History comes to life in this dynamic volume! Here are inside views of twenty writers—people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods. Included are William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jane Austen, Emily Dickenson, Charles Dickens, and many others.

Which president barked likes a dog—and why did another bark like a seal? Who threw lavish dinner parties with twenty-nine courses—and who was so disliked that his parties were boycotted? Which president had eighty pairs of pants? And which liked to remove his pants (and everything else) for a dip in the pool, expecting everyone around him to skinny-dip too? The presidents of the United States have been different not only in politics, but also as people. Kathleen Krull looks at our nation’s...

It's no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these people—and other famous musicians—really like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? What were they like as children? What were their phobias, obsessions, and bad habits? And what did their neighbors think of it all? Here are the fascinating and often humorous stories of twenty famous musicians—people of all shap...

In this entertaining, informative collection, listeners will discover the idiosyncrasies—sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic—of twenty famous artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Peter Bruegel, Sofonisba Anguissola, Rembrandt van Rijn, Katsushika Hokusai, Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, Käthe Kollwitz, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O'Keeffe, William H. Johnson, Salvador Dali, Isamu Noguchi, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Andy Warhol.

Winner of the Newbery Honor, My Brother Sam is Dead brings the Revolutionary War to life in this contemporary classic for young adults.The classic story of one family torn apart by the Revolutionary WarAll his life, Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother. Sam is smart and brave, and is now a part of the American Revolution. Not everyone in town wants to be a part of the rebellion. Most are supporters of the British, including Tim and Sam’s father.With the war soon ...

Not all governments have been run by men. Lives of Extraordinary Women turns the spotlight on the women who have wielded power, revealing their feats—and flaws—for all the world to see. Here you'll find twenty of the most influential women in history: queens, warriors, prime ministers, first ladies, revolutionary leaders. Some are revered. Others are notorious. But they were all real people with private interests and personalities. What were they really like? What did they do for ...

The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place.Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one.That letter was the beg...

If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Pat...

Shade, a young silverwing bat, is the runt of his colony. Determined to show how brave he is, Shade breaks one of the ancient rules that governs the bats. As punishment, owls burn the bats' roost, forcing them to migrate earlier than normal. While on the trip south to the Hibernaculum, Shade becomes separated from his flock during a rain storm. His destination is millions of wing beats away. Now he must find a way to make the journey on his own. Along the way, he'll meet up with bats of di...

"Are you in a bad mood or something?" asked Rocky."Or something," said Judy Moody.Bad moods, good moods, even back-to-school moods—Judy Moody has them all! When her teacher assigns the class the task of creating "Me" collages, it puts Judy in a cut-and-paste mood!Meet Judy Moody, her little "bother" Stink, her best friend Rocky, and her "pest" friend Frank Pearl. They're guaranteed to put you in a very Judy Moody mood...or something.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the evergreen classic novel by Louisa May Alcott.With their father away fighting in the American Civil War, the four March girls are facing a lean Christmas with their mother. But the sisters’ close bond and determination to make the best of things enables them to find happiness despite their poverty.As the years go by we follow their fortunes as they journey into womanhood. Meg the beauty, Jo the tomboy, shy Beth and precocious Amy ...

In this New York Times bestselling memoir, Malala Yousafzai—the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize—inspires young readers with her stunning story of resilience and power.I Am Malala. This is my story.Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school.Raised in a once-peaceful area of...