A 2016 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults FinalistIn 1924 the U.S. Army sent eight young men on a bold attempt to be the first to circumnavigate the globe by flight. Men from five other countries—Great Britain, France, Portugal, Italy, and Argentina—had the same goal. The race was on!First Flight Around the World documents the exciting journey of four American planes—the Chicago, Boston, New Orleans,...

The World Turned Upside Down is****a dramatic, gripping history of the Siege of Yorktown, the last major battle of the American Revolution, told through vastly different perspectives.In October 1781, American, French, and British forces converged on a small village named Yorktown—a place that the British would try to forget and Americans would forever remember. In his riveting, balanced, and thoroughly researched account of the Revolutiona...

A fresh middle-grade biography of George Washington, published in conjunction with the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, featuring never-before-published research, new insights, and full-color illustrations and archival artA farmer, a general, an entrepreneur, an enslaver, and America’s first president. This is the story of George Washington told like never before.Throughout his life, George Washington maintained a curiosity about the world and a thirst for...

The inspiring story behind the national anthem and the American flag comes alive in this "page-turning narrative [with] generous archival illustrations" ( Kirkus, starred review)."O say can you see" begins one of the most recognizable songs in the US. Originally a poem by Francis Scott Key, the national anthem tells the story of the American flag rising high above a fort after a night of intense battle during the War of 1812. But there is much more to the ...

Milestones of Flight takes readers soaring through the high points of American aviation: from the Wright brothers and their competitors to the military pilots who first circumnavigated the globe, from the initial space rocket to the moon walk, from the earliest manmade satellite to today’s spy drones. The book also describes what inventions—such as rocket propulsion, the wind tunnel, and the silicon chip—helped move flight upward and beyond. Profusely illustrated with objects from...

The Museum Educator's Manual addresses the role museum educators play in today's museums from an experience-based perspective. Seasoned museum educators author each chapter, emphasizing key programs along with case studies that provide successful examples, and demonstrate a practical foundation for the daily operations of a museum education department, no matter how small.The book covers:volunteer and docent management and training; exhibit development; program and event desi...

For more than twenty years, Tim Grove has worked at the most popular history museums in the United States, helping millions of people get acquainted with the past. This book translates that experience into an insider’s tour of some of the most interesting moments in American history. Grove’s stories are populated with well-known historical figures such as John Brown, Charles Lindbergh, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacagawea—as well as the not-so-famous. Have you heard of Mary Picke...

A dramatic, gripping history of the Siege of Yorktown, the last major battle of the American Revolution, told through vastly different perspectivesIn October 1781, American, French, and British forces converged on a small village named Yorktown—a place that the British would try to forget and Americans would forever remember. In his riveting, balanced, and thoroughly researched account of the Revolutionary War’s last pivotal conflict, author-historian Tim Grove fol...

The little-known and inspiring story behind the national anthem and the stars and stripes“O say can you see” begins one of the most recognizable songs in the US. Originally a poem by Francis Scott Key, the national anthem tells the story of the American flag rising high above a fort after a night of intense battle during the War of 1812. But there is much more to the story than what is sung at ball games. What was this battle about? Whose bombs were bursting, and why were rockets g...

A fresh middle-grade biography of George Washington, published in conjunction with the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, featuring never-before-published research and new insightsA farmer, a general, an entrepreneur, an enslaver, and America's first president. This is the story of George Washington told like never before.Throughout his life, George Washington maintained a curiosity about the world and a thirst for knowledge. His quest as a lifelong learner ...

Amelia Earhart was a woman of many "firsts." In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she also became the first woman to fly across the Pacific. From her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance while attempting a flight around the world, readers will find Amelia Earhart's life a fascinating story.

“Simon Winchester never disappoints, and The Men Who United the States is a lively and surprising account of how this sprawling piece of geography became a nation. This is America from the ground up. Inspiring and engaging.” —Tom BrokawSimon Winchester, acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Atlantic and The Professor and the Madman, delivers his first book about America: a fascinating popular history that illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and ...