Emotions-Personal Issues Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions > determination/perseverance
Abraham's Battle
An ex-slave named Abraham, a young Confederate soldier, and a girl from Gettysburg meet in the cataclysmic days of the Civil War battle. Abraham meets Lincoln after the President gives his famous address.
Author: Banks, Sara Harrell |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry
The author is a historian who became interested in John Henry, a supposedly mythical ex-slave who outraced the steam engine in digging a tunnel through the side of the Allegheny Mountains. This book chronicles the author's efforts to find the truth about
Author: Nelson, Scott Reynolds |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Alia's Mission
This graphic storybook/graphic novel is based on the true story of the chief librarian at the Central Library in Basra, Iraq. It tells the story of how she tried to save the books from destruction during the Iraq War.
Author: Stamaty, Mark Alan |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - reading
|
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
Informative account of Amelia Earhart's life and death, separating fact from fiction. A leader in women's rights, Amelia was an independent woman who proved women could fly! But, could she have done it without male support? Bibliography and source notes
Author: Fleming,Candace |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Angels in the Dust
A poignant story of a family living in the Dust Bowl trying to make ends meet.
Author: Raven, Margot Theis |
HSE Descriptors:
science | social studies
|
Anne Frank
If you wonder why read another book on Anne Frank, look at this beautifully and realistically illustrated story that simply relates the political situation and gives the characters more three-dimensional personalities. A chronology in the end papers adds
Author: Poole, Josephine |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Anne Frank
If you wonder why read another book on Anne Frank, look at this beautifully and realistically illustrated story that simply relates the political situation and gives the characters more three-dimensional personalities. A chronology in the end papers adds
Author: Poole, Josephine |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Antarctica: Journeys to the South Pole
This non-fiction, photographic picture book tells the history of the Antarctic. The pictures are all accompanied by true stories of heroism and adventure.
Author: Myers, Walter Dean |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - writing | language arts - reading
|
Artist in Overalls
Born into a poor farming family in Iowa, Grant Wood struggled to study art and earn a living. He chose to paint simple people and scenes with a classical feel, a style that became known as Regionalism.
Author: Duggleby, John |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Ashfall
Alex, fifteen, was left alone in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the weekend while his father, mother and sister, traveled to Illinois to visit an uncle. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash and violenc
Author: Mullin, Mike |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | science | language arts - reading
|
Baseball Saved Us
A young boy in an internment camp finds baseball to be his saving grace, although his determination and spirit is what sees him through.
Author: Mochizuki, Ken |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Berenice Abbott, Photographer
The biography's subtitle "An Independent Vision" suggests the creativity, innovation, perservance that Berenice Abbot exhibited as she pursued the newly emerging field of photography and associated with the leading photographers of the 1920's and 1930's.
Author: Sullivan, George |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Big Annie of Calumet
Big Annie is the story of Annie Clemenc who led the miners' strike of 1913 in Calumet, Michigan against the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. The book contains many photographs of the strike and conditions in the mines and a brief overview of the Industri
Author: Stanley, Jerry |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Black and White Airmen: Their True Story
The history of airmen in WWII is told through the experiences of two men from Cincinnati, one African American and one Caucasian. Information about race relations at the time is woven throughout the narrative.
Author: Fleischman, John |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson
An interesting account of fightin' Black Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight of the world in 1910. The prejudicial issues of the era made this a monumental task. Bold words and bold color art combine to create a rhythmic text that captures the ener
Author: Smith, Charles R., Jr. |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Black Ships Before Troy
This beautifully illustrated book retells Homer's epic poem The Iliad about the Trojan War. A glossary of names is included.
Author: Sutcliff, Rosemary |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Black Whiteness
During the several months Admiral Richard Byrd spent alone in Antarctica in 1934, he nearly dies of carbon monoxide poisoning before he is rescued. The poetic language, line lengths, and diary excerpts give an intensity and truthfulness to the story.
Author: Burleigh, Robert |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | science
|
Bobbin Girl, The
Rebecca, a 10-year-old "bobbin girl" working in the textile factories in Lowell, Massachuesetts in the 1830's must decide if she will participate in the first workers' strike.
Author: McCully, Emily Arnold |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Bonyo Bonyo: The True Story of a Brave Boy from Kenya
Story of how a Kenyan boy sets a goal of becoming a doctor after his baby sister dies. He succeeds and is now a physician in Akron Ohio.
Author: Oelschlager, Vanita |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | language arts - writing | social studies | science
|
Boy Who Saved Cleveland, The
During a malarial epidemic in the late 18th century Cleveland, Ohio, ten-year-old Seth Doan surprises his family, his neighbors, and himself by having the strength to carry and grind enough corn to feed everyone.
Author: Giblin, James Cross |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
Author: Pinkney, Andrea |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation
Andrea and Brian Pinkney bring their considerable talents to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott in wonderfully poetic language and blues rhythms. An Author's Note gives more historical information.
Author: Pinkney, Andrea |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Brave Harriet
The story of Harriet Quimby, the first woman to earn a pilot's license and the first woman to fly across the English Channel, is told in the first person. An author's note adds historical facts.
Author: Moss, Marissa |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Bread and Roses, Too.
