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.
A look at the origins, leaders, growth, and innovations of Facebook, the online social networking service that was founded in 2004 and today has hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Sahara Desert in North Africa. The biggest hot desert on Earth, it covers parts of twelve countries, more area than the entire United States! The Sahara has oases scattered widely and sand dunes that can reach as high as 600 feet (182m). Readers will learn about the people, plants, and animals such as camels, goats, and fennec foxes that inhabit this desert habitat. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, and the unique problems facing this region.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time, knowing what you know now? That is the story of a Connecticut Yankee who is magically transported back to King Arthur's time. But with the knowledge of modern technology. Will modern technology win out over the magic of Merline, the court magician?
Not many baseball players are as legendary as Roberto Clemente. He broke color barriers. He gave back to his community. And through it all, he played great baseball. During his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he did some amazing things. Sadly, Clemente's life was cut short by a plane crash. Today, however, his memory lives on. Fans everywhere still think of the player from Puerto Rico as an inspiration to us all.
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.
Hibernation is one of natures greatest miracles, allowing animals to sleep through periods of extreme cold and heat. Interesting information describes how different animals use body fat to survive, how they can wake themselves up, and how some give birth during hibernation.
With lush rainforests and beautiful waterfalls, there are many sights to see in Brazil, the largest country in South America. The local cuisine is just as grand with recipes rich in fruits, vegetables and cocoa. Whether cooked in restaurants or at home, the heritage of immigrants who came to Brazil hundreds of years ago is found in these savory dishes that have been around for generations. If you can't make the trip to Brazil, don't worry-you can still enjoy some of the country's favorite dishes by taking a peek inside. From soups to salads and drinks to desserts, you can enjoy traditional Brazilian food right in your own home. Isn't your mouth watering already? Hurry up! It's time to cook!
This book explores the geography, industry, agriculture, and culture that define the Southern Atlantic Coastal region.
This book explains the causes and effects of floods, and how people prepare for and survive floods. Reading Essentials in Science.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
