Before she was Princess Leia in Star Wars, Carrie Fisher was a young girl who loved to read and write and just happened to have famous parents. She never dreamed of being an actress like her mother, Debbie Reynolds, or a singer like her father, Eddie Fisher. When she auditioned for a sci-fi film on a whim, she had no idea it would change her life and turn her into a film icon. Carrie Fisher: Leia Forev...

Shannon Miller became an American hero at the 1992 Olympics when she won an impressive five gymnastics medals. Four years later, she captured two gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Regarded as one of the best gymnasts in U.S. history, the Olympic legend is still frequently cited as a role model by today’s top gymnasts.The ninth book in the GymnStars series, Shannon Miller: Olympic Legend recounts how the shy...

A model town at war with itself . . . George Pullman created an ideal community for his railroad car workers, complete with every amenity they could want or need. But when hard economic times hit in 1894, lay-offs follow and the workers can no longer pay their rent or buy food at the company store. Starving and desperate, they turn against their once benevolent employer. Emily Cabot and her friend Dr. Stephen Chapman bring much needed food and medical supplies to the town,...

The 11th installment of GymnStars profiles USA’s Final Five, the acclaimed gymnastics squad that earned team gold in record-setting fashion at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The award-winning children’s biography series features chapters on Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman. The Final Five: The Ultimate Unof...

Millions know Daisy Ridley as Rey in the Star Wars movies, but what was her life like before she got her big break? Daisy Ridley: Behind the Rebel tells the life story of the girl from Westminster, England, who grew up dreaming of becoming a veterinarian before discovering that she could sing, dance, and act. This children’s biography, filled with beautiful illustrations and photographs, will satisfy young readers interes...