This is a fictionalized history of the 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts, factory strike. The main characters are two children, a girl whose family is active in the strike, and a homeless boy. Aspects of the strike itself and of outsiders' attempts to help the
Author: Paterson, Katherine |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Brothers In Hope
The author, who worked with the International Rescue Committee, tells the story of the "lost boys" of Sudan, orphaned by war, who walked to refuge in Ethiopia, and later to Kenya. The first person narrative and vibrant illustrations add immediacy to the
Author: Williams, Mary |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Bud, Not Buddy
It's 1936, Flint, Michigan, and 10-year-old Bud (not Buddy) has run away from foster care to search for his father. (Newbery winner)
Author: Curtis, Christopher Paul |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Butter Man, The
The father of a young child recalls a time of poverty and famine in Morocco. Written in descriptive language, this is a story within a story. Rich author's note and glossary help support this read to become a literary event. Folk art paintings by Julie
Author: Alalou, Elizabeth |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Carver
Personal and professional details of the life of George Washington Carver are told in poems from the perspectives of many people.
Author: Nelson, Marilyn |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | science
|
Cat with the Yellow Star, The: Coming of Age in Terezin
Ela Weissberger's life before, during, and after she and her family were forced to live in the Jewish ghetto of Terezin during WWII. Photographs reinforce Ela's memories of survival and hope.
Author: Rubin, Susan Goldman |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Champions on the Bench: The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
In 1955, the Cannon St YMCA's Little League team (from SC) cannot play in the Little League World Series because all-white teams refuse to play them. The story told in this book is based on these real events.
Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Champions on the Bench: The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
In 1955, the Cannon St YMCA's Little League team (from SC) cannot play in the Little League World Series because all-white teams refuse to play them. The story told in this book is based on these real events.
Author: Weatherford, Carole Boston |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Chanda's Secrets
Sixteen-year-old Chanda, who lives in a fictional sub-Saharan
country that is feeling the impact of HIV/AIDS psychologically(fears, lies, and sundered relationships)and socially (ostracism of tainted people, necessity of hiding), takes a courageous stand
Author: Stratton, Allan |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Children of the Great Depression
Freedman describes the impact of the Great Depression on the youth of that time. Topics include the struggles youth had staying in school and finding jobs and what youth did to help their families survive. Photographs by well known photographers accompany
Author: Freedman, Russell |
HSE Descriptors:
| social studies
|
Choices
George Ella Lyon, an accomplished writer of children's books, wrote this collection of stories (and its accompanying text, More Choices) specifically for adult new readers; in fact, she conferred with ABE students from Kentucky while creating the
Author: Lyon, George Ella |
|
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters
This story describes the customs used in both the plantation house and the slave quarters during the Christmas season during slavery years. The amount of detail--even recipes and songs are included--is unusual, and yet the book flows well and makes compe
Author: McKissack, Patricia & McKissack, Frederick |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Circle Unbroken
A young girl learns the tradition of making sweet grass baskets.
Author: Raven, Margot |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Copper Sun
Kidnapped from her African village, Amari survives the horrors of the ocean voyage and slavery at Derbyshire Farms before running away, heading south with an indentured servant and small slave boy. Amari's hope and perserverence help her and two others ma
Author: Draper, Sharon |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Daisy Bates: Civil Rights Crusader
Although she is best known for shepherding the "Little Rock Nine" through the dangers and stresses of the first school integration test, Daisy Bates pursued a life of community crusading despite obstacles and personal difficulties before and after Little
Author: Polakow, Amy |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Dandelions
As her family struggles to establish a sod home on the Nebraska prairie, Emma finds a way to cheer up her mother.
Author: Bunting, Eve |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Danger Along the Ohio
The Dunn family is traveling down the Ohio River in 1793. The children become separated from their father and must fend for themselves while heading toward Marietta.
Author: Willis, Patricia |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Darkness over Denmark
Written in the form of snippets of interviews, this book tells the stories of the Danish Resistance and the rescue of Jews in WW II. This is an important and inspiring story, which may be unknown to many.
Author: Levine, Ellen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Delicious: The Life & Art of Wayne Thiebaud
Illustrated with lush reproductions of his paintings, this biography of painter Wayne Theibaud recounting his long career and late fame, is a story of perseverance from outside the mainstream. Thiebaud paints "things that have been overlooked," like food,
Author: Rubin, Susan Goldman |
HSE Descriptors:
literature and arts
|
Delicious: The Life & Art of Wayne Thiebaud
Illustrated with lush reproductions of his paintings, this biography of painter Wayne Theibaud recounting his long career and late fame, is a story of perseverance from outside the mainstream. Thiebaud paints "things that have been overlooked," like food,
Author: Rubin, Susan Goldman |
HSE Descriptors:
literature and arts
|
Django: World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist
In descriptive, poetic, rhythmic (8 count meter per line as the rhythm of music) text the life story of Django Reinhardt is sketched for the reader. The illustrations offer a glimpse into the life of gypsies and the challenges this guitarist endured to be
Author: Christensen, Bonnie |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Django: World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist
In descriptive, poetic, rhythmic (8 count meter per line as the rhythm of music) text the life story of Django Reinhardt is sketched for the reader. The illustrations offer a glimpse into the life of gypsies and the challenges this guitarist endured to be
Author: Christensen, Bonnie |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Dolley Madison Saves George Washington
An easy-reading biography of Dolley Madison that focuses on her adult years, particularly as Jefferson's hostess in the White House and First Lady. Dolley Madison saved a large portrait of George Washington before the Brittish burned the White House.
