Kyle Busch is one of the most controversial drivers in NASCAR. Many fans and teammates love him for his ability to win and his straightforward personality. What many do not know is that he also runs a foundation to help underprivileged kids, in addition to volunteering his time to assist charities run by other NASCAR drivers. Author: Ryan Basen.
John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, crossed the Allegheny Mountains during the dead of winter in 1797. Trudging through the snow and braving the cold wind, Chapman was headed for Warren, Pennsylvania. He had a plan to plant apple trees. He believed the settlers on the frontier would need them. Over the next fifty years, Johnny Appleseed planted many apple nurseries and became an iconic figure to American settlers on the frontier. Author Richard Worth.
On November 8, 1519, Hernán Cortés entered the magnificent Aztec city of Tenochtitlán in present-day Mexico. The stone city had intricately structured canals, bridges, and floating gardens. However, Cortés had not come to the city to admire its beauty. He and his soldiers arrived to conquer it and plunder its gold. In order to achieve his goal, Cortés went to battle with Montezuma, the great Aztec ruler. When the bloody fighting ended, Cortés began building a new Spanish colony that would change the course of history in Mexico. Author: Carl R. Green.
Dwight Howard is one of the most electrifying young basketball players today, as well as one of the most generous. After reaching the NBA finals in 2009, Howard's team, the Orlando Magic, has never been closer to its first championship. Howard started his own charity in 2004, the Dwight D. Howard Foundation, and often volunteers in the community and hosts his own basketball camps to help kids improve at the game. Author: Ryan Basen.
Focusing on the human-interest side of President Obama, his family, and his inauguration, these books are essentially photo-essays...Titles in the series include:
Gads Hill, Missouri was a tiny, peaceful town until Jesse James and his gang decided to commit the first peacetime train robbery in Missouri history. After robbing the train of thousands of dollars, the bandits left a note for the newspapers proclaiming their act "The Most Daring Robbery on Record." Many towns, trains, banks, and stagecoaches fell victim to the James-Younger gang. Although he was a criminal most of his life, Jesse James became a legendary figure in American history. Author Jeff Burlingame explores the life of this infamous outlaw.
After traveling thousands of miles through wild storms and uncharted seas, with few supplies remaining, Vasco da Gama reached his destination—the coast of India. In 1498, he became the first European explorer to connect Europe and Asia by sea. Throughout his lifetime, da Gama would travel to India three times, developing trade posts, strengthening military power, and expanding the Portuguese Empire. Although he was known for his ruthless behavior, author Tony Napoli explains Vasco Da Gama's important achievements made him a national hero and one of the great explorers in world history.
David Wright is the All-Star third baseman for the New York Mets. Off the field, Wright began the David Wright Foundation after the 2005 season. He became most involved in the fight against multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system consisting of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It can lead to numbness or even paralysis and blindness. Author: Marty Gitlin.
Looking out from his ship, Captain James Cook saw a field of ice disappearing into the horizon. Cook and his crew had crossed the Antarctic Circle in search of a mythical Southern Continent, but could proceed no farther. Captain Cook had sailed thousands of miles on the Pacific Ocean, exploring many Pacific islands like Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. He made charts that would be used into the twentieth century and proved no mythical continent existed. Author Stephen Feinstein examines the life of this famed British explorer.
"Who is it? Who is it?" Billy the Kid shouted in the dark room. Sheriff Pat Garrett, looming in the shadows, did not respond, but fired his gun at the voice. A bright flash lit up the room. After the commotion, a light went on to reveal Billy the Kid dead on the floor. William H. Bonney died at age twenty-one, but his short, wild life was filled with gun battles, violence, and crime. Although his boyish face and mild manner fooled people, the Kid was ruthless. He moved to the West as a young boy, and there his life and death would become an American legend. Author: Paul B. Thompson
On a dark, cold night, Harriet Tubman was leading a group of runaway slaves through the Maryland woods when they came across an unexpected river. With no path or boat to cross it, Tubman ordered her followers to wade the river on foot. Despite her group’s reservations, Tubman trudged across, leading the way. Harriet Tubman took many risks like this in leading runaway slaves to freedom. As a former slave, Tubman made it her life's work to fight slavery and, through her work on the Underground Railroad, she became an American hero. Author: R. Conrad Stein.
As British soldiers marched toward Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814, Dolley Madison bravely stayed at the White House waiting for her husband, President James Madison. Most residents had fled the city, but Dolley had to save important documents and valuables from the White House, including the famous painting of George Washington. Dolley left the city only hours before the British arrived. Dolley Madison had been a leading social and political figure in Washington for many years and helped to rebuild the American capital. Author Zachary Kent explores the life of this First Lady from her humble childhood to her legacy as a national hero.
