In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. Their creations are some of the most enduring (the windshield wiper) and best loved (the chocolate chip cookie). What inspired these women, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities?

Features women inventors Ruth Wakefield, Mary Anderson, Stephanie Kwolek, Bette Nesmith Graham, Patsy O. Sherman, Ann Moore, Grace Murray Hopper, Margaret E. Knight, Jeanne Lee Crews, and Valerie L. Thomas, as well as young inventors ten-year-old Becky Schroeder and eleven-year-old Alexia Abernathy. Illustrated in vibrant collage by Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet.

By early 1945, the destruction of the German Nazi State seems certain. The Allied forces, led by American generals George S. Patton and Dwight D. Eisenhower, are gaining control of Europe, leaving German leaders scrambling. Facing defeat, Adolf Hitler flees to a secret bunker with his new wife, Eva Braun, and his beloved dog, Blondi. It is there that all three would meet their end, thus ending the Third Reich and one of the darkest chapters of history.

Hitler’s Last Days is a gripping account of the death of one of the most reviled villains of the 20th century?a man whose regime of murder and terror haunts the world even today. Adapted from Bill O’Reilly’s historical thriller Killing Patton, this book will have young readers?and grown-ups too?hooked on history.

This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum.

Includes 7 new poems, including “Brown Girl Dreaming”.

 
Praise for Jacqueline Woodson:

A 2016 National Book Award finalist for her adult novel, ANOTHER BROOKLYN

“Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story . . . but a mature exploration of grown-up issues and self-discovery.”—The New York Times Book Review

A gorgeous collection of American presidents filled with fun facts and sparkling with personality, from nonfiction master Ken Burns.
 
This special treasury from America’s beloved documentarian Ken Burns brings the presidents to life for our nation’s children. Each president is given a lushly illustrated spread with curated stories and information to give readers of all ages a comprehensive view of the varied and fascinating characters who have led our nation (with the exception of Grover Cleveland–the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms–who gets two spreads!). A must-have for Ken’s many fans, classrooms, and anyone who wishes to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for our country.
 
“A buoyant gallery, up to date, handsomely framed, and, in this particular election year, timely too.”–Kirkus Reviews

The story of The Snowy Day begins more than one hundred years ago, when Ezra Jack Keats was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family were struggling Polish immigrants, and despite Keats’s obvious talent, his father worried that Ezra’s dream of being an artist was an unrealistic one. But Ezra was determined. By high school he was winning prizes and scholarships. Later, jobs followed with the WPA and Marvel comics. But it was many years before Keats’s greatest dream was realized and he had the opportunity to write and illustrate his own book.
 
For more than two decades, Ezra had kept pinned to his wall a series of photographs of an adorable African American child. In Keats’s hands, the boy morphed into Peter, a boy in a red snowsuit, out enjoying the pristine snow; the book became The Snowy Day, winner of the Caldecott Medal, the first mainstream book to feature an African American child. It was also the first of many books featuring Peter and the children of his — and Keats’s — neighborhood.
 
Andrea Davis Pinkney’s lyrical narrative tells the inspiring story of a boy who pursued a dream, and who, in turn, inspired generations of other dreamers.

Each President has left his mark on the history of the United States and on the lives of the American people.

Our Country’s Presidents is packed with information about America’s leaders. Find out why George Washington gave up his life as a Virginia planter to lead a nation, and why John Tyler was nicknamed “His Accidency.” Walk with the Presidents through wars, depressions, civil rights movements, and the race for space. Romp with the Garfield kids in a White House pillow fight and mourn with the nation over John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

Eight all-new pages will contain exciting information and new images, and, of course, Election 2012, and a brand-new profile and photographic portrait of the new President (if applicable). In-depth text and historic images combine to make this volume the definitive family reference guide to the fascinating lives of the Presidents of the United States.

Inspiration for the PBS American Experience Documentary ‘The Boys of ’36’
 
For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.
 
At the center of the tale is Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, whose personal quest captures the spirit of his generation—the generation that would prove in the coming years that the Nazis could not prevail over American determination and optimism.
 
This deeply emotional yet easily accessible young readers adaptation of the award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller features never-before-seen photographs, highly visual back matter, and an exclusive new introduction.

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy’s brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William’s story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.

     The classic story of Truman Capote’s childhood Christmas ritual is more endearing than ever in this newly redesigned package.

     In celebration of A Christmas Memory‘s enduring appeal, this repackaged edition retains Beth Peck’s evocative watercolors and an audio CD narration by the venerable Celeste Holm (originator of the Ado Annie role in the 1943 Broadway hit “Oklahoma!” and an Academy Award-winning actress). Originally published in 1956, this is the story from Capote’s childhood of lovingly making fruitcakes from scratch at Christmas-time with his elderly cousin, and has stood the test of time to become known as an American holiday classic. In its new size, it’s perfect for reading alone or reading aloud, or following along while listening to the audio version.

