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Who’s Got Mail? is an intriguing and fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. Full of eccentric characters, great stories, and technological achievements, this fun middle-grade narrative nonfiction from author Linda Barrett Osborne celebrates one of the oldest and strongest institutions, and is a true testament to the spirit of American democracy.

Everybody knows about the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But the founders weren't the only ones who believed that everyone had a right to freedom. Mumbet, a Massachusetts enslaved person, believed it too. She longed to be free, but how? Would anyone help her in her fight for freedom? Could she win against the richest man in town? Mumbet was determined to try. Mumbet's Declaration of Independence tells her story for the first time in a biography. Her brave actions set a milestone on the road toward ending slavery in the United States.

Reconstruction—the period after the Civil War—was meant to give newly freed Black people the same rights as white people. And indeed there were monumental changes once slavery ended—thriving new Black communities, the first Black members in Congress, and a new sense of dignity for many Black Americans. But this time of hope didn’t last long and instead, a deeply segregated United States continued on for another hundred years. Find out what went wrong in this fascinating overview of a troubled time.

In the winter of 1846-47, a group of eighty-seven pioneers heading from the Midwest to California found themselves snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range with no way forward and no food or supplies. While forty-eight of the group members survived, the others perished due to extreme weather, starvation, and illness. To survive, the remaining people resorted to extreme measures...including cannibalism.

First-grader Tomie dePaola experiences uncertainty in the weeks following the attack on pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. What are the grown-ups talking quietly about at home and even at school? Why does his class have to go to the spooky furnace room for an air raid drill? Why does the family hang thick black curtains over the windows? Tomie's mother is there to comfort and explain the confusion, and Tomie feels better. but he's still scared.

The Rise of the Cities discusses the factors leading to the settlement and growth of cities in the United States and examines some of the social problems that are part of city life. The authors explore the role of technological advances, governing strategies, and social welfare.

From crawling lice and deadly diseases to bloody battles and crammed prison camps, life was truly terrible for Union and Confederate soldiers. Get ready to explore the nasty side of life during the US Civil War.

In the 1960s, locked in a heated race to launch the first human into space, the United States selected seven superstar test pilots and former military air fighters to NASA's astronaut class - the Mercury 7. The men endured grueling training and constant media attention for the honor of becoming America's first space heroes. But a group of 13 women - accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors - were enduring those same astronaut tests in secret, hoping to defy social norms and earn a spot among the stars.

Two American athletes made history at the 1968 Summer Olympics, but not on the track. They staged a silent protest against racial injustice. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200-meter sprint, stood with heads bowed and black-gloved fists raised as the national anthem played during the medal ceremony.

When Oprah Winfrey was growing up, her family expected her to become a maid like her grandmother. But she had different dreams. She went after them and turned her dreams into reality, becoming a media superstar and inspiring countless other people along the way. Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton!

In 1859, the British and Americans coexist on the small island of San Juan, located off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. They are on fairly good terms—until one fateful morning when an innocent hog owned by a British man has the misfortune to eat some potatoes on an American farmer's land. In a moment of rash anger, Lyman Cutlar shoots Charles Griffin's pig, inadvertently almost bringing the two nations to war. Tensions flare, armies gather, cannons are rolled out . . . all because of a pig!

On July 1, 1916, witnesses watched in horror as twenty-eight-year-old Charles Vansant was attacked and killed by a shark in shallow water off Beach Haven, New Jersey—the first recorded shark attack in American history. Scientists claimed a shark could not be responsible, but more deadly attacks soon followed along the Jersey Shore and up the freshwater Matawan Creek, setting off a nationwide panic that led the White House to declare a “War on Sharks.”

With so many stories left untold, kids can often wonder if their ancestors had any part in shaping this great nation. Well kiddies, wonder no more! We got you! Parents, now you can pick up your copy of the American History series created by K. S. Horne.

You know Christopher Columbus, but can you say the same for Hernando de Soto? This book is dedicated to the explorations of Hernando de Soto and his expedition. In 1539, the Spanish explorer explored Florida. Also included in this book are discussions on the battle with the Cherokee Indians.

Visit the Palmetto State! Learn about South Carolina's history, geography, weather, people, and more in this book that's all about our eighth state.

MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach - most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for Whites only. Knowing something must be done, her grandfather bought a beach that African American families could enjoy without being reminded they were second-class citizens; he called it American Beach. Artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Ray Charles vacationed on its sunny shores. It's here that MaVynee was first inspired to sing, propelling her to later become a widely acclaimed opera singer who routinely performed on an international stage.

The life story of Major Robert Rogers, the New England frontiersman who recruited companies of colonial soldiers, known as Rogers' Rangers, to fight for the British in the French and Indian War, is a compelling mix of military intrigue and national identity. This feisty major codified colonial military strategies into a document, known as Standing Orders, and put these principles to practice in many battles, campaigns, and scouting.

The quiet Sunday morning was shattered as Japanese warplanes screamed toward the US Navy's Pacific Fleet without warning. The attack sent shockwaves around the globe, pushing the United States to enter World War II. Through powerful narrative storytelling, follow the tales of people who experienced the tragedy firsthand. Meets Common Core standards for narrative nonfiction and exploring multiple accounts of an event.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Since then, the famous speech has led to many stories about it—but not all of them are true. Listen to discover what’s real and what’s fiction!

Did you know that state universities in Virginia turned away more than 20,00 women in the early 1960s, but not a single man was denied admission? In the 1970s, the University of Georgia men's golf team got all the golf balls they needed, while the women's team was allowed only one per round. Here listeners are treated to the origins of the historic Title IX legislation that, among other things, mandated that equal funds must be available to boys' and girls' activities and interests.