"Long before Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling, there were Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, and J. R. R. Tolkien . . . This will bring the creator to vivid life" ( Booklist).A philologist of world renown, a professor at Oxford, and the author of academic treatises, J.R.R. Tolkien was far more than a fantasy book writer. His lifelong fascination with medieval texts and languages gave him a unique vision and endless inspiration for his tales. His broad interests made po...

This is the story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected…‘A flawless masterpiece’The TimesBilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey ‘ther...

WHEN YOU GROW up in a small town in the north woods, you have to make your own excitement. High spirits, idiocy, and showing off for the girls inspire Gary Paulsen and his friends to attempt:• Shooting waterfalls in a barrel• The first skateboarding• Breaking the world record for speed on skis by being towed behind a souped-up car, and then . . . hitting gravel• Jumping three barrels like motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel, except they only have bikes...

American Biographies Series provides descriptions and stories of people important in the history of the United States. Including the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death, the series also presents highlights of various aspects of his or her life.Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of a...

Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya Angelou had a difficult childhood. Jim Crow laws segregated blacks and whites in the South. Her family life was unstable at times. But much like her poem, "Still I Rise," Angelou was able to lift herself out of her situation and flourish. She moved to California and became the first black—and first female—streetcar operator before following her interest in dance. She became a professional performer in her twenties and toured the U.S. and Europe as an opera st...

Peter Sís's remarkable biography The Pilot and the Little Prince celebrates the author of The Little Prince, one of the most beloved books in the world.Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in France in 1900, when airplanes were just being invented. Antoine dreamed of flying and grew up to be a pilot—and that was when his adventures began. He found a job delivering mail by plane, which had never been done before. He and his fellow pilots traveled to f...

In this fascinating, moving autobiography, Lois Lowry explores her rich history through personal photographs, memories, and recollections of her childhood. Lowry’s writing often transports readers into other worlds. Now, we have the rare opportunity to travel into a real world that is her own—her life.This new edition features a refreshed design, an introduction by New York Times best-selling author Alice Hoffman, and original material from Lois as she shares memories from ...

Revised and updated, the autobiography of the Master of Fright, RL Stine!The autobiography of RL Stine, creator of the Goosebumps series, now a motion picture in theaters October 16, 2015!Has he had a horrifying life?-Was RL Stine a SCARY kid?-Did he have a WEIRD family?-Did his friends at school think he was STRANGE?- Why does he like to TERRIFY his readers?-Where does he get the frightening ideas for his stories?All of your questions about best-selling your favor...

Meet the man who created Alice, the Mad Hatter, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!Lewis Carroll is the pen name of Charles L. Dodgson, a mathematician and church deacon, who taught at Oxford University. He was inspired to write his best known works, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by one of the Dean's daughters, Alice Liddell. The books were hugely successful and brought Carroll wide acclaim, especially for the nonsen...

In 1977, when Zhongmei Lei was eleven years old, she learned that the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy was having open auditions. She'd already taken dance lessons, but everyone said a poor country girl would never get into the academy, especially without any connections in the Communist Party of the 1970s. But Zhongmei, whose name means Faithful Plum, persisted, even going on a hunger strike, until her parents agreed to allow her to go. She traveled for three days and two nights to get t...

Tom Sawyer is among the best-known, most-loved characters in American fiction. As everyone remembers, he and Huck Finn camped on an island, got lost in a cave, and visited an old graveyard at midnight. These adventures were based upon the author's real boyhood experiences along the Mississippi River. Trace Mark Twain's life from 1835, when his birth was heralded by Halley's Comet, to 1910, when the comet returned upon his death, in this fascinating biography by Newbery Honor author Sterlin...

Meet the father of science fiction, Jule Verne.Born in France in 1829, Jules Verne always dreamed of adventure. At age 11, he snuck onboard a ship headed for the Indies only to be discovered by his father and have his dreams dashed. After his father made him swear to only travel "in his imagination," Verne kept his promise for the rest of his life. He began writing adventure stories as a young man and became a popular writer throughout France. Known for mixing scie...