X-Books are for kids who love facts-especially in bite-sized portions and about fascinating, true subjects. As plentiful images and graphical representations stimulate visual perception, readers will be drawn into learning how to use informational texts. Each title is framed by a signature Top 5 countdown feature that not only serves as an example of sequential order but also narrates a brief story within the main topic: in X-Books: Fighters, these sidebars summarize the extraordinary true tales of famous warriors throughout history. Count down the world's most extreme fighters, and launch a lifetime of reading without limits!

Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award Recipient of a Bologna Ragazzi Non-Fiction Special Mention Honor Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 From celebrated author and illustrator Ashley Bryan comes a deeply moving picture book memoir about serving in the segregated army during World War II, and how love and the pursuit of art sustained him. In May of 1942, at the age of eighteen, Ashley Bryan was drafted to fight in World War II. For the next three years, he would face the horrors of war as a black soldier in a segregated army. He endured the terrible lies white officers told about the black soldiers to isolate them from anyone who showed kindness-including each other. He received worse treatment than even Nazi POWs. He was assigned the grimmest, most horrific tasks, like burying fallen soldiers...but was told to remove the black soldiers first because the media didn't want them in their newsreels. And he waited and wanted so desperately to go home, watching every white soldier get safe passage back to the United States before black soldiers were even a thought. For the next forty years, Ashley would keep his time in the war a secret. But now, he tells his story. The story of the kind people who supported him. The story of the bright moments that guided him through the dark. And the story of his passion for art that would save him time and time again. Filled with never-before-seen artwork and handwritten letters and diary entries, this illuminating and moving memoir by Newbery Honor-winning illustrator Ashley Bryan is both a lesson in history and a testament to hope.

A gripping first-hand account of life back home during World War Two. Britain has been fighting the Second World War for five years and, with his father away serving in the navy, Jimmy feels responsible for looking after his mother and sister. But when he loses track of time at the cinema, Jimmy finds himself in real trouble. It's dark and the sirens are blaring - it's a bombing raid! Forced to spend the night in a shelter, when he finally gets home, there's no home to go to. The house has been bombed out and his mother and sister are nowhere to be found. How will Jimmy survive alone on the dangerous streets of London? And will he ever find his family? BOOKS IN THE SERIES Blackout (WW2) Coming Home (WWI) Escape From Pompeii Freedom (slavery) Independence (Ireland 1920) Plague Titanic

Age range 9+ Readers will be captivated as they explore the lives, weapons and battle tactics of history's most legendary pirates. Dynamic images and an engaging use of graphics entice readers into the text as they learn about these renegade fighters. Children across a broad age range will enjoy the Top 5 feature and the story each entry contains.

This book gives an exciting overview of the US Army, from when it first formed to its missions and members today, as well as their tasks, equipment, and training. Short paragraphs of easy-to-read text are paired with plenty of photos to make reading engaging and accessible. The book also includes a table of contents, fun facts, sidebars, comprehension questions, a glossary, an index, and a list of resources for further reading. Apex books have low reading levels (grades 2-3) but are designed for older students, with interest levels of grades 3-7.

Find out how this one-time American hero became the country's most notorious traitor. As a young child, Benedict Arnold never shied away from a fight. So when the French and Indian War began in 1754, Benedict was eager to join the militia and fight for the British colonies in America. And when he was eighteen years old, he got his chance. Arnold had no idea that less than twenty years later, he would be fighting against the British in the Revolutionary War. Now the captain of his own militia, Benedict won the admiration of his troops and George Washington when he captured a major British fort. He continued fighting for the colonies and was even considered a patriotic war hero after being wounded in battle. But in 1780, Benedict made a decision that no one could anticipate. He betrayed his fellow Americans and joined the British army. Author James Buckley Jr. takes us through Benedict's life and explains the events that led him to switch sides and become the most famous turncoat in American history.

A young reader's edition of The Volunteer - Jack Fairweather's Costa Book of the Year 2020. An extraordinary, eye-opening account of the Holocaust. Occupied Warsaw, Summer 1940: Witold Pilecki, a Polish underground operative, accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands interned at a new concentration camp, report on Nazi crimes, raise a secret army and stage an uprising. The name of the camp - Auschwitz. Over the next two and half years, and under the cruellest of conditions, Pilecki's underground sabotaged facilities, assassinated Nazi officers and gathered evidence of terrifying abuse and mass murder. But as he pieced together the horrifying Nazi plans to exterminate Europe's Jews, Pilecki realized he would have to risk his men, his life and his family to warn the West before all was lost. To do so meant attempting the impossible - but first he would have to escape from Auschwitz itself... For children aged 12 and up. Written from exclusive access to previously hidden diaries, family and camp survivor accounts, and recently declassified files. Critically acclaimed and award-winning journalist Jack Fairweather brilliantly portrays the remarkable man who volunteered to face the unknown. This extraordinary and eye-opening account of the Holocaust invites us all to bear witness.

What do you know about the Civil War? What if you lived in a different time and place? What would you wear? What would you eat? How would your daily life be different? Scholastic's If You Lived... series answers all of kids' most important questions about events in American history. With a question and answer format, kid-friendly artwork, and engaging information, this series is the perfect partner for the classroom and for history-loving readers. What if you lived during the Civil War? Would you be allowed to be a soldier? How would you communicate? What is the true story of the battle between the states? Denise Lewis Patrick answers all these questions and more in this comprehensive guide to the Civil War. A great choice for Civil War units, and for teaching children about this important moment in American history.

The Second World War 1939-45 examines the causes of the war and details the course of the conflict in Western Europe, the USSR, Africa and the Pacific. It also describes the experiences of civilians, resistance fighters, prisoners of war and Holocaust victims.

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available. The Battle of Hastings was a pivotal point in England's history. Power changed hands and the country was set on a different course. But what caused this to happen? Discover the reason for King Harold's downfall. Lime Plus/Band 11+ books provide challenging plots and vocabulary as well as opportunities to practise inference, prediction and reading stamina. Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall. Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities. The Battle of Hastings is often remembered as the last invasion of England and a turning point in the history of the country. For Ben it represents not only a fascinating one-day battle during a pivotal time in Middle Age warfare and weaponry, but also the beginning of French rule in Britain. This lasted for over 400 years and followed Viking and Roman occupations of the country. These cultures together help make up the melting pot that is Britain today. The history of warfare, weaponry and warriors is an endlessly fascinating subject. Among Ben's titles in this area are books about Vikings, the Samurai, Roman gladiators and the Trojan war. Writing about the Battle of Hastings was a great excuse to look more closely at this important moment in history.

Captain Wilm Hosenfeld was an ardent admirer of Adolf Hitler, but after witnessing Nazi brutality, he was moved to become a rescuer. Hosenfeld's heroism was not known outside Poland until The Pianist, a best-selling book later made into an Academy Award winning movie, revealed an amazing man whose compassion for Poles and Jews saved more than 80 people.