A worldwide conflict, World War II involved alliances between political leaders and military forces from many different countries, including the United States and Canada. This fascinating book looks at key figures involved during this war of expansion by invasion. Brief biographies give details of the lives and actions of political leaders Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Truman, Stalin, Hirohito, and Tojo; military leaders Rommel, Goring, Donitz, Dowding, Pound, MacArthur, and Patton; as well as flying aces, code breakers, and activists.

New York Times bestseller, now adapted for young readers, Flags of Our Fathers is the unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history: the raising of the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima.
Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America. In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima–and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island’s highest peak. And there, they raised a flag. The son of one of the flag raisers has written a powerful account of six very different men who came together in the heroic battle.

When troops entered Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the South seemed to be winning the Civil War. But Gettysburg was a turning point. After three bloody days of fighting, the Union finally won the battle. Inspired by the valor of the many thousands of soldiers who died there, President Lincoln visited Gettysburg to give a brief but moving tribute. His Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in American history.

Why did the world find itself immersed in another global conflict only two decades after World War I? World War II: From the Rise of the Nazi Party to the Dropping of the Atomic Bomb introduces kids ages 12 to 15 to the political, military, and cultural forces that shook the globe from 1939 to 1945 and beyond. Germany suffered terribly after World War I, due to the harsh repercussions imposed on the country with the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Hitler and the Nazi party, with their extremist views on racial superiority and their eagerness to erase certain ethnicities and cultures through systemic murder, found a country ready to rise up and conquer weaker nations. Totalitarianism wasn't limited to Germany, however. The Axis countries of Italy and Japan also saw opportunities to overcome surrounding nations. The early events of the 1940s convinced the Allied countries of France, Britain, Russia, and the United States to join forces against the aggressor nations. World War II invites middle school students to examine the events leading up to, during, and after WWII and the repercussions of these events on populations around the world. Readers learn about Germany's invasion of Poland and the resulting domino fall of events that engaged several countries and eventually caused the deaths of 60 million people, including 40 million civilians. They also see how the dark side of Hitler's ideology was always present, eventually resulting in the Holocaust, the systematic murder of 11 million people, including 6 million Jews and other populations. Through primary sources, essential questions, and engaging text, readers gain a comprehensive understanding of the politics, the economics, the strategy, and the human experience of this global conflict. They also work to find comparisons and parallels between the world as it was before and during WWII and as it is now. Investigative activities, including deconstructing patriotic songs of the era and examining maps of Europe, Asia, and Africa during different time periods serve as jumping-off points for further critical thinking and explorative inquiry as kids delve into the legacy of World War II. What did the world learn from World War II? Could World War II ever happen again? World War II is one book in a set of four that explore great events of the twentieth century. Inquire and Investigate titles in this set include The Vietnam War; World War II: From the Rise of the Nazi Party to the Dropping of the Atomic Bomb; Globalization: Why We Care About Faraway Events; and The Space Race: How the Cold War Put Humans on the Moon. Nomad Press books in the Inquire & Investigate series integrate content with participation, encouraging older readers to engage in student-directed learning as opposed to teacher-guided instruction. This student-centered approach provides readers with the tools they need to become inquiry-based learners. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Consistent with our other series, all of the activities in the books in the Inquire & Investigate series are hands-on, challenging readers to develop and test their own hypotheses, ask their own questions, and formulate their own solutions. In the process, readers learn how to analyze, evaluate, and present the data they collect. As informational texts our books provide key ideas and details from which readers can work out their own inferences. Nomad's unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. Soon they'll be thinking like scientists by questioning things around them and considering new approaches

World War II: 1939-1945 takes readers on a vivid journey through the most important events of the conflict, with illustrations by Mort Kunstler-one of American's foremost historical painters-and an inquiry-based text by renowned historian James I. Robertson, Jr.. Young readers are encouraged to look for details and discover key moments of the war-including Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the Battle of the Bulge-to learn how it really felt to be there. A timeline and short biographies of notable figures, such as Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, provide excellent supplements to each chapter. From high-action combat to soldiers reflecting post-battle, each scene captures a historically accurate, visually rich portrait of the war. No other living historical artist is as celebrated as Kunstler, and his work continues to attract history lovers of all ages.

1943, one year after the end of "Under the Blood-Red Sun," Tomi's Papa and Grandpa are still under arrest, and the paradise of Hawaii now lives in fear--waiting for another attack, while trying to recover from Pearl Harbor. As a Japanese American, Tomi and his family have new enemies everywhere, vigilantes who suspect all Japanese. Tomi finds hope in his goal of raising Papa's fishing boat, sunk in the canal by the Army on the day of the attack. To Tomi, raising Papa's boat is a sign of faith that Papa and Grandpa will return. It's an impossible task, but Tomi is determined. For just as he now has new enemies, his struggle to raise the boat brings unexpected allies and friends.

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 Philippines, where she helped save forty airplanes and hundreds of soldiers from imminent attack. After the war, Bill worked as a Hollywood animal trainer and then returned to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He and Smoky continued to perform their act, even getting their own TV show, How to Train Your Dog with Bill Wynne and Smoky. Nancy Roe Pimm presents Bill and Smoky's story to middle-grade readers in delightful prose coupled with rich archival illustrations. Children will love learning about World War II from an unusual perspective, witnessing the power of the bond between a soldier and his dog, and seeing how that bond continued through the exciting years following the war.

Young readers will be amazed by the photos of armored fighting vehicles, or AFVs, in this informative book. Military vehicles protected with plating, such as tanks, artillery, and personnel carriers, are featured along with explanations of how they work and how their armor plating protects them.

This series relates the overall chronology of major wars and shows their impact on everyday lives. What were the main events, and who were significant leaders and participants in the war? What was the strategic and technological nature of the conflicts? What happened to people on both sides?Why are the consequences of these wars still felt today?"