Southern Illinois is a place of mixed emotions as the American Civil War erupts. For the Creightons, the war lures two sons to the Union army and one to the Confederacy, leaving 10-year-old Jethro to care for the family farm.
As the war rages, Jethro does whatever he can to learn about the fates of his brothers, while the Creighton family faces its own danger. Some townspeople can't forgive the Creightons for having a rebel son-and they're willing to use violence to make their feelings known.
In a state torn by conflicting loyalties, Jethro is forced to grow up quickly to preserve his family and their home. Across Five Aprils is a powerful classic from Newbery Medal-winning author Irene Hunt.
Tom Stechschulte's homespun narration brings out the spirit and courage of a boy who shoulders a tremendous load--and becomes a young man in the process.
From master storyteller Michael Morpurgo comes 'Friend or Foe'. Evacuated from London, David and Tucky feel like the war is a long way away from their new life in the countryside.From master storyteller Michael Morpurgo comes 'Friend or Foe'. Evacuated from London, David and Tucky feel like the war is a long way away from their new life in the countryside. Then one night the skyline of the moor is lit up with gun flashes, and the distant crump of bombing miles away brings the war back to them and shatters their new-found peace. When a German bomber crashes, the boys feel they should hate the airmen inside. But one of them saves David's life...
Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, read by Christopher Barlow.TORO! TORO! is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand-rears a little black calf, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls - the corrida and death. Later, learning of the horrors of the bull fight, he frees Paco, and rides with him into the hills. There they witness the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and Antonito is left alone - his family and the farm are destroyed by bombs, and Paco has run off, wild with fright. He decides to stay in the hills, where he joins the Resistance fighters. Around the campfire, Antonito hears tales of the wonderful black bull, who becomes a symbol of freedom for them all. Could this really be Paco? One night, Antonito falls asleep and dreams of Paco. In the morning, he wakes to see hoof prints on the ground beside him...A delightful story, full of nostalgia and drama in the author's own inimitable style. Illustrated by Michael Foreman.
Sophie, Countess of S'gur, was a Russian-born French writer who lived from 1799 to 1874. This collection of stories draws on the rich heritage of French medieval literature, courtly love, magic charms and gallant deeds. In each story, the hero or heroine must undertake a quest or overcome a series of impossible challenges in order to reach their goal - often with the aid of magic. The tests involve patience, endurance and hard physical labour, as well as overcoming character flaws or atoning for past misdeeds. The stories are remarkably vibrant and well written, containing many elements of surprise and humour as well as chivalry and courtly romance, and as such, reach across the ages and appeal to a modern audience. These stories will delight children and adults alike: 'Blondine, Bonne Biche and Beau Manon', 'Good Little Henry', "The Story of Rosette', 'The Little Grey Mouse', and 'Ourson'.
The National Book Award Finalist! Set on an island in Lake Superior around 1847, Omakayas and her family live on the land her people call the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. Although the "chimookoman," white people, encroach more and more on their land, life continues much as it always has: every summer they build a new birchbark house; every fall they go to ricing camp to harvest and feast; they move to the cedar log house before the first snows arrive, and celebrate the end of the long, cold winters at maple-sugaring camp. In between, Omakayas fights with her annoying little brother, Pinch; plays with the adorable baby, Neewo; and tries to be grown-up like her big sister, Angeline. But the satisfying rhythms of their life are shattered when a visitor comes to their lodge one winter night, bringing with him an invisible enemy that will change things forever-but that will eventually lead Omakayas to discover her calling. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.
Never in the history of whale hunting had a ship been attacked by a whale. But then the unthinkable happened. On November 20, 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale. Within minutes, the twenty-one-man crew, including the fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, found themselves stranded in three leaky boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with barely any supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued 4,500 miles away, off the coast of South America. Of the twenty-one castaways, only eight survived, including young Thomas. Based on his award-winning bestseller In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick recreates the amazing events of the ill-fated Essex, and tells the tale of one of the great true-life adventures. Recommended for Grades 6 and up.
The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system!
Are you ready for a presidential adventure? Jack and Annie are! They are whisked back to Washington, D.C., in 1861. Jack can’t wait to meet Abraham Lincoln himself! But the new president is too busy to see them, as he is desperately trying to save a nation in crisis. It’s a race against time as Jack and Annie try to aid a president and a troubled nation!
Formerly numbered as Magic Tree House #47, the title of this book is now Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #19: Abe Lincoln at Last!
Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid?
Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure
Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures
Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com!
At age sixteen, Sacajawea is married, a mother, and has been taken from her Shoshone people. She has been asked to join Lewis and Clark in their expedition to explore the land from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. As a translator, peacemaker, caretaker, and guide, young Sacajawea alone will make the historic journey of Lewis and Clark possible. This captivating novel, which is told in alternating points of view-by Sacajawea herself and by William Clark-is a unique blend of history and humanity. It proves an intimate glimpse into what it would have been like to witness firsthand this fascinating time in our history. This is Sacajawea's legendary journey... Recommended for Grades 6 and up.
Fourteen-year-old Rachel Marsh is nanny to John and Abigail Adams' children and witnesses firsthand how tension builds in the feisty New England town in the two years before it erupts into the Boston Massacre. Friends become foes and families divide as British troops arrive in 1768 to force the outspoken Bostonians to toe the line and obey the British government. But the idea of liberty and self-government has taken hold, and once considered, cannot now be set aside. At the same time, Rachel begins to take stock of her own life and future, and learns that to live life to its fullest and with integrity, one must seek the truth for oneself and take a stand. Ann Rinaldi, a master at making history come alive, creates an exciting front row seat for the listener as she uses the voice of young Rachel Marsh to underscore that American liberty was not easily won, but at great cost to those who would not let their dreams die. Recommended for Grades 6 and up.
As eleven-year-old Peter Nottage stood in the yard, watching in disbelief, a group of Japanese fighter planes swooped down, spraying machine-gun fire across the water. Then the first bomb dropped-and in minutes, Kaneohe Bay was a sea of smoke and flames. To the south, at Pearl Harbor, the huge ships of the American fleet were ablaze. This was no drill. This was war! Through vivid eyewitness accounts, Attack on Pearl Harbor re-creates the dramatic moments of the unforgettable day that America entered World War II.
Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge has built a reputation for delivering children's stories that are both fun and educational. Here she chronicles the rise of America's transportation system, from the call for a National Road in 1805 to the present day. Many opposed innovations like the Model T and the U.S. highway system, but progress marched on. Wooldridge ends with a look at what the future may hold, and challenges kids to view change in a positive way.
Heroism in outer space is the legacy of the lunar mission Apollo 13. On April 11, 1970, astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert were launched into space as the crew of Apollo 13. Their mission, like the missions of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12, was to explore the lunar surface. But that mission was never completed. As they began the procedure for landing on the Moon, the spacecraft was rocked by a violent explosion. Oxygen began pouring out of the Service Module, and the spacecraft began to lose power. Jim Lovell radioed Mission Control with the now-famous words, "Houston, we have a problem." All over the world, people followed the plight of the astronauts. Richard Hilliard examines the crisis of Apollo 13, one of the great survival stories of the space age, in a lively text and dramatic illustrations.