Lincoln’s Last Days is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic nights in American history—of how one gunshot changed the country forever. Adapted from Bill O’Reilly’s bestselling historical thriller, Killing Lincoln, this book will have young readers—and grown-ups too—hooked on history.

In the spring of 1865, President Abraham Lincoln travels through Washington, D.C., after finally winning America’s bloody Civil War. In the midst of celebrations, Lincoln is assassinated at Ford’s Theatre by a famous actor named John Wilkes Booth. What follows is a thrilling chase, ending with a fiery shoot-out and swift justice for the perpetrators.

With an unforgettable cast of characters, page-turning action, vivid detail, and art on every spread, Lincoln’s Last Days is history that reads like a thriller. This is a very special book, irresistible on its own or as a compelling companion to Killing Lincoln.

Before Hillary Clinton was in the running to be president, she was a young girl growing up outside Chicago who lost the election for student-body president. She wanted to be an astronaut, to soar as high as the stars above. She kept reaching up and up as she grew. There were people who told her no—most of them simply because she was a girl—but she didn’t listen to them. There were people who didn’t think she could do it. But she believed in herself. And Hillary has been making history ever since. This is the inspiring story of a girl with dreams as big as the open sky.

Catalogue Text
158
At a young age, John Howland learned what it meant to take advantage of an opportunity. Leaving the docks of London on the Mayflower as an indentured servant to Pilgrim John Carver, John Howland little knew that he was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. By his great good fortune, John survived falling overboard on the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, and he earned his keep ashore by helping to scout a safe harbor and landing site for his bedraggled and ill shipmates. Would his luck continue to hold amid the dangers and adversity of the Pilgrims’ lives in New England? John Howland’s tale is masterfully told in his own voice, bringing an immediacy and young perspective to the oft-told Pilgrims’ story. P.J. Lynch captures this pivotal moment in American history in precise and exquisite detail, from the light on the froth of a breaking wave to the questioning voice of a teen in a new world.

On a sunny day in Dallas, Texas, at the end of a campaign trip, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is assassinated by an angry, lonely drifter named Lee Harvey Oswald. The former Marine Corps sharpshooter escapes briefly, but is hunted down, captured, and then shot dead while in police custody.

Kennedy’s Last Days is a gripping account of the events leading up to the most notorious crime of the twentieth century. Author Bill O’Reilly vividly describes the Kennedy family’s life in the public eye, the crises facing the president around the world and at home, the nation’s growing fascination with their vigorous, youthful president, and finally, the shocking events leading up to his demise.

Adapted from Bill O’Reilly’s best-selling historical thriller Killing Kennedy, with an unforgettable cast of characters, page-turning action, and art on every spread, Kennedy’s Last Days is history that reads like a thriller. This exciting book will captivate adults and young readers alike.

Contains:

VOLUME ONE

Little House in the Big Woods

Farmer Boy 

Little House on the Prairie

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Library of America volume #229

VOLUME TWO 

By the Shores of Silver Lake

The Long Winter 

Little Town on the Prairie

These Happy Golden Years

The First Four Years

Library of America volume #230

Each volume features deluxe three-part bindings, a newly-researched chronology of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and career, and helpful notes. The volumes are also available separately with standard Library of America series bindings and jackets.

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala—crazy—but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual’s ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

*SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLER*

For the first time EVER, global superstars One Direction are releasing their 100% official autobiography, offering a new, intimate insight into their lives as never before seen or heard!

In their first in-depth autobiography, pop sensations Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis tell the story of their lives. From nervously auditioning for the X Factor and meeting each other for the first time, to filming their hit movie This Is Us and releasing their bestselling third album, Midnight Memories, it really has been one incredible journey. For the first time, the boys’ loyal fans will be given an unprecedented insight into all of it, from their humble beginnings and lives before the X Factor, to recording their first single, touring the world, winning awards, breaking records, and much, much more.

What has it been like for them? What did they really think of each other when they first met? What inspires their song-writing? How do they handle life on the road and long breaks away from those they care about and love? And what do they think is next for them as a band who have achieved so much so quickly?

Beautifully produced and filled with never-before-seen snaps, drawings and notes taking you behind the scenes of the creation of their music, their tours and their incredible friendship, One Direction are ready to lay themselves bare in a way we’ve never seen before.

Get ready for the incredible story of a lifetime from an incredible set of lads.

Capturing an engineer’s creative vision and mind for detail, this fully illustrated picture book biography sheds light on how the American inventor George Ferris defied gravity and seemingly impossible odds to invent the world’s most iconic amusement park attraction, the Ferris wheel.
     A fun, fact-filled text by Kathryn Gibbs Davis combines with Gilbert Ford’s dazzling full-color illustrations to transport readers to the 1893 World’s Fair, where George Ferris and his big, wonderful wheel lifted passengers to the skies for the first time.