Author: Brown, Don |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Don Quixote and the Windmills
This retelling of the famous Spanish novel by Cervantes recounts Don Quixote's first adventure as a knight. An Author's Note contributes historical information about Cervantes.
Author: Kimmel, Eric |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
This biography of John Wesley Powell, son of an Ohio abolitionist, a teacher who lead a group of the first exploration of the treacherous Colorado River in 1869--despite the loss of an arm in the Civil War. A timeline, bibliography, and an author's note
Author: Ray, Deborah Kogan |
HSE Descriptors:
science | social studies
|
Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
This biography of John Wesley Powell, son of an Ohio abolitionist, a teacher who lead a group of the first exploration of the treacherous Colorado River in 1869--despite the loss of an arm in the Civil War. A timeline, bibliography, and an author's note
Author: Ray, Deborah Kogan |
HSE Descriptors:
science | social studies
|
Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow
Illustrated with beautifully reproduced paintings in chronological order, this biography of the American artist Edward Hopper recounts his long, productive life, his marriage to artist Josephine Nivison, and his friendships with fellow artists Guy Pene du
Author: Rubin, Susan Goldman |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Eleanor
This biography of Eleanor Roosevelt's early life conveys the emotionally impoverished childhood amid wealth and power. The book captures the indomitable spirit of the woman who would become the greatest and most beloved First Lady and a leader in her own
Author: Cooney, Barbara |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Eleanor Roosevelt
Freedman relates this biography of Eleanor Roosevelt with the interest of suspense fiction which is accompanied by extensive archival photographs. The book traces her evolution from a shy young girl from an unhappy home to America's most acclaimed First
Author: Freedman, Russell |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Eleanor, Quiet No More
The author tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt's life simply, each phase emphasizing a quote of hers. In addition to lovely, soft illustrations, the author includes a timeline, selected bibliograph, and web sites.
Author: Rappaport, Doreen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Eleanor, Quiet No More
The author tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt's life simply, each phase emphasizing a quote of hers. In addition to lovely, soft illustrations, the author includes a timeline, selected bibliograph, and web sites.
Author: Rappaport, Doreen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Facing the Lion
Enhanced by a few, vivid color photos, this memoir recounts the Maasi childhood and first encounters with European and American culture of an American teacher who spends part of each year working in Kenya. An afterword brings the reader up to date with L
Author: Lekuton, Joseph |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Family Farm
Two children learn that their family is in danger of losing its farm. They devise a plan for saving it.
Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau, The
Whimsical biography of Henri Rousseau illustrated in his style of artwork. This book recounts the life of Henri Rousseau who began painting at the age of 41. Spare text written in lovely figurative language - "the flowers open their hearts" and "He holds
Author: Markel, Michelle |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - reading
|
Far Beyond the Garden Gate
Don Brown has written another intriguing book about an extraordinary woman, one who perservered in her desire to explore Tibet never seen by a Western woman. An author's note, a bibliography, and a map extend the possibilities of this beautifully illustr
Author: Brown, Don |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Fever 1793
This is a very compelling fictionalization of life for one teenaged girl, her family, and her friends during the yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia in 1793.
Author: Anderson, Laurie Halse |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Find Where the Wind Goes
This is an autobiography of Mae Jemison, the first woman of color to become an astronaut. She uses the metaphor of "wind" to describe events from her life.
Author: Jemison, Mae |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - writing
|
Finding Fish
This is the autobiography of Antwone Fisher (basis for a movie made by Denzel Washington). Antwone's childhood was filled with emotional and physical abuse. He found a way to overcome this difficult beginning.
Finding Lincoln
Louis needs to write an essay but in Alabama in 1951, he's not allowed in the "whites only" library. Lewis solves his dilemma with bravery and the help of a kind librarian. Historical notes are included at the end of the story.
Author: Malaspina, Ann |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Finding Lincoln
Louis needs to write an essay but in Alabama in 1951, he's not allowed in the "whites only" library. Lewis solves his dilemma with bravery and the help of a kind librarian. Historical notes are included at the end of the story.
Author: Malaspina, Ann |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
First in the Field: Baseball Hero Jackie Robinson
This biography of Jackie Robinson, which focuses on his life until he retired from professional baseball, is accompanied by photographs. A timeline that notes African American sports milestones concludes the book.
Author: Dingle, Derek T. |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
First Part Last, The
[revised from dust jacket] Bobby is a classic urban teenaged boy-- impulsive, eager, restless. On his 16th birthday, he learns that his girlfriend Nia is pregnant. Their lives change dramatically, both during the pregnancy and after baby Feather is born.
Fish
The story of the difficult and dangerous journey a family must make out of a country hit with drought and civil unrest. The story is told from the point of view of the family's youngest member who decides to take a live fish on the journey.
