances Perkins was very shy and quiet. But her grandmother encouraged Frances to always challenge herself. When somebody opens a door to you, go forward. And so she did. In this empowering, inspirational biography, discover how the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet led the charge to create the safety net that protects American workers and their families to this day.

Anna Smith Strong (1790-1812) was a fearless woman who acted as a spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Recruited by Washington’s spymaster, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, she joined the Culper Ring, a group of American spies. General Washington placed a huge amount of trust in his spies, and Anna helped pass him important messages at great risk to herself and her family. One of her cleverer devices was to hang laundry on the line in a planned fashion so that other spies could read the "message".

Did you know that Muhammad Ali was so terrified of flying on planes that he would bring a parachute? Or that he won the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Bet you didn’t know that he had an official sweat-taster to determine how salty his sweat was after each match! Siblings Paige and Turner do - and they’ve collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about him, from his childhood and the spark of his boxing career through his time as heavyweight champion of the world.  

Bloomsbury presents Boy from Buchenwald by Robbie Waisman; Susan McClelland, read by Peter Berkrot. It was 1945 and Romek Wajsman had just been liberated from Buchenwald, a brutal concentration camp where more than 60,000 people were killed. He was starving, tortured, and had no idea where his...

Moe Berg is not a typical baseball player. He's Jewish - very unusual for the major leagues in the 1930s - has a law degree, speaks several languages, and loves traveling the world. He also happens to be a spy for the US government. When World War II begins, Moe trades his baseball career for a life of danger and secrecy. Using his unusual range of skills, he sneaks into enemy territory to gather crucial information that could help defeat the Nazis. But he also has plenty of secrets of his own...

This is a true story about Frances, age 9, who saw fairies by the waterfall behind her house. Nobody but Frances saw them, but when she told her cousin Elsie and their parents, the adults teased them. Why not take a photograph? Elsie (who was fifteen) had the idea. She would paint paper fairies and take their picture with Frances, and none would be the wiser. The girls never meant to fool the world. Who could have imagined that Elsie’s photograph would fall into the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes?

In January of 1963, Sharon Robinson turned 13 the night before George Wallace declared on national television "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" in his inauguration for governor of Alabama. That was the start of a year that would become one of the most pivotal years in the history of America. As the daughter of Jackie Robinson, Sharon had incredible access to some of the most important events of the era.

A deeply moving story about community and resilience, from the point-of-view of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks on September 11, from Eisner Award-nominated author-illustrator Sean Rubin. "A resonant, beautifully rendered testament to life and renewal." —Kirkus, starred review...

From a beloved voice in children’s literature comes this landmark memoir of hope amid harrowing times and an engaging and unusual Holocaust story. With backlist sales of over 2.3 million copies, Uri Shulevitz, one of FSG BYR’s most acclaimed picture-book creators, details the eight-year...

National Book Award finalist Elizabeth Partridge reveals the life and work of Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park, the United States Capitol building's landscape, and more. Nobody could get Frederick Law Olmsted to sit still. He was filled with energy, adventure, and dreams of...

An inspiring biography about the woman whose cooking helped feed and fund the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956. Georgia Gilmore was cooking when she heard the news Mrs. Rosa Parks had been arrested--pulled off a city bus and thrown in jail all because she wouldn't let a white man take her seat. To...

The empowering story of a real-life Rosie the Riveter who served as a Women Airforce Service Pilot. Dorothy Lucas yearned to discover all that she was capable of. After the devastating news of Pearl Harbor, her brothers joined the World War II war effort, but Dorothy wanted to do her part, too...