A look at vultures, including their habitats, physical characteristics such as their bald heads, behaviors, relationships with humans, and persecuted status in the world today.
This book relays the factual details of the Boston Tea Party and the events that led up to it. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a colonial merchant's wife, a British soldier, and a Patriot activist. This book offers opportunities to compare and contrast various perspectives in the text while gathering and analyzing information about an historical event.
This up-to-date new book describes the alarming events of 2010 after an oil rig toppled over in the Gulf of Mexico releasing millions of gallons of oil into the water. The largest accidental oil spill in history, it killed untold numbers of wildlife, poisoned over a hundred miles of coastal land, and devastated the commercial fishing and tourism industries in an area still reeling from the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Katrina.
The Underground Railroad was not a transportation system with metal tracks and whistling trains that zipped along a grid of tracks through tunnels below the ground. Instead, this system was an organized network of people who - in utmost secrecy - helped others escape the bonds of slavery. The routes to freedom were filled with danger, but the risks were worth it. Climb aboard to travel back in time and find out how this system of passengers, conductors, and stationmasters saved thousands of lives and helped change the nation.
The nightmare for enslaved Africans began on the Middle Passage - the journey across the ocean to America. Chained together by their hands and feet, the people were crammed into a ships dark belly, sometimes for weeks. When they arrived, they were sold at auction like so much cattle. Then, for generations, they faced bondage at the hands of cruel masters, forced to work sunup to sundown planting and harvesting crops, cleaning houses, or performing other tasks that would boost the white mans profits. Refused basic civil rights and often torn from their families, the slaves looked for ways to find freedom and better their lives. Flight was risky, even with the help of the Underground Railroad. For many, it was the only option.
Free at last! Hopeful African Americans began the long journey to build their lives from scratch as U.S. law declared all slaves free in 1865. But many whites fought bitterly against change. Signs above water fountains, restrooms, and other public places clearly separated WHITES from COLOREDS, while the Ku Klux Klan terrorized the night. Leaders like Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, A. Philip Randolph, and Martin Luther King, Jr. stood up to the ugly reality of racism in America. Laws and hearts slowly changed to make the American Dream a possibility for all of its citizens. Today, the United States celebrates the rich history, music, and art of the black community. But with holdovers of hatred, pride, and prejudice, has the country achieved true equality?
When European explorers came to the New World, one of the first tribes of Native Americans they encountered was the Lenape. Also called the Delaware Indians, these people were respected by their neighbors, bound by family, and lived in harmony with their natural world. This is their story of their fascinating way of life, nearly lost to the settlers from across the sea.
The Cherokees lived primarily in the southeastern United States as farmers and hunters. As white settlers pushed deeper and deeper onto their lands, the Cherokees signed numerous treaties that surrendered more of their land in exchange for the right to live peacefully. The Cherokees even embraced many white ways, such as writing a constitution based on the U.S. Constitution and creating an alphabet, in an attempt to blend in. However, nothing they did was ever enough, and all their efforts finally led to one shattering conclusion: the Trail of Tears.
Comanche. The very word itself sent shivers down the backs of white settlers and other Native American tribes alike. The Comanches were the most feared tribe on the Southern Great Plains. They were superb horsemen and fierce fighters, and the combination was virtually unbeatable. For years, the Comanches held dominance over a vast area of territory called Comancheria. No one dared venture into Comancheria. Those who did seldom returned. Who were the Comanches? Where did they come from? What was life like in a Comanche camp, for both the Comanches and their captives? What happened to break their grip on Comancheria? The answers to these and other questions are both surprising and fascinating.
Most of the people who worked on the Underground Railroad were not well-known, but many stood out and became famous. The workers came from different races, occupations, and all walks of life. Some spread the word about the injustice of slavery through writing or lectures. Some volunteered behind the scenes, sewing clothes and donating goods to help the runaways. Others risked their lives daily, leading fugitives through swamps and forests and past slave catchers to freedom. Those who were caught were fined, jailed, or even executed. But they did not give up until freedom was won for all.
With the sole exception of the Sioux, the Cheyenne are perhaps the best known of all the Plains Indians. Famous for their fearless fighting qualities, the fought a series of unforgettable battles with the U.S. Army and white settlers seeking to seize their lands and alter their lifestyles. From 1856 to 1979, they met the white interloper with unparalleled horsemanship and a fighting ferocity rarely recorded in American military annals before or since. Against the irrepressible surge of Americas westward expansion in the 1800s, Cheyenne warriors fought and died for the land they loved. They claimed a place in history at the Powder River, the Rosebud, and the Little Big Horn. In the end, they lost their lands, but they went down fighting. They were and are vastly deserving of their nickname, the Fighting Cheyennes.
Angelina Jolie could have settled for becoming an Academy Award-winning actress. She could have been pleased enough portraying the villain-turned-heroine of Disney's smash film Maleficent. She could be quite happy being the mother of a large family she shares with her husband, actor Brad Pitt. But after a trip to Cambodia, Jolie was struck by the poverty she witnessed there, and decided to do something about it. For over a decade since, she has carried out dozens of field missions all around the globe. Jolie was named a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador. She's funded schools, orphanages, and other centers dedicated to helping people in crisis. Discover how she encourages others to take action through web sites, newspaper ads, and charities, and see why this actor is even more magnificent than you might have imagined.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, a young woman from Pakistan, was denied the privilege of attending school, shot by terrorists, and forced to leave her country. Her near assassination convinced Malala that God had kept her alive for a reason. She would continue to fight for children's rights to education. With 66 million children worldwide not attending school, Malala travels the world, inspiring politicians and other people to help them. "We should not lose hope," she said. "One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world."