Author: Matthews, L. S. |
HSE Descriptors:
literature and arts | social studies
|
Flight
This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Lindbergh's daring flight over the Atlantic in 1927. It opens with a brief historical note by author Jean Fritz.
Author: Burleigh, Robert |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Fly High!
This is an illustrated biography of Bessie Coleman, whose interest in aviation and desire "to be somebody" led her to become the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license.
Author: Borden, Louise & Kroeger, Mary Kay |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Peg Leg Joe travels from plantation to plantation teaching slaves the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd," which conceals directions for the route north to freedom. The book follows one slave family as they are directed north to the Underground Railroad and
Author: Winter, Jeanette |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Forbidden Schoolhouse
With the help of her family and a few powerful friends, Prudence Crandall began a school for African-American girls in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1833 despite boycotts, vandalism, and legal battles. An appendix provides historical research on the student
Author: Jurmain, Suzanne |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Freedom Rides: Journey for Justice
These are stories about the Freedom Riders during the early years of the Civil Rights movement. The detail and "human" perspective provided goes well beyond most written descriptions. This is an engaging account of the actions of incredibly brave heroes.
Author: Haskins, James |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Girl Wonder
This is a very simple retelling of part of Alta Weiss's childhood. Alta pitched for the Vermillion (OH) Independents, a semi-pro baseball team, in 1907.
Author: Hopkinson, Deborah |
|
Glass Castle, The: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls' memoir of her dysfunctional but vibrant family and the resilience and loyalty they exhibited.
Glass Castle, The: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls' memoir of her dysfunctional but vibrant family and the resilience and loyalty they exhibited.
Gutenberg
This black and white picture book tells the story of Johann Gutenberg, creator of the printing press. It includes a map, time line, and afterword.
Author: Fisher, Leonard Everett |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Hana's Suitcase
When a suitcase with Hana Brady's name on it arrives at the Toyko Children's Holocaust Education Center, the children have many question about who Hana might have been. In an effort to answer those questions, Fumiko Ishioka, the center's curator, begins a
Author: Levine, Karen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Heart of a Champion, The
These are short biographies of sports figures who have been featured on Wheaties boxes over the years. Subsections, organized by traits that contribute to success (commitment, grace, courage, team effort, and perseverance) are preceded by short essays abo
Henry's Freedom Box
This simply written picture book tells the true story of Henry Brown, a runaway slave who escaped to freedom by mailing himself in a crate.
Author: Levine, Ellen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Holes
This story-within-a-story tells of Stanley Yelnats (and his distant relatives, one of whom "cursed" the family), mistakenly sent to a juvenile corrections camp in Texas. At the corrections camp, Stanley finds a real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of
I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This
A moving story of the friendship between two motherless 12-year-old girls--one black and one white--presents issues of racial prejudice, poverty, and child abuse.
Author: Woodson, Jacqueline |
|
I Remember Korea
This collection of poignant and gripping memories of Korean War veterans includes archival photographs, a timeline, and Internet sites.
Author: Granfield, Linda |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - writing
|
Invention of Hugo Cabret, The
Part fiction, part graphic novel, this winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal tells the story of an orphaned boy who maintains and repairs clocks in a Paris train station and discovers the history of an automaton and its maker. When he meets a mysterious toy
Author: Selznick, Brian |
HSE Descriptors:
science | social studies
|
Joan of Arc
The author weaves together historical fact and fiction in the story of a modern French girl who idolizes Joan of Arc. An historical map and beautiful illustrations enhance the stories.
Author: Morpurgo, Michael |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
John Henry
This beautifully illustrated, award-winning book tells the tale of the ex-slave John Henry who outraced the steam engine in digging a tunnel through the side of the Allegheny Mountains. The book begins with introductory notes from both Julius Lester and
John Muir: America's First Environmentalist
From a work-filled childhood as an immigrant from Scotland, self-taught John Muir worked to study and save the wilderness he loved, resulting in the first protected National Park at Yosemite and the founding of the Sierra Club for conservation. The autho
Author: Lasky, Kathryn |
HSE Descriptors:
science
|
Jump at de Sun
This interesting biography of the author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston emphasizes her unique celebration of black life and language at the turn of the century when such topics were unpopular. Her niece wrote the introduction.
Author: Porter, A. P. |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Keep on Singing
The story of the life of the singer Marian Anderson is told in ballad form. The author's notes at the end of the book include additional biographical information.
Author: Livingston, Myra Cohn |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Langston Hughes
This well written and engaging biography is accompanied by many of Hughes's poems, some of his other writing, and intriguing illustrations. Especially interesting for Ohio readers is the focus on his life in Cleveland and the influence of Karamu House.
Author: Meltzer, Milton |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Leonardo's Horse
Contemporary sculptors completed the horse that Leonardo da Vinci began but never finished.
Author: Fritz, Jean |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Long Walk to Water, A
When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva D
Author: Park, Linda Sue |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Long Way Gone, A: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
The story of a Sierra Leonian boy who at age 12 was recruited and forced into being a gun toting, drug crazed soldier and then learned how to live with what he had done after going through a UNICEF rehabilitation program.
