On this day in 1893, the first open heart surgery was performed

Or so I thought. Then I started looking into it. Doctor Daniel Hale Williams, an African-American physician,  repaired a wound to the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart), but did not operate on the heart itself. It also appears that this was not the first time this type of operation was done. Approximately two years earlier, another physician by the name of Henry Dalton performed a nearly identical procedure.

Vivien Thomas, subject of an Enslow Elementary title, was not a physician, but worked with Alfred Blalock, including assisting Blalock in an operation on the first blue baby syndrome case in November 1944. The two worked together for many years. Even though Vivien Thomas never received his medical degree, he trained many aspiring surgeons using his efficient surgery techniques.

Posted by Pam.

Summer Reading Programs for Kids

It's not too late to sign your kids up for summer reading programs. In addition to your local library, check for programs around your community. Here are just a few of the dozens of summer reading incentives we've collected to get your kids started on the road to summer reading. What is your favorite summer reading program?

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading - Kids earn a free book
Scholastic Summer Challenge - Log your minutes for a chance to win a prize
Pizza Hut Summer Break Reading Challenge Sweepstakes - A chance to win "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" prize package
TD Bank Summer Reading Program for Kids - Read 10 books get $10
Chuck E. Cheese Rewards Calendar - Get 10 free tokens
Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program - Earn $5 in HPB Back-to-School Bucks

And the winner is...

Judy Cunningham with the San Diego Public Library! She's the lucky winner of our raffle drawing from ALA for a free Nookcolor. Congratulations Judy!

Enslow's Historical Fiction Explores the American Experience

Book Three of the
Hannah Pritchard adventure stories

Enslow Publishers has proudly produced high-quality K-12 nonfiction books since 1976. We've also started to publish fiction suitable for young readers. Among our efforts are historical fiction works focusing on episodes in the American story. These tales feature young fictional characters who face dramatic challenges and meet exciting people through the course of a 160-page narrative. The books range in AR reading level from 4.5 to 7.0. Subjects are as varied as the Salem witchcraft trial, the Civil War, and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. There's also a wonderful trilogy by author Bonnie Pryor based on the adventures of a female pirate, Hannah Pritchard. The titles include Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution, Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured! and Captain Hannah Pritchard: The Hunt for Pirate Gold.

Each of the ten books in Enslow's Historical Fiction Adventures is available in a library-bound edition for $20.95. That price, available to schools and public libraries, represents a 25% discount from Enslow's list price.

Celebrate the American spirit with Enslow's Historical Fiction Adventures! 

Anniversary of grand opening of first store

978-0-7660-2692-6

On this day in 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart. Within 20 years, that first store was the first of 551 in 15 states. He had started working at a J. C. Penney store, and became friends with the Butler brothers who owned the chain of stores that went by the Ben Franklin name. He worked for them for a while before wanting to open his own store.

Now open in 15 countries, under 55 different names, and 8,500 stores, Walmart has become a brand-name, known for its reasonable merchandise prices.

A biography of Sam Walton was written by Sally Lee and is part of Enslow's People to Know Today series. Written for the middle school market, this book is a great read for entrepreneurial students.

Don't forget about our monthly raffle!

Believe it or not, another month has flown by! Don't forget to sign up for Enslow's monthly raffle of $100 in free books!

Ice Cream Friday

We've been watching the ice cream truck drive past our office all week, so today we decided to make it "Ice Cream Friday."

Have a great weekend everyone!

4th of July Celebrations

On July 4th families around the country will most likely be celebrating with parades, fireworks and barbecues. Remember to take some time to explain to children why we celebrate this American holiday.



The 4th of July
ISBN: 978-0-7660-3806-6
FREE Educator's Guide Available
Grades PreK–1




Check out Family Fun for some great 4th of July ideas for your celebration.

Happy Birthday, Derek Jeter!

New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter celebrates his 38th birthday today. For a professional athlete, high level performance is an unrelenting activity. When that athlete plays in a big-time market, the expectations from fans, teammates, and management become even greater. Jeter has successfully navigated those demands and has done so in baseball's most visible platform. What's truly remarkable is that Jeter is enjoying one of his finest seasons at an age when most players' skills, especially those of infielders, are in steep decline.

