Dogs may be our best friends, but sometimes animals can be our worst enemies. Learn about the bizarre ways four people were beaten by beasts. This engaging hi-lo book draws in 4th and 5th grade readers with wild content while a 1st to 2nd grade reading level makes the information accessible. It's a roaring good time!

The people of the past lived in strange ways, and some died under equally odd circumstances. Learn about the bizarre mistakes that became moral for four unlucky individuals. This engaging hi-lo book draws in 4th and 5th grade readers with wild content while a 1st to 2nd grade reading level makes the information accessible. It's a roaring good time!

The Samurai may have been the rock stars of the warrior class in medieval Japan, but the Ninjas were the secret agents. Known also as shinobi, which means "to steal away," Ninjas kept to the shadows and practiced espionage for their clan leaders. This exciting book details the history and skills of these stealthy, farming-class saboteurs who were masters of 18 warrior skills, including the martial art ninjutsu.

From the award-winning author of Before She Was Harriet comes another work of lyrical beauty, the story of Henry David Thoreau and businessman Frederic Tudor—and a changing world. Thoreau and Tudor could not have been more different from each other. Yet both shared the bounties of Walden Pond and would change the course of history through their writings and innovations. This study in opposites contrasts the austere philosopher with the consummate capitalist (whose innovations would change commercial ice harvesting and home refrigerators) to show how two seemingly conflicting American legacies could be built side by side. Oddball/ tax dodger/ nature lover/ dreamer/ That’s what they called/ Thoreau. Bankrupt/ disgrace/ good for nothing/ dreamer/ That’s what they called/ Tudor. Celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome takes her magnificent talent for research and detail to plumb the depths of these two history-makers. The graceful text is paired with Ashley Benham-Yazdani’s period accurate watercolor and pencil artwork. In winter, readers see Tudor’s men sawing through the ice, the workhorses dragging the ice, and Thoreau observing it all; in spring, summer, and fall, the ice continues its journey across the globe with Thoreau and Tudor writing and reflecting in their respective diaries. An Author’s Note, which explores how Thoreau’s writings influenced such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Frost, and Mohandas Gandhi, is included.

In On This Day in Black History, kids who love facts and trivia will spends hours poring over nearly 400 pages of milestones in Black sports, music, art, history, politics, and more, all neatly arranged by day of the year.

The images stitched into Hannah's quilt lead to secret signposts on the Underground Railroad as she and her father take flight from slavery on a perilous path to freedom. Now that Hannah’s papa has decided to make the run for freedom, her patchwork quilt is not just a precious memento of Mama — it’s a series of hidden clues that will guide them along the Underground Railroad to Canada. A fictionalized account of a fascinating oral history, THE PATCHWORK PATH tells the story of a two of the thousands who escaped a life of slavery and made the dangerous journey to freedom — a story of courage, determination, and hope. - A Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights Outstanding Book, Honorable Mention - An Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner

From an award-winning author comes a vivid depiction of an act of war from opposing sides of the conflict in World War II--and a rare reconciliation and wish for peace that evolved years later. Adults wage war, while children are unwitting victims, pulled into a maelstrom of fear and hate without any choice. This is a story about two groups of teenagers on opposite sides of the world, forever connected by an act of war. It is a story about the adults some of those teens became, forever connected by acts of forgiveness, understanding, and peace. And it is a story about one remarkable man, whose heart belonged both to America and Japan, who put that peace and understanding in motion. Panning the camera wide, Tanya Lee Stone lays the global groundwork for the story's context before zooming in on the lives of the people involved, providing an intimate look at how their changing perspectives impact their actions. Through meticulous research, interviews, and archival photo curation, Stone skillfully weaves all of these stories together, illuminating how, despite the devastating pain and destruction caused by war, peace can be a chain reaction. Extensive back matter includes an author's note, source notes, bibliography, and index.

A humorous guide to a pirate’s life on the high seas, packed with intriguing historical detail that no self-respecting sea-dog should leave port without With The Usborne Official Pirate's Handbook, young landlubbers can become the fiercest of pirates by finding out how to keep their ship in tip-top shape, the best way to settle an argument with a shipmate, and how to survive a storm at sea. This book reveals the true nature of piracy to be more fascinating than the myths of peg legs, eye patches, and parrots.

"A Place Called America takes the long view of the land's history from its earliest formation and inhabitants up through today. Meet those indigenous to the deserts, prairies, forests, and shores of the land called Turtle Island and their relatives who contributed to World War II and whose ideas founded the basis of the Constitution. Meet immigrant communities, who came to the land from all around the world-at different times and against all odds, such as staunch United States immigration policy. And meet enslaved ancestors who were brought to the land against their will and whose labor and experience changed the story forever. Expert picture book maker Jennifer Thermes deftly weaves the threads of these communities' narratives together, while giving each the spotlight they deserve-using the land itself as a unifying lens. Illustrated with dazzling maps, A Place Called America is a visual delight. It is an info-packed read, with sidebars, an author's note, and a timeline supplementing the accessible text. A Place Called America will challenge its readers to think critically about the stories we tend to take for granted about our own history"--

Smallpox! Rabies! Black Death! Throughout history humankind has been plagued by . . . well, by plagues. The symptoms of these diseases were gruesome--but the remedies were even worse. Get to know the ickiest illnesses that have infected humans and affected civilizations through the ages. Each chapter explores the story of a disease, including the scary symptoms, kooky cures, and brilliant breakthroughs that it spawned.