Author: Beah, Ishmael |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Lost: A Story in String
Using string figures, a grandmother tells a story of the uses of imagination and resourcefulness. Beautiful black-and-white clayboard and ink illustrations and clear diagrams and resources encourage readers to try the string figures.
Mansa Musa
A beautifully illustrated story of the quest for identity of a descendent of Sundiata, the famous king of Mali in Central Africa. The author's note describes her research and lists resources. The Dillons provide ethnic design motifs,an historical map, a
Author: Burns, Khephra |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Maria De Sautuola: The Bulls in the Cave
The scientific world did not accept until 1902 the discovery of prehistoric cave painting in Altamira, Spain, which was discovered by 9-year-old Maria De Sautuola in 1879.
Author: Fradin, Dennis |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American GIrl
Based on an unpublished memoir, this picture book tells the story of daily life for a middle-class African American girl in New York in the 19th century. Maps and photographs illustrate the story.
Author: Bolden, Tonya |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Marvelous Mattie
Based on the life of Margaret E. Knight, the book portrays an imaginative girl who overcomes the barriers of poverty and sexism to become an inventor of over 90 inventions with 22 patents. The author's note gives more biographical information while paten
Author: McCully, Emily |
HSE Descriptors:
science
|
Mary Smith
Before the advent of alarm clocks, Mary Smith's job was to wake the workers of her village with her trusty peashooter.
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
This is the first of two volumes about the experiences of the author's parents in the Nazi concentration camps during WWII. The author depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats in his illustrations.
Author: Spiegelman, Art |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale
A powerful graphic novel about a father who survived the Nazi concentration camps and his son in which Jews are depicted as mice and Nazis as cats. The story jumps back and forth between the present life in the Catskills and the past life in the camps.
Author: Spiegelman, Art |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Minty
Long before her years as leader in the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, nicknamed Minty, was a strong-willed child who dreamed of running away while suffering the brutalities of slavery. Old Ben taught her survival skills that she would need later.
Author: Schroeder, Alan |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel
When offered a choice between a ceramic clock and a shovel as a gift before leaving for America, Bridie chooses the latter and uses it throughout her resourceful life.
Molly Bannaky
This is a biography of the grandmother of the famous mathematician, Banjamin Banneker, who came to America in 1683 as an indentured servant and married her freed slave. The author includes an historical note.
Author: McGill, Alice |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Mud City
Shauzia, with her dog, has fled Afghanistan and survives on the streets of Peshawar, Pakistan, and in a refugee camp. This is the second part of a trilogy.
Author: Ellis, Deborah |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
My Brothers' Flying Machine
This biography of Wilber and Orville Wright is told by their younger sister.
Author: Yolen, Jane |
HSE Descriptors:
science
|
My Name is Georgia
This simple biography of Georgia O'Keefe describes how she was true to her life-long goal of being an artist and how she gained inspiration for her paintings from the natural world around her.
Author: Winter, Jeanette |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
My Secret Camera
As a young man in the Lodz Ghetto in Poland, Mendel Grossman, secretly took hundreds of photographs to document the miserable life of the people in the ghetto and their struggles for survival. Simple text accompanies the photographs.
Author: Smith, Frank Dabba |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
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Nation's Hope, A
An "elegant and powerful picture book biography which centers around the historic fight" of Joe Louis during WWII, where prejudice was set aside. The illustrations and historical tidbits add to this story of an unforgettable legend.
Author: De La Pena, Matt |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
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Nightjohn
An escaped slave returns to the South to teach others how to read. This 92-page book is very bleak, and the violence is quite graphic.
Author: Paulsen, Gary |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
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Nikola Tesla
This biography of little-known scientist Nikola Tesla recounts his life and work on harnessing and advocating for alternating-current electricity with its many engineering applications that we take for granted. Archival photographs illustrate the text.
Author: Dommermuth-Costa, Carol |
HSE Descriptors:
science
|
Ninth Ward
This is a powerful reenactment of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and how it affected the poor section of the ninth ward. The hurricane and subsequent levee failure come to life through the eyes of a twelve year old special girl. The voi
Author: Rhodes, Jewell Parker |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies | science
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No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War
A touching recounting of a Jewish child's survival in Nazi Poland. Hidden with her Catholic nanny, Anita and her younger brother are hidden for years but are eventually caught and imprisoned. After freedom, they are both sent to a sanatorium for tubercul
Author: Lobel, Anita |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
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Now Let Me Fly
This book gives a fictional account of Minna, a young African girl, taken from her homeland and sold into slavery. The epilogue carries the story forward to the Emancipation Declaration.
Author: Johnson, Dolores |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
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Old African, The
a beautifully told and illustrated story that, according to the dust jacket, is "based on legend." The Old African has magical powers. This is the story of his capture and enslavement as a young man and ultimately, his plan to free his fellow slaves.
Author: Lester, Julius |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
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One More River to Cross
This is a photographic chronicle of African American life. The text is very simple. The photos are very powerful. The author includes an index of the photos.
Author: Myers, Walter Dean |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
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Over the Top of the World
The main text is a diary of explorer Will Steger's expedition (1994) from Russia to Canada by way of the North Pole. Pictures from the expedition accompany the text, and sidebars provide additional information about the Arctic.
