It's 1942: Tomi Itano, 12, is a second-generation Japanese American who lives in California with her family on their strawberry farm. Although her parents came from Japan and her grandparents still live there, Tomi considers herself an American. She doesn't speak Japanese and has never been to Japan. But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, things change. No Japs Allowed signs hang in store windows and Tomi's family is ostracized. Things get much worse. Suspected as a spy, Tomi's father is taken away. The rest of the Itano family is sent to an internment camp in Colorado. Many other Japanese American families face a similar fate. Tomi becomes bitter, wondering how her country could treat her and her family like the enemy. What does she need to do to prove she is an honorable American? Sandra Dallas shines a light on a dark period of American history in this story of a young Japanese American girl caught up in the prejudices and World War II.
The great Gitchee Manitou has sent Nanabush the Giant Hare to the new north country to give the first animals their names and special markings. But trickster that he is, Nanabush prefers to play silly games. When Ahmik the Giant Beaver lures Nanabush into a chase across the newly formed land and water, their game etches out a beautiful wonderland of islands and ponds and lakes. Readers young and old will enjoy the legend behind the creation of the state whose very name Wisk-on-sin means "place of the beaver."
Each paperback in this series features a trio of fictional stories highlighting a moment in American history. Troubled Times contains three stories focusing on the Great Depression. In The Lucky Star a girl helps her sister and other children learn to read when their school is closed. Rudy Rides the Rails features a boy living the hobo life. In Junk Man's Daughter, a family struggles after moving to the United States.
In June of 1939, the United States played host to two very special guests. British monarchs King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were coming to America. As it was the first visit ever by reigning British royalty, it was a chance for America to build a stronger relationship with the British, especially in those challenging times. On the domestic side, many people didn't have jobs, housing, or food. Internationally, Adolf Hitler, Germany's leader, was threatening the countries around him and war loomed on the horizon. But First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt saw the visit as an opportunity for America to set aside its cares for a while and extend a warm welcome and hand of friendship to the royal guests. As part of the festivities, Eleanor hosts an all-American picnic that includes hot dogs, a menu item that shocks some people.
Ten-year-old Dandi (affectionately called "Dan" by family and friends) lives and breathes baseball. She may not be a fence buster but she can "hit 'em where they ain't" in the neighborhood pick-up games. The boys know she's a contender. And there's no bigger fan of the 1961 Kansas City A's. So when Charlie Finley, the A's new owner, announces an essay contest to get batboys, there's no doubt Dandi will enter the contest. Dandi not only enters the contest--her essay wins! However, her joy is short-lived when the contest officials enforce the For Boys Only rule. Long before the boundary-breaking ruling of Title IX, young women across the country used grit and determination to prove that barriers of gender have no place on a level playing field.
To nine-year-old Willie Powell, there was no prettier sight than the smooth grass lawns of Edgewater Golf Cource. He had been so eager to see them that he'd run seven miles to where the course was situated outside of town. But his elation didn't last. When he asked two golfers if they'd teach him the game, one man responded by saying, 'Son, didn't anyone ever tell you that your kind is not welcome here?' In the 1920's there was no place for Willie, or any black person, on a golf cource. It was a game for white people only, at least in America. But his enthusiasm for golf and his belief in what he knew to be right drove Willie Powell to change that, and to change minds.
Even before they immigrate to America, Hanna and her family dream of the new life they will have there. "You will see, Hanna," Papa said. "There are streets of gold." But when they arrive, they find life very different from what they had imagined. Their apartment is small and Hanna and her brothers must sleep on a mattress on the floor. Mama spends her days knitting shawls and sweaters to sell on the streets but no one stops to buy. And Papa can find no work. Hanna looks everywhere for the gold Papa promised them but it is not to be found. What will happen to their dream of a new, better life in America? One day a seemingly insignificant find on a slushy street leads to an opportunity for a brighter future. And like many others before them, Hanna and her family realize that through small steps and hard work they can make their American dream come true.
Blimps were once a popular form of transportation. Find out how they work and why they are not so common anymore.
Learn about the history, culture, and geography of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Find out how lighthouses work and how they have changed throughout history.
This book relays the factual details of the orphan trains that sent East Coast orphans to be with families in the Midwest and West. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details from the point of view of an orphan child heading to the Midwest, a Midwestern family awaiting a child, and a New York City child welfare worker. This book offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Salem witch trials that took place in colonial Massachusetts in the late 1600s. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a minister, an accused witch, and an accuser. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about a historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the story of the Hoover Dam, which was built in the 1930s. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a Colorado River explorer, a dam worker, and a dam worker's daughter. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about a historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the sinking of the luxury cruise ship Titanic. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details from the point of view of a crewmember, a first-class passenger, and a steerage passenger. This book offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Underground Railroad and slavery in the United States. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the events, and readers learn details from the point of view of a slave, a slave owner, and a conductor on the railroad. This book offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in a text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Battle of the Alamo that took place in 1836 during the Texas Revolution. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a Texan army commander, a Mexican soldier, and a survivor at the Alamo. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about a historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a child at an internment camp, a Japanese-American soldier, and a worker at the Manzanar War Relocation Center. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about a historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Oregon Trail and the United States' westward expansion in the 1800s. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a pioneer, a Native American in a territory crossed by the trail, and a U.S. soldier at a government outpost. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boycott. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a Soviet athlete, a U.S. athlete, and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about a historical event.
This book relays factual details of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 through multiple accounts of the event. Readers learn details through the point of view of a U.S. Soldier at Pearl Harbor, a Japanese military commander, and a Hawaiian worker near the military base. This book offers opportunities to compare and contrast various narrative perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Battle of Bunker Hill that took place during the American Revolutionary War. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a Minuteman, a British soldier, and a colonial woman running an inn. This book offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in a text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This book relays the factual details of the Battle of Gettysburg that took place during the U.S. Civil War. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a Confederate soldier, a Union soldier, and a woman merchant near the battle. The text offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
Four-time World Champion and professional figure skater Kurt Browning replaces his boots and blades with pen and paper in A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet. From holding an edge to laces and hooks, Kurt glides and dances through the alphabet explaining the history, techniques, and memorable moments of the sport. Spirited illustrator Melanie Rose captures the excitement visually with her colorful, playful illustrations.
