The True Story of a Real-Life Hero

It’s World War II. Darkness has fallen over Europe as the Nazis spread hatred, fear and war across the globe. But on a quiet city corner in the Netherlands, one woman fights against the darkness.

In her quiet watchmaking shop, she and her family risk their lives to hide Jews, and others hunted by the Nazis, in a secret room, a “hiding place” that they built in the old building.

One day, however, Corrie and her family are betrayed. They’re captured and sent to the notorious Nazi concentration camps to die. Yet even in that darkest of places, Corrie still fights.

This is her story–and the story of how faith, hope and love ultimately triumphed over unthinkable evil.

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Six young Army pilots and green officers, all between 20 and 21 years old, arrive in Vietnam where they each become men, highly skilled pilots, and proficient officers within a few months. None of them will be the same after their first combat tour in Vietnam. All of them will bear the scars of war for life, either physically or mentally or both. All will be strengthened spiritually and none will ever be the same. Some will soon be dead and most will be injured or wounded within the next 12 months. One will become an amputee and all will suffer from varying degrees of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for the rest of their lives. All will become beloved brothers and all will honor their families, friends, and this great nation with their dedication, sacrifice, courage, and love of family, country, and God!

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The creators of the New York Times best-selling Encyclopedia Prehistorica series offer a mythic look at the mysteries of the past with an entire pantheon of remarkable pop-ups.

For all of recorded history, humans have sought to understand Earth’s mysteries in the realm of the divine — and aspired to conduct themselves as heroes. Only gods, of course, could push the sun across the sky,forge entire continents, and impel mountains to touch the clouds. In this stunning volume, the incomparable team of Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda take us to Ra-Atum’s land in Ancient Egypt; above the Grecian clouds to Zeus’s Mount Olympus; up to Norse god Odin’s frozen north; to the Far East, where the Jade Emperor sits in the heavens; into the wilds of Oceania, where Pele’s volcanic rage simmers below the earth; and to many more lands and times, all rich with sacred myths and legends.

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For all lovers of horses and history, it’s the next book in the popular Horse Diaries series. Born in California at the start of the Great Depression, Risky Chance is a gray thoroughbred who was born to race. Life at the track and being spoiled by his jockey’s young daughter, Marie, is all Chance could ask for. He loves nothing more than running fast and winning. But after an accident, Chance discovers a side of horse racing that has little to do with glory.

Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse’s own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about thoroughbreds, horse racing, and the Great Depression.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Saddle up with Rush Limbaugh’s really good pal Rush Revere, his wisecracking horse Liberty, and the whole Time-Traveling Crew for an epic American history adventure with this special boxed set edition of the New York Times bestselling series for young readers.

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Hold on to your pointy triangle hats. We’ll begin by joining a shipload of courageous families journeying on the Mayflower in 1620. Yawn? I don’t think so. 1620 was an awesome time, and you’ll experience that rough, dangerous ocean crossing too. Together, we’ll ask the pilgrims all our questions, find out how they live, and join them at the first Thanksgiving.

Rush Revere and the First Patriots: Jump into the bustling streets of Boston in 1765, where talk of revolution is growing louder. You’ll meet fierce supporters of liberty, such as Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere, as they fearlessly defy British rule. It’s an exciting, turbulent, thrilling time to be an American.

Rush Revere and the American Revolution: We’re off to meet some super-brave heroes who fought for American independence in 1775, against all odds—and won! We’ll be on hand to see two lanterns hung in the Old North Church, prevent a British spy from capturing Paul Revere, and dodge musket balls at some famous battles.

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Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.

The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.

Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person’s actions really can make a difference in our world.

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When Ella Miriam made the terrifying decision to leave the Soviet Union for Israel on a search for freedom and to escape generations of haunting, painful memories, she never expected to suffer the devastating loss that would lead her, through a succession of unlikely occurrences, to America. Chasing Freedom is a compelling and intensely personal account of Ella’s journey from bondage to freedom, a story of love, struggles, wars, death, birth and triumphs through generations of her family. Ella’s quest for freedom continued as she, through a series of improbable and miraculous events, realized her goal of emigrating to the U.S.A., where she discovered that even in the greatest nation in the world, freedom can be elusive.

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Illustrator Ralph Masiello shares his love of robots in this newest addition to his popular drawing series. Step-by-step diagrams show young artists how to use simple shapes and lines to create basic robots.

Challenge steps and a visit to the “spare part warehouse” encourage kids to customize their designs with dials, switches, and antennae. Bonus challenge steps show how to add claws, armor, and other fantastic features.