Author: Steger, Will |
HSE Descriptors:
science | social studies
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Painting the Wind
This "is a beautiful story about holding on to perfect moments that only a summer in a place that you love can offer" (dust jacket).
Author: MacLachlan, Patricia & MacLachlan, Emily |
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Parvana's Journey
Disguised as a boy, Parvana rescues a baby and joins with a young boy as she travels through war-torn Afghanistan searching for her family. The telling of the story through the child's perspective allows the reader to approach a sensitive current event an
Author: Ellis, Deborah |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Pick and Shovel Poet
This moving biography recounts the life of Italian immigrant poet Pascal D'Angelo. The author includes some of D'Angelo's poems as well as archival photos of immigrant life, an extensive bibliography and an index.
Author: Murphy, Jim |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Picture Book of Anne Frank, A
This picture book retells the familiar story made famous by the The Diary of Anne Frank of a young Jewish girl who goes into hiding with her family in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation in World War II. Although the book includes a few quotati
Author: Adler, David |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Queen of the Falls
An engaging story about the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel - a 63 year old school teacher. Van Allsburg combines sepia toned illustrations with a smooth and flowing text while using tension to hold the reader's interest.
Author: Van Allsburg, Chris |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
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Ray Charles
In a beautiful reprint of a 1973 book, the author tells the story of the legendary blind musician Ray Charles. An Afterword updates the earlier version.
Author: Mathis, Sharon |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
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Razia's Ray of Hope
This is a fictional story about the a young girl in Afghanistan who wants to attend school and the building of the first school for girls in that country.Tolerance and determination are key themes.
Author: Suneby, Elizabeth |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
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Remember
Spare text and very moving photographs recount times surrounding Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation from the perspective of children.
Author: Morrison, Toni |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange
This biography of photographer Dorthea Lange contains many of her photographs. Lange photographed and helped raise awareness of the poor conditions of the migrant workers during the Depression.
Author: Partridge, Ellizabeth |
HSE Descriptors:
literature and arts | social studies
|
Richard Wright and the Library Card
This is a 'slice of life' biography about the author Richard Wright set in his late adolescence/ young adulthood. Events deal with discrimination, Richard's discovery of literature, and how he decided to become an author.
Author: Miller, William |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Roses in My Carpet, The
This story of a young refugee boy from Afghanistan was inspired by a real child. The boy lives in a refugee camp and weaves rugs.
Author: Khan, Rukhsana |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Royal Bee, The
A poor boy from Korea desperately wants an education. He listens outside the school door for awhile and is eventually allowed to attend school to prepare for The Royal Bee, a national test of students' knowledge.
Author: Park, Frances, & Park, Ginger |
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Run Far, Run Fast
When a mother tells a young girl in 14th C Europe to "run far, run fast" to escape the pestilence, the girl discovers that she cannot outrun the plague but is helped by a friendly man. The exquisite pen and ink drawings are integral to the story. The on
Author: Decker, Timothy |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Run Far, Run Fast
When a mother tells a young girl in 14th C Europe to "run far, run fast" to escape the pestilence, the girl discovers that she cannot outrun the plague but is helped by a friendly man. The exquisite pen and ink drawings are integral to the story. The on
Author: Decker, Timothy |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Runaway Girl: The Artist Louise Bourgeois
This biography of Louise Bourgeois traces the influences of her childhood in France and her independent development as a woman artist later in the U.S. The book includes beautiful reproductions of her work and numerous back pages for further exploration.
Author: Greenberg & Jordan, Sandra |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - writing | social studies
|
Ruth Law Thrills a Nation
The author recounts in easy text and wondrful watercolor illustrations the 1919 flight of Ruth Law from Chicago to New York.
Author: Don Brown |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - writing
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Safekeeping
Radley returns home to Vermont from a volunteer stay in Haiti to complete chaos. She begins a long trek to try to find her parents and some sense of normalcy in a country becoming completely dysfunctional.The underling message is articulated, as a vision
Author: Hesse, Karen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - reading | language arts - writing
|
Same Stuff as Stars, The
Angel and her little brother Bernie are dropped off at their great-grandma's house. Dad is in jail, and mom is an alcoholic and selfishly unable to be a mother. Together, the new family learns to live together in the crumbling Vermont farmhouse.
Author: Paterson, Katherine |
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Sarney
A sequel to Nightjohn, the book follows the life of Sarny, the slave girl that Nightjohn taught to read, as she travels to New Orleans in the aftermath of the Civil War to find her children who had been sold into slavery.
Author: Paulsen, Gary |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Sees Behind Trees
A blind Native American boy learns to "see behind trees", guided by his mother, to use his other senses. He uses his gift to help an old warrior find a land of mystery and beauty that he'd discovered years ago, and could not find again himself.
Author: Dorris, Michael |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
shadow spinner
1
Author: fletcher, susan |
HSE Descriptors:
literature and arts | literature and arts | literature and arts | literature and arts | literature and arts
|
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
On an expedition to cross Antarctica, Ernest Shackleton and his crew lost their ship in the ice flow. Shackleton and five others left in small boats to get help. This is a higher reading level version of Spirit of Endurance by the same author.