After the Revolutionary War established the independent United States of America, a different kind of revolution took place. Between Shays' Rebellion and the final flourish of a quill pen on the Constitution, the country's greatest leaders faced a challenge that would either keep the states together or tear them apart. From the roads of Boston to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, delegates battled out the particulars of how the new country would be governed. In this inspiring story of leadership, discover how diplomacy and compromise created a document that would defend the nation's freedom at once and for the future.
Reading the 27 amendments built into America's constitution may not seem exciting at first. Look beyond the old-fashioned phrasing and the government terms, however, and you will find remarkable details. You will meet political leaders and representatives struggling to make the wisest choices, American citizens fighting for basic rights, and a country that is constantly adjusting to the changes it faces with every passing year. The story behind each amendment is important to understand-and fascinating to learn.
Life in Spain was peaceful and simple for Rifka and her family, until Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand made a new decision for the country. Eager to bring the kingdoms closer, the royals felt everyone should share the same religion. Jews and Muslims were forced to convert-or leave. Explore Rifka's world as she, her brother, and her parents, decide to leave their homeland behind and head into the unknown. Along the way, you will meet the cloaked familiars, cruel men determined to get confessions no matter what they have to do, on the orders of the teenaged king and queen. Spain, in all its beauty, will never be the same after this, and Rifka's family will bring you along on the journey.
When Shawn and Daniel witness a gang beating behind the local mall they flee the scene, terrified that they've been seen. They recognize one of the attackers as a locally infamous gang member. When they learn that the kid who was attacked is in critical condition, Shawn wants to go to the police, but Daniel convinces him that they are in more danger if they speak up. The threats they receive from other members of the gang reinforce the boys' fears. When the gang attacks Daniel, Shawn has to put his own safety at risk to help his friend.
Dana is excited about her school trip to Japan despite the fact that she is surrounded by the Melly Mob, "in-crowd" kids who make fun of her. Dana is certain she will be less of an outsider in Japan, home of manga and anime. But she soon discovers that it's just as difficult to fit in with a foreign culture as it is to fit in at school. And the only other manga fan that she meets refuses to talk to her. As Dana learns to meet people halfway and gains some friends in Japan, Melissa, leader of the Melly Mob, makes every effort to remind her that she's still an outsider.
Callie's mother has chained herself to the neighbor's tree and is living inside the treehouse. She refuses to come down until the neighbor, Mr. Wilson, agrees to leave the tree standing. Soon reporters arrive to interview Callie about her mother's protest. Callie doesn't want to talk to anyone. More chaos ensues when Callie's grandmother invites the "singing grannies" to help save the tree, the neighbor's biker friends come to her aid, and Callie's friends show up to try to get themselves on TV. Callie needs to figure out how to get her mother to come down from the tree so that her life can return to normal.
Linda is shy and avoids getting involved at school. But when her high school sets up online chat rooms she can't resist the urge to visit them. Fuelled by interest in a student with the nickname Cyrano, Linda participates in online conversations using the nickname Roxane and gains a reputation as the queen of one-liners. Soon Linda starts receiving gifts from a secret admirer who signs his gifts, "C." She is certain that her life has taken a turn for the better until "C" reveals his true identity.
When Cody and his friends accept a challenge from a local gang to steal a park bench, their main concern is keeping themselves on the gang's good side. Cody learns that the stolen bench had been dedicated to the father of the English teacher who sponsors the school newspaper; the paper that Cody has just started writing for - and he's worried about the consequences. As the gang applies pressure for more from Cody and his friends, he realizes they've crossed a line, and now he has to figure out how to make it right.
Kip's only friends are the members of the Daredevil Club, a club whose mission is to complete seven dangerous dares before their rivals, the Wildmen, complete their list of dares. Before the cliff diving accident in which he lost the use of his leg, Kip had been the leader of the Daredevil club. Now he has difficulty completing the dares and suspects that his membership is threatened. As the daredevils plan their final stunt, a dangerous climb along a narrow steel shelf beneath a bridge, they try to convince Kip that he may not be up to the task. Kip refuses to back down even though he suspects his friends might be right.
Twelve-year-old Astrid has come to Ghana with her family in 1979 so that her father can help oversee Ghanas first democratic election. Astrid and her brother, Gordo, were told it would be a great family adventure, but they soon find out that everything about Ghana is difficult; the heat, the food, the threat of disease, the soldiers on the roads, the schools. Gordo fits in more easily than Astrid, who is often left to look after her baby sister, Piper, as their mother begins to fall apart under the strain of living in Ghana. When the government is overthrown, Gordo comes down with malaria and a soldier threatens her family, Astrid is surprised to discover how protective she has become of her new home.
Life is hard for ten-year-old Safiyah in the Kibera slum outside Nairobi. Too poor to go to school, she makes a meager living for herself and her grandmother Cucu by selling things she finds at the garbage dump. After using scavenged paper to fix up the inside of the hut, Safiyah starts a mural on the outside. As word of the paper house spreads, Safiyah begins to take pride in her creation. When Cucu collapses after a fire, Safiyah stays at the hospital to help care for her grandmother. While Safiyah is away, her friend Pendo works on the mural, which upsets Safiyah. But when Pendo attracts media attention to the paper house, Safiyah and her grandmother are given a chance of a better life.
Although he steadfastly refused to be labeled an abolitionist, Abraham Lincoln was a hero to the abolitionist cause. The emancipation of the slaves in 1863 was strategic to the president's fight against the Confederacy in the Civil War and changed the course of the nation's history.
