"You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar." --Shaesta WaizShaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in her family to go to college, and overcome her fear of flying. After becoming a pilot, Shaesta made the flight of a lifetime by crossing five continents, making thirty stops in twenty-two...

Who won the first Daytona 500? What do teams do to prepare their cars for 500 miles of hard, high-speed racing? Who gave the Daytona 500 the nickname the "Great American Race"? Learn all about stock car racing's biggest event and the drivers and crew who make it possible in this fascinating, fact-filled book. You will join in the excitement of forty-three cars running nose-to-tail and side-by-side at almost 200 miles per hour. You'll also discover the rich history of stock car racing and f...

In this biography for middle-grade readers, Nancy Roe Pimm tells the story of Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world. In her trusty Cessna, The Spirit of Columbus—also known as Charlie—she traveled from Columbus, Ohio, on an eastward route that totaled nearly twenty-three thousand miles and took almost a month. Overcoming wind, ice, mechanical problems, and maybe even sabotage, Mock persevered.Mock caught the aviation bug at seven ye...

Learn the surprising hidden history behind Military Working Dog Teams, the dynamic duo that works hard every day to make the world safer.The U.S. military has spent billions on technology to detect roadside bombs, and still nothing beats a Military Working Dog paired with his best friend. Working together, dogs and humans have changed how the military keeps us safe.Through the stories of a dozen heartwarming friendships between two-legged and four-legged so...

World War II soldier Bill Wynne met Smoky while serving in New Guinea, where the dog, who was smaller than Wynne’s army boot, was found trying to scratch her way out of a foxhole. After he adopted her, she served as the squadron mascot and is credited as being the first therapy dog for the emotional support she provided the soldiers. When they weren’t fighting, Bill taught Smoky hundreds of tricks to entertain the troops. Smoky became a war hero herself at an airstrip in Luzon, the Philipp...

Learn why zookeepers at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio had to start acting like gorilla mothers.

Does this blind slow-moving fish catch fast seals?

What would you do with sudden riches? Explore the wealth of possibilities in this priceless collection of short stories featuring the talents of Steve Bradshaw, John Burgette, Karen Busler, Beth Krewson Carter, Judy Creekmore, Frank DiBianca, Kay DiBianca, Gary Fearon, Larry Fitzgerald, Wallace M. Graham, Ronald Lloyd, Annette Cole Mastron, Nick Nixon, Doyne Phillips, Barbara Ragsdale, Nancy Roe and Jan Wertz. For this audiobook, most of the authors step out from behind the page and narrat...

Who won the first Daytona 500? What do teams do to prepare their cars for 500 miles of hard, high-speed racing? Who gave the Daytona 500 the nickname the "Great American Race"? Learn all about stock car racing's biggest event and the drivers and crew who make it possible in this fascinating, fact-filled book. You will join in the excitement of forty-three cars running nose-to-tail and side-by-side at almost 200 miles per hour. You'll also discover the rich history of stock car racing and f...

The Desert Hawk is the story of James F. "Stocky" Edwards, one of Canada’s greatest WWII air aces, a fighter pilot who earned his nickname not because of his build, but because he would stand up to anything. A Saskatchewan farm boy whose bird-shooting skills would serve him well later in battle, he joined the RCAF and at 20 years old was leading the 260 Squadron over more senior officers. Edwards racked up victories in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany, and by war’s end he w...

**ONE OF TIME’S BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF ALL TIME • This deeply affecting novel follows a too-young-to-enlist teenager as he becomes a Navajo Code Talker—one of the best kept secret weapons in WWII.“Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find.”—Booklist, starred review**The United States is at war, and sixteen-year-old Ned Begay wants to join the caus...

New York Times–Bestselling Author: A young-adult version of Trident K9 Warriors by the military dog trainer, full of "inspiring and hair-raising stories" ( Booklist).Trident K9 Warriors gave readers an inside look at the Navy SEAL teams' elite K9 warriors—who they are, how they're trained, and the extreme missions they undertake to save lives. From detecting explosives to eliminating the bad guys, these powerful dogs are also some...