Author: Armstrong, Jennifer |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Silent Thunder: A Civil War Story
The book is set on a Virginia plantation in 1862. Eleven-year-old Summer and her older brother Rosco live with their mother on the Parnell Plantation as talk of President Lincoln's coming proclamation to free slaves reaches the community. Each of the mai
Author: Pinkney, Andrea Davis |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
Faced with discrimination for being Korean-American in the 1930s did not deter Sammy Lee from wanting to become an Olympic diver - a dream he realized with great determination.
Author: Yoo, Paula |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
Faced with discrimination for being Korean-American in the 1930s did not deter Sammy Lee from wanting to become an Olympic diver - a dream he realized with great determination.
Author: Yoo, Paula |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Sky Pioneer
This biography of American aviatrix Amelia Earhart traces her interest in aviation from childhood to her disappearance on a round-the-world flight in 1937. Photographs, journal entries, maps, a chronology, an afterword, a bibliography, and an index sugge
Author: Szabo, Corinne |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Snowflake Bentley
This is a biography of Wilson Bentley, a scientist who photographed thousands of snowflakes in order to study their formations. Additional information is presented in sidebars throughout the book.
Author: Martin, Jacqueline Briggs |
HSE Descriptors:
science
|
Something out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radiation
This is a very readable biography of Marie Curie and her discovery of radiation.
Author: McClafferty, Carla |
HSE Descriptors:
science
|
Sorrow's Kitchen: The Life and Folklore of ZN Hurston
Part of the Great Achievers series, this book chronicles the life and writings of Zora Neale Hurston, the important African-American writer of the first-half of this century. The book is 121 pages and contains lots of photographs. The author has woven c
Author: Lyons, Mary E. |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | language arts - reading
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Spirit of Endurance
The book employs maps, archival photographs, blueprints, and paintings to tell the exciting story of Ernest Shackleton's rescue of his men on his expedition in Antarctica when their boat, The Endurance, was destroyed in an ice floe. The author includes a
Author: Armstrong, Jennifer |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Starting Home
The full title of this book is Starting Home: The Story of Horace Pippin, Painter. Lyons tells the story of Pippin, an African-American painter, with a style that makes compelling reading. The book chronicles the effect of history and the impac
Author: Lyons, Mary |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Steamboat! The Story of Captain Blanche Leathers
The story of Blanche Leathers, the country's first female steamboat captain, sailing on the Mississippi River.
Author: Gilliland, Judith Heide |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Stone Lamp, The
This book of poems and accounts gives a personal and historical perspective of the meaning of lighting the Menorah lamps representing the eight nights of Hanukkah. The author tells in prose and poetry of real events from 1190 to 1995. Brian Pinkney's vi
Author: Hesse, Karen |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Strongest Man in the World, The: Louis Cyr
The text of this book goes far beyond just being the biography of a famous 20th century strong man, Louis Cyr. It is a description of early health mores and an evolution of the circus concept. Additionally, we learn a little about the other famous circus
Author: Debon, Nicolas |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Sweethearts of Rhythm: The story of the greatest all-girl swing band in the world
The 16-member, all-woman, racially diverse swing band The International Sweethearts of Rhythm from the war years of the 1940's are brought to life by the idiomatic speech and rhythms of Nelson's poetry and by Pinkney's vibrant illlustrations. The individ
Author: Nelson, Marilyn |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics
This account of Olympics and Olympians through the years is stunningly illustrated with photographs that capture the action and emotion of the events. An appendix of rich detail includes a map and statistics.
Author: Macy, Sue |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving
After years of lobbying, Sarah Hale, an editor and writer, won the battle to have Thanksgiving declared a national holiday. Back matter includes historical and biographical information. Adults may find the tone of voice and some illustrations childish a
Author: Anderson, Laurie Halse |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
There Comes a Time
This book, winner of the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, chronicles the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. The book begins with slave trading and ends with the "Black Power" movement of the late 1960's. A timeline, bibliography, and index are included.
Author: Meltzer, Milton |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
They Called Her Molly Pitcher
This is an historical/legendary account of Molly "Pitcher" Hays McCauly, who followed her husband to fight in the Revolutionary War and was made a sergeant by General Washington for her courage and bravery. A biography and timeline accompany the colorful
Author: Rockwell, Anne |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt
The book depicts T. Roosevelt's life from youth to death. It explains his marriages, children, passions and accomplishments as a politician and conservationist. Full color illustrations and direct quotes help bring the story of Teddy Roosevelt to life.
Author: Rappaport, Doreen |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
To Fly
In short 2-3 page chapers with delightful watercolor illustrations, the narrative traces the Wright bothers' step-by-step evolution as aviation engineers. The author provides a timeline, a bibliography, notes, and an index.
Author: Old, Wendie |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies | science
|
Toussaint L'Ouverture
The author wrote the biography of Haiti's hero, Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the fight for liberation from France and Spain, to accompany Jacob Lawrence's paintings.