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“Combining a 1920s New York setting with ancient Turkish and Arabian folklore and history, this novel reads like a young Indiana Jones adventure. . . . As smart as it is action-packed.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
 
On a stormy May day in 1929, William and Maxine arrive on the doorstep of Battersea Manor to spend the summer with a grandfather they barely remember. Whatever the cousins expected, Colonel Battersea isn’t it. Soon after they settle in, Grandpa receives a cryptic telegram and promptly whisks the cousins off to New York City to meet an unknown courier and collect a very important package. Before he can do so, however, Grandpa vanishes without a trace. When the cousins stumble upon Nura, a tenacious girl from Turkey, she promises to help them track down the parcel and rescue Colonel Battersea. But with cold-blooded gangsters and a secret society of assassins all clamoring for the mysterious object, the children soon find themselves in a desperate struggle just to escape the city’s dark streets alive.

“A youthful mystery worthy of John Bellairs, with lyrical language reminiscent of Edith Nesbit; yet it stands on its own, creating a fully realized world with clearly defined lines of good and evil, and just a dash of magic.” —Booklist

“Readers of R. L. LaFevers’s Theodosia Throckmorton series as well as lovers of the Rick Riordan books will enjoy this. A well-crafted adventure with a dash of magic.” —School Library Journal 

“Brumbach’s vivid descriptions and terse, to-the-point dialogue keep the action moving and readers constantly engaged and surprised. . . . A fast-paced, action-packed adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews

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“I need you to be strong.”

Caleb O’Toole could hear his mother’s last words as clearly as if she was sitting right next to him. He promised her he’d keep his sisters safe. But safety is over a thousand miles away in the rugged Bitteroot Mountains—past dust-choked deserts and thorny tumbleweeds and as sun so hot, it’s hard to breathe. Tornadoes and hungry wolves wait for them on the path ahead. But with the infamous Blackstone Gang hot on their trail, Caleb has no choice but to keep going. There’s no telling how far the gang will go to keep their latest murder a secret. And Caleb is the number one witness to their crime.

Caleb O’Toole can hear his mother’s last words: “I need you to be strong.” and he can’t let her down.

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Patrick and Beth have escaped from volcano lava only to be separated again, and no one knows exactly where Beth has gone. Eugene and Patrick frantically try to fix the Imagination Station so they can find Beth, who unbeknownst to them has landed in the Amazon jungle. Will Patrick find Beth? Will Eugene be able to fix the broken Imagination Station? What will happen to the strange man with the spear in his side? Find out in the latest Imagination Station adventure!

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The Crystal Navigator is a middle grade fantasy in the classic tradition of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland that celebrates the power of imagination. Eleven year old Lucy Nightingale is a special little girl. She can make things with her thoughts. However, she lost her confidence when her mind went blank during an oral report. Then a dazzling new teacher assigns another report about five paintings. Convinced that the only way to get an A on this assignment is to actually talk to the artists, Lucy summons a Wise One to help her with time travel. Her Wise One shows up in the form of a loveable, well-spoken, befuddled Corgi named Wilbur. He wears spectacles and reads brochures about liquid mirrors. With Wilbur’s magic gadget, the Navigator, to guide them, Lucy and Wilbur fly back to fifteenth-century Florence. The journey turns perilous when the Navigator contracts a virus and propels the two friends into the wrong time. In triumphing over the obstacles Wilbur sets in her way, Lucy finds her self-confidence and more. So, if you know someone who has always wanted to fly, someone who likes cutting edge magic gadgets, someone who would agree that the best way to escape from an ogress is to jump into the nearest painting; if you know someone who might like the idea of helping Leonardo da Vinci entertain an unruly teenager named Lisa while he tries to paint her smiling, and finally if you know someone like Lucy, who loves school, but who is afraid of oral reports because her confidence walked out on her, then you know someone who will love The Crystal Navigator. This book will appeal to anyone who loves art, as it brings five famous painters and their art to life. The book will thrill and educate young readers about the value of viewing life as a journey and the magic that lives inside each of us.

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From the author of Frindle, Ben and his friends have just three days left to save their school or it will be bulldozed before their very eyes. The conclusion to Andrew Clements’s dynamic Keepers of the School series!

The Keepers of the School—known to their friends as Ben, Jill, and Robert—have one last chance to save their school before it’s torn down to make room for a seaside amusement park. But their nemeses, Janitors Lyman and Wally, are just as determined to keep the kids out of the way and the demolition on schedule.

One way or the other, this battle is about to come to a head. When all is said and done, will the school still be standing? Or will everything the Keepers have fought for be destroyed?

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This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts – the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

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In 1940, Fala came to live with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House. On sunny days, the little dog played in the grass outside the Oval Office. He attended important meetings with the president s advisors. At night, the president and Fala often dined together.

