Fourteen-year-old Ava is thrilled when she lands a part in a play based on the true story of orphans sent to Canada in the 1800s to work on farms. But is she good enough to hold her own in a professional production? As the rehearsal pressures crank up, Ava struggles with her character, with the vocal demands of outdoor theater and with the annoying ego of her castmate Kiefer. But as she learns more about the historical Lily on which her part is based, things begin to fall into place. Then one bad decision jeopardizes Ava's chances of being able to perform on opening night.
Going wild. We don't see it as a good thing. And why would we? For most of our time on earth, humanity has been running from lions and other wilderness dangers. We've worked hard to make our local landscapes as safe and convenient as possible. Sometimes that's meant paving over areas that might burst into weeds. Other times, we've dammed rivers for electricity or irrigation. But now pollution, climate change and disruptions to the water cycle are affecting the world in ways we never anticipated. What if the new key to making our lives safer (and even healthier) is to allow the wilderness back into our cities?
Sixteen-year-old Kat and her mom haven't seen much of each other since Kat's father died last year. Her mom has taken over the family trucking business and has been away a lot. She promised that Kat could join her on her next run, a journey across the frozen Manitoba lake known as the "winter road." But at the last minute she changes her mind. Kat, who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, stows away in the back of the semi instead. By the time her mother discovers her, it's too late to turn back.
As our world's population grows, so to does our need for energy. Scientists seek the next breakthrough in new technology while constantly finding ways to make current solutions cheaper and more efficient. In this title, discover what methane energy is, its history, how we use it today, and how new technologies can contribute to our energy future. Learn how methane digesters work and how they can help people in the developing world, discover ways biogas might replace natural gas, and explore the potential future uses of methane hydrates. Sidebars, full-color photos, full-spread diagrams, well-placed graphs, charts, and maps, stories highlighting innovations in action, and a glossary enhance this engaging title.
After the stock market crash in 1929, America plunged into one of its darkest periods--the Great Depression.
Describes life in United States in the year 1968, including the war in Vietnam, the draft, war protesters, hippies and yippies, the presidential campaign and election, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy.
Describes the first explorers and their expeditions to uncharted lands, discussing their motivations and accomplishments.
This book tells the story behind the developments for people to communicate with one another from across the street to across the country.
Recounts the struggles and triumphs of Jack Trice, the first African American to play football for Iowa State, who died in 1923 of injuries received on the field.
After the Revolutionary War, George Washington had a vision of a school to train soldiers. The book describes the military academy at West Point and the people who attended it.
Describes some of the greatest moments in the history of the Olympic games, including record-breaking performances, unexpected victories, and inspirational performances by athletes struggling against difficult odds.
Describes the deepest part of the ocean, called the abyss, and explains how, with new equipment and technology, humans are beginning to learn more about the abyss and the creatures who live there.
Recounts the struggles and triumphs of nine athletes who have battled illness, accidents, and other disasters on their way to success in their sports, including Lance Armstrong, Gail Devers, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias.
When gold was found at Sutter's Mill in California in 1849, the lives of thousands of people changed forever.
Explains what early civilizations believed about natural disasters; highlights notable eruptions, earthquakes, fires, floods, droughts, famines, and diseases, as well as two noted military failures; and recounts the end of the ancient world.
Presents a history of aeronautical sports, including ballooning, skydiving, airplane racing, flying circuses, and military dogfights.
Examines the history of ancient Egypt and the many different aspects of ancient Egyptian society, including religion, technology, the pyramids, and home life.
Explains the situations behind the cases of Leopold and Loeb, the Lindbergh kidnapper, the Rosenbergs, the Brown school segregation suit, the Manson family, the Pentagon Papers, and O.J. Simpson, and discusses the trials and aftermath.
Recounts the struggles and triumphs of athletes who have helped to open their sports to participants who are African American or women, or who have disabilities, including Jackie Robinson, Billie Jean King, and Jim Abbott.
Find out how host cities are chosen, how politics, drug use, and terrorism affect the Games and what the future holds for the Olympics.
Briefly describes life in United States at the beginning of the twentieth century, including immigration, the labor movement, America's role in World War I and world affairs, and the Roaring Twenties.
It's 5:30 in the morning and still dark outside. Two hundred and fifty young men are in the mess hall having breakfast. They've been out of the sack since 4:30. That's when the operations sergeant made the rounds. He woke up everyone whose name was posted on the assignment sheet the night before. Right now, the men are very quiet. They are all thinking the same thing. "Will my plane get back safely? Will I be alive tonight?"
From the Patty Hearst kidnapping to the Oklahoma City bombing, these cases kept America watching.
There are trees that walk, statues that accuse, and white-faced ticket-takers with gentle names like Dave that send people on very long journeys. These stories are short, creepy, and perfect for reading around a campfire when the sky is full of stars.
When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. This ancient proverb of the Kikuyu people, a tribal group in Kenya, Africa, is as true today as when the words were first spoken, perhaps thousands of years ago. Its essence is simplicity—when the large fight, it is the small who suffer most. And when it comes to war, the smallest, the most vulnerable, are the children. When Elephants Fight presents the stories of five children—Annu, Jimmy, Nadja, Farooq and Toma—from five very different and distinct conflicts—Sri Lanka, Uganda, Sarajevo, Afghanistan and the Sudan. Along with these very personal accounts, the book also offers brief analyses of the history and geopolitical issues that are the canvas on which these conflicts are cast. When Elephants Fight is about increasing awareness. For the future to be better than the past, better than the present, we must help equip our children with an awareness and understanding of the world around them and their ability to bring about change. Gandhi stated, "If you are going to change the world, start with the children."
