No matter how busy he was, Ben Franklin always found time to try out new ideas. Such as a remote-control lock (so he could stay in bed and lock his door), a rocking chair (which powered a fan), and a windmill (to turn his meat roaster). Aside from being a man of ideas, he was an ambassador to England, a printer, an almanac maker, a politician, and even a vegetarian (for a time).

The award-winning author takes readers behind the scenes at the Constitutional Convention for a good-humored history lesson, enlivened by dePaola?s quirky illustrations. ?Lively and spiced with bits of detail?The informed reporting that goes on here will give readers a new perspective on our government?s beginnings.? --Booklist, starred review ?Funny?and fascinating, this will be a delightful surprise to any child.? --Kirkus Reviews, pointer review ?Neatly woven into the discussion of what the framers were doing and how they did it are some wonderfully gossipy tidbits that are sure to catch young readers? imaginations and make it all come alive for them.? --School Library Journal

This entertaining volume sheds light on the life of England's King George III. It begins when he was a bashful boy who blushed easily, goes on to his early days as king, and finally examines his role in the American Revolution - when Americans ceased to think of him as good King George. Fascinating history made accessible for young readers.

Who says women shouldn't speak in public? And why can't they vote? These are questions Elizabeth Cady Stanton grew up asking herself. Her father believed that girls didn't count as much as boys, and her own husband once got so embarrassed when she spoke at a convention that he left town. Luckily Lizzie wasn't one to let society stop her from fighting for equality for everyone. And though she didn't live long enough to see women get to vote, our entire country benefited from her fight for women's rights. "Fritz?imparts not just a sense of Stanton's accomplishments but a picture of the greater society Stanton strove to change?.Highly entertaining and enlightening." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This objective depiction of AStanton's? life and times?makes readers feel invested in her struggle." — School Library Journal (starred review) "An accessible, fascinating portrait." — The Horn Book

Brady has never been trusted with secrets, until now. When he discovers an Underground Railroad station near his family's farm, he is forced to make his own decision about the slavery controversy. Whatever his decision may be, he knows that this is one secret that must be kept.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of the most puzzling mysteries in America's history. In 1587, 115 colonists sailed to the new world, eager to build the brand new Cittie of Raleigh, only to disappear practically without a trace. Where did they go? What could have possibly happened?

Who better to collect and share the clues than Jean Fritz and Hudson Talbott?

The creators of "Leonardo's Horse," an American Library Association Notable Book, again combine their masterful talents to illuminate a tragic piece of history that still fascinates Americans today.

Everyone knows about Paul Revere's big ride to Lexington. But not everyone knows the harrowing details and narrow escapes along the way. Did you know that Paul Revere forgot his spurs on his famous ride. Or that he whittled false teeth to make extra money? A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Full color.

"In a simple, short biography of Columbus she has been extraordinarily successful in extracting the essence of the man." -- The Horn Book. "Fritz's unconventional look at the great explorer who accidently discovered the New World reveals the navigator's obstinate as well as his visionary side." -- School Library Journal

In a story that is as gripping as it is historical, Jean Fritz reveals the true life of Pocahontas. Though at first permitted to move freely between the Indian and the white worlds, Pocahontas was eventually torn between her new life and the culture that shaped her.

From award-winning children s author Jean Fritz comes the incredible true account of the Long March, a six-thousand-mile journey across China

In 1986, Jean Fritz went to China and talked to survivors of the Long March. It is from their recollections and her own broad, personal knowledge of Chinese history that Fritz has written one of the most compelling accounts of the incredible six-thousand-mile journey across China made by the Communist Army in 1934 and 1935.

Fritz takes us on the route of the sixty-mile-long First Front Army, the unit of Mao Zedong that wound its way through a terrain so perilous it was often more threatening than their battles with the enemy. The fear of a young soldier on Old Mountain afraid to go to sleep in case he might roll over and fall off the cliff is real to us; the drama and devastation that reduced the Red Army to twenty thousand men and women are immediate. And when the army crosses the thundering Dadu River on the threadbare remains of a bridge, we cross our fingers and hope to make it, too.

Skillfully placing events within the context of history, Fritz allows us to view them with the perspective of time, and, as she shares the memories of those she talked with, she brings humanness and intimacy to the participants and their unforgettable journey.