But as the world slipped further into war and America was drawn into the conflict, life at the White House changed. Fala stayed up late into the night with President Roosevelt. He accompanied the president on journeys across the country and around the world and waited with him for the return of American servicemen and the end to a terrible war.

Author Elizabeth Van Steenwyk offers young readers a glimpse into American history and the life of a U.S. president through the story of a loyal dog. Michael G. Montgomery s full-color illustrations capture the indomitable spirit of Fala and the nation and president who loved him.

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Why am I still alive? Why was I spared?

One night in 1944, Luba Tryszynska’s questions were answered when she found fifty-four children abandoned behind the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. Luba knew if the Nazis caught her she could be executed.

But they are someone’s children. And they are hungry.

Despite the mortal dangers, Luba and the women of her barracks cared for these orphans thro-ugh a winter of disease, starvation, and war.

Here is the true story of an everyday hero and the children who gave her a reason to live.

My name is Luba Tryszynska-Frederick and this is my story. I never thought of myself as a particularly brave person, certainly not a hero. But I found that inside every human being there is a hero waiting to emerge. I never could have done what I did without the help of many heroes. This story is for them, and for the children. –Luba Tryszynska-Frederick

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PJ is really looking forward to his birthday. His grandfather has promised to take him to opening day at the ballgame. So when his swim coach organizes a mandatory practice on the same day, PJ decides he’d rather quit the team.

At the same time, his new video game keeps turning on randomly and scrolling “One if by land, two if by sea,” across the screen—and it’s a game about robots, not the American Revolution.

Things get really weird when a freak storm transports PJ and his sister Sammy back in time to 1775 Boston. There they meet Copper, a colonial kid helping Paul Revere gather information on British troop movements. Copper’s convinced the strangely dressed time travelers are British spies. And just when it seems things can’t get any stranger, they encounter Pog, a kid alien desperate to save his abducted parents.

Now PJ and Sammy have to help their new friends while they evade Pog’s enemies and the Redcoats. If they’re going to succeed—and find their way home—PJ, Sammy, Pog, and Copper need to work as a team, even if PJ’s given up on teamwork.

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An unlikely cast of characters will take you on an adventure into the world and music of George Frideric Handel. Rock a Note Farm, on Harmony Lane, will never be the same now that Randy the Raccoon is there to stay. His stories about the magical woods that surround the farm piqued the animals’ interest to explore. After Farmer Heather tucks everyone in each night the adventures start. Randy leads his new friends through the magical woods that border the farm, back in time to England, where George Frideric Handel lived. Randy didn’t realize how dangerous it would be for him to go back in time. Fireworks and a mistaken identity are all part of the suspense in the Randy the Raccoon and His Musical Friends book.

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The Sunshine State gets its own alphabet book! Florida, where “B is for Beaches, P is for Pirates, and V is for Vacationers,” comes to life with playful, vivid illustrations by Michael Monroe and a conch shell full of fun facts and poems by Florida author and educator Carol Crane. Do you know which city is the state capitol? Which fragrant blossom is the state flower? Learn all this and more with S is for Sunshine: A Florida Alphabet.

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The intriguing facts and faces, history and places of Wisconsin are revealed to readers young and old in B is for Badger: A Wisconsin Alphabet. From its leaders in fine arts and architecture (Georgia O’Keefe and Frank Lloyd Wright) to its pioneers in nature conservation (John Muir and Aldo Leopold), Wisconsin has been an influence on major movements in education, industry, and use of natural resources. Brought to life with lyric rhymes and expressive, original artwork, B is for Badger showcases for natives and visitors alike the splendors of Wisconsin.Born in Tower, Minnesota, Kathy-jo Wargin has spent a great deal of time in the upper Midwest. Previously, she teamed up with illustrator Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen on the award-winning Legend series, including The Legend of the Lady’s Slipper (Upper Midwest Bookseller’s Favorite). B is for Badger is her fourth state alphabet book. She lives with her family in Petoskey, Michigan.Renee Graef is new to the Sleeping Bear Press family but is very well known as a children’s book illustrator for the American Girls collection with Pleasant Company. She has also illustrated for Boyd’s Bears and is the illustrator of HarperCollin’s My First Little House series. Renee attended the University of Wisconsin and the University of Madison; she lives in Milwaukee with her family.

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The award-winning author of Ben Franklin’s Almanac and Our Eleanor has created an enthralling joint biography of our greatest president and his complex wife—a scrapbook history that uses photographs, letters, engravings, and even cartoons, along with a fascinating text, to form an enthralling museum on the page.