Author: Myers, Walter Dean |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Trapped:How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert
An in-depth recounting of the collapse of a Chilean copper mine in 2010 that entombed 33 miners for 69 days, their heroic struggle to survive and the efforts of those who saved them. The book is riveting in detail and even inspirational. Book contains ex
Author: Aronson, Marc |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | language arts - writing | science
|
Trial By Ice
Illustrated by archival photographs, this biography recounts the life and expeditions of Ernest Shackleton in his attempts to reach the South Pole (he never did). He is nonetheless revered for his leadership, optimism, and courage. Teachers will find th
Author: Kostyal, K. M. |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Trouble Don't Last
This is the story of 11-year-old Samuel and "cranky old Harrison," who leave the Kentucky farm where they are slaves and head north to freedom, encountering non-stereotypical members of trhe Underground Railroad. The author is the historian at Hale Farm a
Author: Pearsall, Shelley |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Twelve Rounds to Glory
This biographical tribute told in rap-inspired verse captures the life of the "Louisville Loudmouth" who was in so many respects the "Greatest of all Time." This amazing account of Muhammed Ali's life is told in twelve chapters, like a 12 round boxing mat
Author: Smith, Charles |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - writing | language arts - reading
|
Uncommon Traveler
Mary Kingsley, who grew up in Victorian England, isolated, without formal education but with her Father's library, made trips to explore West Africa, where she accomplished many firsts and survived many adventures. The beautiful watercolor illustrations,
Author: Brown, Don |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys
This is a recounting of a true family story about Virgie, who wants to go to school with her big brothers, despite her young age, the fact that girls were thought not to need an education, and the distance she must travel (7 miles).
Author: Howard, Elizabeth |
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Voice from the Wilderness, A
Four-year-old Anna Howard Shaw arrived in the U.S in 1851, lived as a pioneer in Michigan, became a teacher, a minister, a doctor, and worked for women's right to vote before her death in 1919.
Author: Brown, Don |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Wake Up Our Souls
Well-written biographies and stunning reproductions of the work of approximately 30 African American artists introduce us to painters, photographers, and mixed-media artists born between 1830 and the present. The design makes the book beautiful and the e
Author: Bolden, Tonya |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading
|
Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa
The true story of how Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan educated in the USA, started a movement to replant trees in Kenya, one seedling at a time. Wangari won the Nobel Peace Prize for replenishing of the forests in her country.
Author: Winter, Jeanette |
HSE Descriptors:
science | social studies
|
Washington at Valley Forge
In Freedman's inimitable style, he captures the grit and triumphs over the lack of provisions for General Washington's winter encampment at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War. Excellent and unfamiliar paintings of Washington accompany the text. Th
Author: Freedman, Russell |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin's biography not only emphasizes his well-known role as advisor and organizer to leadership in the Civil Rights Movement but expands our view with his activities as speaker, singer, actor, artist, and non-violent activist. This biography pro
Author: Brimner, Larry Dane |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball
This book is about the beginnings and history of Negro League Baseball. The accomplishments of many of the better players are described. Paintings of the players are included. There is a bibliography and filmography at the end of the book.
Author: Nelson, Kadir |
HSE Descriptors:
| social studies
|
Well, The
Set in Mississippi in the early 1900's, African American David Logan and his family share their well with blacks and whites in their community which leads to racial violence.
We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March
Tells the story of the Birmingham Children's March through four participants. As the events unfold, the different perspectives and motivations of the participants shed light on the dynamics of the civil rights movement. In addition to the personal stori
Author: Levinson, Cynthia |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
|
When Harriet Met Sojourner
The author imagines the meeting of two brave activists for the freeing of slaves --Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman when they were in Boston in 1864. The story is told with the aid of very powerful artwork.
Author: Clinton, Catherine |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
When Marian Sang
This book is an introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, depicting her music, her inspiration, and her struggles as a singer against segregation .
Author: Ryan, Pam Munoz |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies
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When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders
This book features 17 figures who fought against injustice and oppression all over the world. Against overwhelming odds and heartbreaking loss, they stood, they hoped, they spoke! These well and lesser known leaders are portrayed in poetry as heroes who h
Author: Lewis, J. Patrick |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies | language arts - writing
|
Women of Hope
The author wrote essays on thirteen African American women to accompany photographs of the Bread and Roses Cultural Project. The essays feature inspiring women who exhibited courage in overcoming barriers of race and gender in fighting for rights we all
Author: Hansen, Joyce |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Yellowstone Moran:Painting the American West
A true story of how Tom Moran traded his city environs for a chance to join a scientific expedition to Yellowstone and record the wonders in his paintings. The author researched letters and journals of the famous Hayden expedition into Yellowstone Nationa
Author: Judge, Lita |
HSE Descriptors:
language arts - reading | social studies | language arts - writing
|
Young Teddy Roosevelt
A biography of the life of Theodore Roosevelt up to the time of his presidency has illustrations that are as interesting as the well-written text.
Author: Harness, Cheryl |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
|
Zlata's Diary
Eleven-year old Zlata keeps a diary during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992-93. The first part of the diary has insights about a child living her life in war torn Sarajevo, the second part becomes tedious and repetitive.
Author: Filipovic, Zlata |
HSE Descriptors:
social studies
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