The Christmas story and the origin of many holiday traditions are thoroughly detailed in the text of S is for Star: A Christmas Alphabet. The first Christmas cards were printed and sold in the United States by a German immigrant in 1874. Long ago, eating pie was believed to bring good luck, and during the holidays they were baked in an oblong shape to look like a manger. The message of Christmas is a message to all the world and is beautifully conveyed and illustrated in S is for Star. Our tradition of gift-giving is based on the Wise Men's visit to Baby Jesus. Nearly every country has its own gift-giving traditions. In Great Britain, children eagerly await Father Christmas. In France, he is called Pere Nol. In Italy, Befana brings presents, and German and Austrian children wait for a visit from the Christkindl. Celebrate these and many other traditions of the holiday season with S is for Star: A Christmas Alphabet.
The children in the first grade must take a test and they are worried. When the results come back, some children feel bad. Their gentle, understading teacher assures the children that a test doesn't tell any of the important things about them--if they are creative, kind, or are a good friend.
Here's an offbeat story about a catboy who's best friend is a sunflower named Fred. When Fred and his buddy pass by a skeptical skateboarding cat-kid, he asks sneering questions about Fred and the duo's friendship. After a near miss with wilting heat and a fun, rain-soaked flower dance, the former skeptic decides that his new friends aren't so weird after all . . . at least no weirder than he is! This charming addition to the Balloon Toons series offers a canny portrait of how kids project personalities and feelings onto toys and other objects, and conveys the satisfaction felt when making an unexpected friend.
This title explores the development and use of the popular F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet. Readers will follow the history of its origins and development. Chapters detail the aircraft's military and performance specifications as well as its features and advantages in the field, such as the shape of its fuselage, its ejection seat, its single turbofan engine, and its many powerful guns, missiles, and bombs. Readers will also learn about the F-16's use in Operation Desert Storm and other significant combat and peacekeeping missions.
When Danny moved to his new home, he was thrilled to make a new friend, his neighbor Yehuda. Yehuda and his twin sister Ora share some of the ancient stories, laws, traditions, and teachings that enrich their lives. Come journey with Danny as he explores a new perspective, the Jewish faith. You'll meet Jews past and present. Will you find some sparks that inspire you?
The books in the Community Connections Library help kids understand the world around them. What Do They Do? Firefighters, gives young readers an idea of the role that Firefighters play in their community.
Snowboarding is a very young sport but it grows more popular and respected every year. Fast and exciting, this winter activity requires practice and proper technique and here's the book to help you along the way! Snowboarding in Action gives beginners all the tips they'll need to hit the slopes. Full-color photographs and illustrations explain the dos and don'ts of the slopes, what to look for in snowboarding equipment and hill conditions, the basics of turning, slowing, and stopping, riding a chairlift, and competitive snowboarding.
Takes readers through Selena Gomez's journey from a Disney Channel star to a popular singer and actress; discusses life and career highlights from birth to present day.
Lush, moist, and teeming with life, rain forests are one of Earth's biome wonders. Peel back the corners of the rain forest to discover what lives within one of the planets busiest environments, from wolves and porcupines to monkeys and poison dart frogs. Learn how each organism functions within its rain forest ecosystem and how it survives in one of the most predatory biomes on Earth. Find out, too, how rain forests are found all around the world and what you can do to help protect these precious resources.
Political maps are often the first kind of maps children learn about. These maps identify the boundaries of countries, states or provinces, and cities, as well as such physical features as lakes and oceans. Detailed, up-to-date maps and clearly written text help readers understand how to use political maps to solve problems.
Roam the frozen tundra with the polar bear! Engaging text and oversized, striking photos invite readers to travel to the Arctic Circle and learn about the polar bear's body structure, diet, life cycle, social behavior, and habitat. Simple, labeled maps highlight the animal's home territory. Background information about the Arctic is also given, as well as threats to the polar bear's survival. The book closes with a page of kid-friendly facts. Readers are left with a deeper understanding of this amazing and fragile region and the incredible polar bear! Table of contents, glossary, and index included. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards.
When a young girl finds a sparkly rock buried in the dirt and discovers that it cleans to a beautiful quartz crystal, she is fascinated and becomes Julie the Rockhound. Join Julie as her dad shows her how to dig for minerals and explains the wonders of crystal formation. Combining clever wordplay with earth science, young readers learn about Earth's most abundant mineral "treasure."
The middle of the fourteenth century BCE was a strange time in ancient Egypt. The pharaoh had changed his name and religion and was inviting the wrath of the gods that had long watched over the land. The powerful priesthood felt threatened, the people feared the worst, and in the middle of everything was Pepi, a ten-year-old boy with a problem-he didn't want to go to school. Let Pepi explain his troubles to you as he takes you around his beloved city. Let him introduce you to his family, his friends, and their way of life, which thousands of years later might seem similar to your own.