Here are the extraordinary lives of Abraham and Mary, from their disparate childhoods and tumultuous courtship, through the agony of the Civil War, to the loss of three of their children, and finally their own tragic deaths. Readers can find Mary’s recipe for Abraham’s favorite cake—and bake it themselves; hear what Abraham looked like as a toddler; see a photo of the Lincolns’ dog; discover that the Lincoln children kept goats at the White House; see the Emancipation Proclamation written in Lincoln’ s own hand. Perfect for reluctant readers as well as history lovers, The Lincolns provides a living breathing portrait of a man, a woman, and a country.

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First published as a serialized children’s story in 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island has become an enduring classic. It has all the elements of a great adventure story: a plot full of twists and turns, an escalating sense of treachery and impending disaster, and a quintessential villain. Teenager Jim Hawkins finds a map titled “Treasure Island” in the belongings of a stricken lodger at the Admiral Benbow Inn in 1750s England. He soon finds himself aboard the schooner Hispaniola with a crew of disguised pirates headed to the Caribbean on a quest to find buried treasure. Long John Silver, the peg-legged cook, is the leader of this wretched crew. He is both engaging and ruthless, feared by even his barbarous accomplices, and a shape-shifter, pretending to be Jim’s good friend and enemy, secretly plotting a mutiny. When mutiny begins, Jim must save the day. This beloved adventure story is pure fiction—but fiction well grounded in historical and geographical reality. In The Annotated Treasure Island, editor and researcher Simon Barker-Benfield meticulously and lovingly annotates this voyage, offering crucial factual information, a sociopolitical context, and clear technical explanations that bring you closer to the action. Lavishly illustrated with pictures of nautical equipment, parts of ships, and period maps, The Annotated Treasure Island brings the seafaring vernacular to life. You’ll learn about “blocks,” “backstays,” and “shrouds.” And you’ll see Jim and the crew handle the Hispaniola, whether it’s the “simple” chore of raising the anchor—which in a similar, real vessel could require three hours’-worth of hauling in a very slimy cable six inches at a time—or the difficulty and meaning of “warping” and “putting a man in the chains” in order to take depth soundings. The story illustrations by Louis Rhead (1857-1926) deftly draw out the escalating dramatic tension. Would all the risk and hardship have been worth it? Just how much treasure was the crew after? What could one have bought with 700,000 pounds sterling in the 1700s? Even that question is answered in this newly annotated edition: it would have been enough to buy and outfit a fleet of eleven 104-gun battleships of the period. Seven hundred thousand pounds sterling was serious money, enough money that some men would do almost anything to get it.

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Riveting historical fiction from a debut novelist about the friendship that grows between two young indentured servants, one of them Irish, as they struggle to survive their harsh master in nineteenth century New England. It is 1839, Nine-year-old Ethan does not want to work for Mr. Lyman, the wealthy shopkeeper in their small Massachusetts’ town. But Ethan has no choice–it is the only way to pay off his family’s debt to the man. Ethan tries to befriend the Lymans’ other indentured servant, but Daniel, as everyone says, is a difficult boy. Sixteen years old, Irish, and moody, Daniel brushes off Ethan as if he were a pesky gnat. Ethan resolves to ignore the brusque older boy, but is then shocked to see how cruelly Mr. Lyman’s blows, and the two boys have only each other. Will Ethan be able to save his friend? And will others finally have the courage to do what is right for this not-so-difficult boy?

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Thirteen-year-old Shida, whose name means “problem” in Swahili, certainly has a lot of problems in her life — her father is dead, her depressed mother is rumored to be a witch, her family bears the weight of a curse, and everyone in her rural Tanzanian village expects her to marry rather than pursue her dream of becoming a healer.

So when the elders of Litongo make a controversial decision to move Shida’s people to a nearby village, Shida welcomes the change. Surely the opportunity to go to school and learn from a nurse can only mean good things. Nonetheless, mysterious calamities plague Shida’s people after their move. Desperate to stay, Shida must prove to her people that life can be better in their new home.

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We’re looking at one question: In 5,000 years, how did artists progress from creating works such as the Egyptian Hatshepsut to works such as Frishmuth’s The Vine (the two works on the cover of this ebook)? To find out, we focus on innovations that gave the artists who created them—and all artists who followed—greater power to make viewers stop, look, and think about sculptures.
This jargon-free essay will give you a framework for looking at any period of Western sculpture, so that you won’t be overwhelmed when you walk in the door of a museum. It’ll also help you find more subjects, styles, and periods that intrigue you and appeal to you—that show the world the way you think it can and ought to be. And what’s the point of looking at art, if not for moments like that?

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