It was late at night; very, very late at night. But somehow little Danielle Tiny couldn't sleep.Slowly she climbed out of the milk duds box that served as her bed, being careful not to disturb her brother, Aaron Tiny, who slept above her in an M&M box and her tiny twin sister Rachelle who slept nearby. Rachelle's bed was made from a peppermint candies box. Their mom and dad had made all their beds out of candy boxes so they would have sweet dreams every night, but tonight it wasn't ...

The Colosseum of Rome is one of the few ancient wonders that still survives to this day. Historians have learned much about this fantastic structure, and about the lives of Roman citizens through the study of this one building.It quickly became the center of Rome, the ultimate entertainment for the masses, and a tool for politicians.Built of stone and concrete over a period of ten years by 60,000 Jewish slaves, it has stood for nearly 2,000 years.Do you know:Wha...

It was a wonderful day. Little three-year-old Rachelle Tiny was in a good mood. She was pushing her brand new baby in its brand new stroller, up and down the passageways inside the walls of the big people's house. And all the while she was singing a happy song.Papa Tiny had made the stroller out of a half a walnut shell, with wheels made of four matching buttons.The teeny Tiny baby doll that fit in it was no more than half an inch tall from the top of its curly yarn head to t...

Roman gladiators have captured the interest of many modern people. We look at the practice of fighting to the death for a crowd's amusement as horrifying. But who were the actual gladiators and what do we really know about them?Do you know:How did gladiator fights start?Were all gladiators slaves or criminals?Were there women gladiators?What weapons did gladiators use?Did gladiators fight animals?Find out the answers to these questions and ...

Melville Dewey was a man of many talents. He is often called the father of modern library science. He developed a system for cataloging books that is still in widespread use today. He helped create New York's Lake Placid Club and bring the Olympics there. He was also a man with strong opinions.Melville Dewey was born in Adams Center, New York, on December 10, 1851.From a very young age, Melville loved books. The only problem was that there weren't enough of them around, espec...

George Washington was our first president and the father of our country. Many books and articles have been written about him, and his life has been studied thoroughly. We are also aided in knowing him by the many records he kept about his life, his farms, and his purchases.With all that information, some facts get lost in the shuffle. Here are a few fun facts about George Washington that you may not know.Do you know:Why did George Washington like to dance?Was Wa...

John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the United States. He was born to John and Abigail Adams on July 11, 1767, in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts.Adams grew up at his father's side, accompanying him on trips while his father carried out his political duties. At an early age, Adams began a political career of his own.He led a varied and interesting life, much of which he wrote about in a daily journal. Here are some of the interesting things in his life....

Jenny was scared. The courtroom was a new place to her. Even though she was scared, she wanted to be there. Jenny wanted her freedom.Jenny had asked the court to hear her case. She was suing John Whipple Jr., the man who said he was her master.He said Jenny was his slave. She said she was not a slave. She had been born to a white woman who was not a slave. That should mean that she was free.Jenny had been raised free. She grew up thinking of herself as a free person.

It was 1791. America was still a young country. Much of the land was not settled. Many people lived in forts, or they would live near a fort. Then they could run inside the fort if there was trouble.One of these people was Anne Bailey. Many people called her Mad Anne. She lived at Fort Lee with her husband John Bailey who was a Ranger.One day the Native Americans were going to attack the fort. The leaders of the fort checked their supplies. They were scared. They did not have...

There are many ways to measure the size of a volcano. You can measure its area, its height, how much lava it spewed out, how much destruction it caused or how many people it killed.But these measurements can change. A volcano that is still active may get larger. It may blow its top off, leaving a huge crater where once there was a mountain. Even the number of people it killed or the percentage of population can change. Do you only count those who were killed by the initial eruption,...

"Rider coming in!"The call rang out across the stable. Robert Haslam jumped up from his seat and ran to get his horse. He had already put the reigns and the saddle on it. He knew that it was his turn to run the Pony Express mail.Pony Bob, as he was called by his friends, loved his job. He loved the excitement of running the mail as fast as he could through the wilderness.And right now the rides were more exciting than ever. The Paiute Indians were on the war path....

Why do we celebrate Columbus Day? Christopher Columbus wasn't the first man to discover America. He wasn't even the first European to set up a town in America. In fact, there were lots of people here before him.Many people think that the first man to explore North America was Leif Erikson. Leif's father was Erik Thorvaldson. He was also known as Erik the Red.Leif Erikson was the oldest son of Erik the Red. He was born around 970. When he was a child, he moved with his parents...