Jeter's career challenges and fascinating life story provide excellent material for young readers to discover. Enslow Publishers' currently offers two biographies of the New York Yankee star. Read About Derek Jeter, part of Enslow's "I Like Sports Stars" series, is a 24-page book suitable for early readers. Author David Torsiello's Guided Reading Level "I" text dovetails with the work's exciting color photos and reader-friendly type size. The book is available in paperback for $6.95. A library-bound edition is also available for $15.95; that price represents a 25% school/library discount from Enslow's list price for the book.


For older readers, Derek Jeter: Captain On and Off the Field, from Enslow's "Sports Stars with Heart" series, is the way to go. Author Tom Robinson's 128-page work provides a wealth of information on Jeter's professional accomplishments. The book's Guided Reading Level "V" narrative is enhanced with useful pull-outs and excellent color photos. Robinson's title is available in paperback for $9.95; a library-bound edition may also be purchased directly from Enslow for the discounted school/library price of $23.95.


Happy birthday, Derek! 

The United States Constitution

978-0-7660-4067-0

Adopted on September 17, 1787, the Constitution has been the supreme law of the United States. Fifty-five delegates, gathered at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, created this document, which defines the roles and responsibilities of the federal and state governments as well as the rights of United States citizens.

Discussing the three branches of the Constitution and explaining their roles in government, as well as a discussion about the Bill of Rights, helps middle school readers in their understanding of this important document.

Free Book Giveaway at ALA

We will be giving away FREE copies of our Chilling Tales of Horror book, from our Dark Graphic Novels series, to the first 30 people who stop by our booth # 2467 at the opening of the show on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.. Just mention where you read about our giveaway to receive your FREE copy.

Let illustrator Pedro Rodríguez lead you into a world of terror, insanity, and the supernatural with these seven classic horror stories that will keep you awake at night: "The Hand" by Guy de Maupassant; "Sir Dominick's Bargain" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu; "The House of Nightmare" by Edward Lucas White; "The Vampire" by John William Polidori; "House B on Camden Hill" by Catherine Crowe; "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson; and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. This title includes safe 'PG' text and illustrations. This collection also includes a brief biography of each author.

We look forward to seeing you!

How to find us at ALA

We will be exhibiting at the ALA Annual Conference  in Anaheim California June 21–26.

Please be sure to stop by our booth # 2467. The Annual Conference is a great place to network, learn more about your profession, and let us know how we can serve your needs for the future.

We look forward to seeing you!

Happy First Day of Summer!

Here are some fun summer titles for young readers!

Summer Colors from our All About Colors of the Seasons series

ISBN: 978-0-7660-3907-0
PreK–1

Why Is It Summer? from our Why Do We Have Seasons? series

ISBN: 978-0-7660-3987-2
Grades K–3

Jazz Musicians Included in New African-American Collective Biography Series

Many jazz books for young readers understandably focus on the music's biggest names. However, that approach tends to narrowcast biographies to jazz's A-list. Unfortunately, important, fascinating figures are often lost in the shadows of presenting the life stories and musical contributions of globally-known figures.

To meet this challenge, Enslow Publishers presents its new "African-American Collective Biographies" series. This six-book group provides biographical sketches of prominent leaders as well as those of lesser-known contributors to culturally important endeavors. Incredible African-American Jazz Musicians, one of the books in the series, successfully incorporates that paradigm. Author Stephen Feinstein's well-written work features biographies of seminal figures such as Miles Davis. Readers and librarians will enjoy how the books' lively design leverages color photographs and illustrations to great advantage. As with all titles in the series, Feinstein's work also includes a brief timeline of each artist's life and achievements.

An excellent choice for reluctant readers, this 112-page book is well suited for grades 5 and up. This book, part of Enslow's Fall 2012 new releases, will be available in library-bound editions for $23.95. That cost represents a 25% school/library discount from Enslow's list price.

  

Today is the anniversary of the first American woman in space

978-0-7660-4073-1 library
978-1-4644-0078-0 paperback

On June 18, 1983, Dr. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. This was the second flight for Challenger, and the first flight for a five-person crew. Dr. Ride was a mission specialist, and during this flight, they deployed a satellite for Canada as well as one for Indonesia, among other duties. They spent 147 hours in space before landing. This is the same space shuttle that exploded in January 1986.

Enslow Publishers has recently published a six-book series entitled American Space Missions. Dr. Ride is mentioned in the Space Shuttle Disaster title, when President Ronald Reagan asked her to be part of the Rogers Commission, which was formed to try to determine the cause of the accident.