Born of privilege and raised among the nation's political elite, Mary Todd was a highly intelligent and outspoken young woman with a love for hoop skirts and a disgust for slavery. Her passion for politics would set the stage for her to meet young Abraham Lincoln, who would one day become President of the United States, and she his driving force. On a fateful night in April, 1865, she would endure the unthinkable, and her life would be changed forever. Mary Todd Lincoln would join a nation in healing after the loss of its leader, and the effects of a brutal civil war. She would remain a First Lady to the end, and second to none.
From a shy and fearful child, Eleanor Roosevelt grew up to be not only First Lady of the United States, but one of the most influential women in U.S. history. Hers is a remarkable story of doing the thing you think you cannot do in order to work for change and to better the lives of others. Come learn about Eleanor, who challenges everyone - no matter his or her talents or gifts - to live a useful and fulfilling life.
Long before she decided to run for president of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton was a young woman with goals and dreams. Follow along as she tries to decide between becoming a journalist or an astronaut. Find out how she first gets involved in politics - while still a teenager. Learn about her dedication to helping the women and children of the world, and how she entered the world of law with those goals in mind. Finally, see the changes that becoming Mrs. Bill Clinton brought - and how they helped her achieve some of her greatest goals. Meet Hillary Rodham Clinton, who became First Lady of the United States and then presidential hopeful for 2016.
Dolley Madison was considered the first First Lady of the United States. Even before her husband James Madison took office, Dolley was White House hostess for the widowed Thomas Jefferson. Known for her personality and style, she hosted dinners and gatherings in a White House that she decorated. She held the nation's first Inaugural Ball. She convinced her husband to start inviting members of Congress from both political parties to social events. During the War of 1812, when the British advanced to burn Washington, she stayed long enough to rescue a portrait of George Washington. When the British left, she helped convince the nation to rebuild its capital in Washington. Find out how this first First Lady defined the role for future women to follow.
Abigail Smith Adams championed education for boys and girls alike. The second daughter of a Massachusetts pastor, Abigail longed to go to school like the boys of the Colonial days. Recognizing his daughter's inquisitive mind, Abigail's father instructed her at home using books from his large personal library. Smart and with strong opinions, Abigail was the constant confidante of her husband, President John Adams. The mother of five, she lived in France and England, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. She was the first president's wife to live in the White House, and the first woman to be the wife of a U.S. president and the mother of another U.S. president. For the cause of liberty, Abigail and John were frequently apart. Through the more than 1,100 letters they exchanged, history has an insightful look at the extraordinary people who crafted the Great American Experiment - the United States of America.
From the moment he picked up a guitar, Ed Sheeran knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to create music, and nothing was going to stop him. The determined redhead left home to find success - but even he could not have dreamed of how much he would find. Follow his career from those first hungry days in London spent sleeping on the commuter train to playing in front of sold-out crowds at Wembley Stadium. Learn how this young musician manages to entertain thousands with nothing more than a guitar, his voice, and his incredible talent.
In the year 1070 While William the Conqueror (the newly-crowned King of England) was out on a hunting excursion, he discovered the perfect spot for a new castle. It was a locale perched high on a cliff that provided a terrific vantage point in all directions. Construction began and after 16 years, the first phase of Windsor Castle is a delightful home for the royal family and is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world. Want to travel through the ages along the Merry Halls of Windsor? Step inside, kids; this tour is about ready to embark!
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.
Mo'ne Davis did what most people thought couldn't be done. She dominated like no girl had done before, showing that girls could beat boys at their own Little League baseball game. At 13 years old, during a spectacular month in August 2014, Mo'ne became the most famous baseball player in the nation. She threw fastballs to rival the form of major league pitchers. She showed maturity and poise beyond her years. And perhaps the most amazing thing is, baseball is probably not her best sport. You might someday see her playing professional basketball. When it comes to Mo'ne Davis, all things are possible.
The seventh of eleven children, Edith Bolling grew up to become one of the most controversial women in American history. Early on, she became a successful businesswoman and the first female to own an automobile in Washington, D.C. It was love at first sight when widowed President Woodrow Wilson met Edith. Her husband's constant companion and confidante, Edit supported the President during World War I and accompanied him abroad and across the nation to campaign for world peace. Edith did not refer to herself as First Lady but as Mrs. Wilson. Ever at her husband's side, she screened all matters of state when a stroke left him bedridden. Her critics called her secret president, and first woman to run the government. Did Edith serve as President in an age when women were not even allowed to vote? The world may never know for certain.
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."