Written for the reluctant reader, this series will keep those students who are interested in space wanting to read all of them. Other titles in the series include: The Coolest Job in the World; Danger in Space; Eye on the Universe; Spacewalk; and Walking on the Moon.

Community Helpers and Common Core Standards

Look what's new for fall 2012! All About Community Helpers series will help to support your unit on community helpers and satisfy Common Core State Standards ELA, Speaking and Listening
Standards #1, #2, #3 for grades K–1.

Books in the series include:

Dentists Help Us
EMT's Help Us
Firefighters Help Us
Nurses Help Us
Police Officers Help Us
Sanitation Workers Help Us
Teachers Help Us
Veterinarians Help Us

Use nonfiction books to teach students about different community helper careers. Have each student choose a career they find interesting. They can use their speaking skills to discuss, in front of the class, what they learned about that career. Invite speakers such as police officers or firefighters into your classroom to speak about their career. Students can practice their listening skills and ask and answer questions during and after the visit. You can also ask students to use their speaking skills to present to the class, in an organized manner,  what they learned from their community helper.

Fun Flag Facts for Flag Day

     Flag Day is the official birthday of the U.S. flag.  It was on June 14, 1777 that the Continental Congress approved the flag design which was 13 alternating red and white stripes with a union of 13 white stars on a blue field.

If you have a flag that is so worn it is no longer fit to fly, you should know that Flag Day is when many American Legion Posts will conduct a dignified flag burning ceremony.

     

Library Binding ISBN: 978-0-7660-4057-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4644-0046-9

Did you know...

• A dozen seamstresses in Philadelphia are responsible for hand-embroidering each U.S. presidential flag.

• The flag is flown upside down only as a distress signal.

• Flag Day is not a federal holiday. 

• A foreign flag should be flown on its own pole and be the same size as the U.S. flag.

• The flag of one nation may not be displayed above that of another nation when flown together.

• When a flag passes in a procession, you should face the flag and salute.

Capture Young Reader Interest in Pro Basketball Finals with Enslow's LeBron James Biography

The NBA Finals, pro basketball's crown jewel series, begins this week. Among the participants is Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. One of the best known athletes in the country, "King James" is certain to draw interest from young readers passionate about basketball. One way for librarians to encourage young fans to read about these sports celebrities is to display age-appropriate biographies of these international stars.

Enslow Publishers' LeBron James: A Basketball Star Who Cares fits this profile. The 48-page, Guided Reading Level "O" title offers insights into James' life and career. Notably, author Kimberly Gatto's age-appropriate text includes a section on the player's philanthropic endeavors. By going outside the basketball arena, Gatto gives young readers a useful, humanizing perspective about star athletes' lives. This enriching dimension to the book makes it a solid addition to a library's sports biography collection, as well as a book parents would feel comfortable giving to their child.

LeBron James: A Basketball Star Who Cares, part of Enslow's six-book "Sports Stars Who Care" series, is available in paperback for $7.95. It is also in a library-bound edition for $17.95. That price reflects a 25% discount available to school and library customers.

It's Adopt a Shelter Cat Month!

Hopefully lots of cats will be adopted this month!

978-0-7660-3191-3

Learning to Care for a Cat, written by Felicia Lowenstein Niven, would be a great addition to a library collection, allowing families to read the book (before they adopt a new family member) in order to make sure that adopting a cat is the right move for them. Written for the elementary student, this title will allow elementary readers (and their families) understand what goes into caring for their new pet.

This 48 page title contains color photographs and has been approved by the American Humane Association. This library bound title is available to schools and public libraries for $17.95.

Who Will Win the Stanley Cup?

Library Binding: ISBN: 978-0-7660-3869-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-59845-357-7

Unlike other trophies, a new Stanley Cup is not made every year. Cup winners keep this trophy until another winner is crowned the following year. Who will win this year's Stanley Cup? That is yet to be determined.

Young hockey players who are inspired, by watching the top two teams battle it out, will want to brush up on their skills so they too can dream of playing on a professional team one day.

Top 25 Hockey Skills, Tips, and Tricks by Jeff Savage, includes tips on skating, controlling the puck, shooting, defense and how to get ready to play. For grades 4–up, this book provides basic instruction for the beginner and advanced tips, drills, and tricks that are used by the pros. This book, and others in the series, Top 25 Sports Skills, Tips, and Tricks, supports the National Standards for Physical Education and is great for students who play school or club sports.