Once books kick-start their brains, girls change history. Discover the foundation of reading that empowered some of the world’s most influential women in this informative and inspirational illustrated middle grade collection of twenty biographies. What do Cleopatra, Audre Lorde, and Taylor Swift have in common? They’re all influential women who grew up doing one very important thing: reading. This collection of short-form biographies tells the story of twenty groundbreaking women and how their childhood reading habits empowered them to change the world. From Cleopatra to Sally Ride to Amanda Gorman, the women featured in this collection are from all throughout history and all kinds of backgrounds. They are women who have and who continue to change the game in STEM, literature, politics, sports, and more. Most importantly, they are women who were born to read. For some, reading was forbidden, but they taught themselves to read anyway. For some, reading was a struggle, but they practiced and grew to love it. For some, reading was an escape from difficult realities. For all, reading was empowering.

"(Jill) Biden's anecdotal portrait of her spouse's early years spotlights his competitiveness and risk-taking...his role as a peacemaker, devoted brother, and defender of bullied peers...and reveals how...high school, when he became a star athlete and class president, paved the way for leadership roles in college and beyond." -Publishers Weekly "Young readers are likely to find inspiration and aspiration in young Joey as a relatable, athletic, and tenacious kid who grew into a civic leader." -School Library Journal Joey is the first ever picture book about the young life of Joe Biden, the 47th Vice President of the United States, and includes never before told family stories about the president-elect and former vice president's childhood-written by Jill Biden, his spouse. Joe Biden grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children. His parents always encouraged him and his siblings to be independent and strong. The family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where at twenty-nine, Biden was elected one the youngest United States Senators ever elected. This is his story.

Most people can name some famous artists and recognize their best-known works. But what's behind all that painting, drawing, and sculpting? What was Leonardo da Vinci's snack of choice while he painted Mona Lisa's mysterious smile? Why did Georgia O'Keeffe find bones so appealing? Who called Diego Rivera "Frog-Face"? And what is it about artists that makes both their work and their lives so fascinating--to themselves, to their curious neighbors, and to all of us? This book presents the humor and the tragedy in twenty artists' lives as no biography has done before.

Music and the alphabet have always gone together. Don't kids learn their letters by singing the ABCs? But you've never seen--or heard--a musical alphabet like this one. Beloved tunes. Unusual instruments. Legendary virtuosos. From anthems to zydeco, the language of music and the music of language harmonize in one superb symphony. It's a funky fusion for songsters of all ages! Includes endnotes.

It's no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these people--and other famous musicians--"really" like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? And--possibly most interesting of all--what did their neighbors think?
Discover the fascinating and often humorous stories of twenty famous musicians--people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods. Beginning with Vivaldi and ending with Woodie Guthrie, "Lives of the Musicians" brings musical history to life

A biography of Cesar Chavez, from age ten when he and his family lived happily on their Arizona ranch, to age thirty-eight when he led a peaceful protest against California migrant workers' miserable working conditions.

Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run--all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single olympiad. This dramatic and inspiring true story is illustrated in bold watercolor and acrylic paintings by Caldecott Medal-winning artist David Diaz.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, DC, to demand equal rights for all races. It was there that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, and it was this peaceful protest that spurred the momentous civil rights laws of the mid-1960s. With black-and-white artwork throughout and sixteen pages of photographs, the March is brought to life

Well-behaved women seldom make history. -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Many awe-inspiring women have changed the course of history. From fighting for social justice and women's rights to discovering and shaping our amazing country, women have left an indelible mark on our past, present, and future. But it's not easy to affect change, and these women didn't always play by the rules to make a difference! Kathleen Krull blends history and humor in this accessible young biography series. Sonia Sotomayor's path, from growing up in the projects to success in Ivy League universities to her rise in the legal profession is a true testament to the American dream. She broke the rules women were supposed to follow in her life and career, ultimately becoming the first Latino justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the third woman to serve the Court. Her determined spirit and achievements make her a role model and an inspiration.

A joyful, playful celebration of Lewis Carroll's love of language combined with an introduction to his life and the origin of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, exquisitely illustrated by Julia Sarda. The wordsmith Lewis Carroll is famed for the freewheeling world of Wonderland in his beloved classics Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. In this gloriously illustrated book, Carroll's childlike love of life is showcased alongside his brilliance at creating and adapting playful words and phrases. From brillig and uglification to frumious and chortle, the award-winning author Kathleen Krull uses many of Carroll's own words to tell the story of a man who wanted to make children laugh and whose legacy continues to entertain and delight. There is a glossary of Carroll's invented words at the back of the book. Julia Sarda's striking illustrations offer an interpretation of Lewis Carroll's work that is faithful to the spirit of his writing and the look of the real life Alice. Packed with rich and surprising details, Julia's artwork makes this a stunning book to treasure. Fans will enjoy the complete and unabridged edition of Alice's Adventures of Wonderland with gorgeous colour illustrations by Julia Sarda throughout, also published by Two Hoots. One Day in Wonderland is the perfect gift for all fans of Alice, young and old.

"No Taxation without Representation " The Boston Tea Party stands as an iconic event of the American Revolution--outraged by the tax on tea, American colonists chose to destroy the tea by dumping it into the water Learn all about the famed colonialists who fought against the British Monarchy, and read about this act of rebellion from our history With black-and-white illustrations throughout and sixteen pages of photos, the Boston Tea party is brought to life

A picture-book biography about science superstar Neil deGrasse Tyson, the groundbreaking American astrophysicist whose work has inspired a generation of young scientists and astronomers to reach for the stars! Perfect for STEM curricula and readers of all ages.

Young Neil deGrasse Tyson was starstruck when he first visited the sky theater at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He couldn't believe the crowded, glittering night sky at the planetarium was real--until a visit to the country years later revealed the impossible.

That discovery was like rocket fuel for Neil's passion about space. His quest for knowledge took him from the roof of his apartment building to a science expedition in northwest Africa, to a summer astronomy camp beneath a desert sky, and finally back home to become the director of the Hayden Planetarium, where it all began. Before long, Neil became America's favorite guide to the cosmos.

This story of how one boy's quest for knowledge about space leads him to become a star astrophysicist is perfect for young readers who are fascinated by the universe, aspiring scientists, and the dreamer in all of us. It will ignite your own sense of wonder.

Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to 'make pictures fly through the air.' This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just 8 years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world's first television image.

Can anyone predict the future?
Meet twelve mind-boggling personalities who seemed to know how. Among them are:
The ancient Maya, who invented a remarkably accurate calendar that gave a date for the end of the world: December 21, 2012.
Leonardo da Vinci, the great artist, who drew detailed sketches of tanks, machine guns, and helicopters...four centuries before they were invented.
Nostradumus, the sixteenth-century French doctor whose amazing predictions included the rise of Adolf Hitler.
Jeane Dixon, a wealthy socialite who, on November 22, 1963, looked into her lunch of eggs florentine and announced, "Something dreadful is going to happen to the president today."
Did they always get it right? How did they know? Were they psychic? Or did they simply combine knowledge, sensitivity, inspiration, and some good old-fashioned luck to see into the unknown? Kathleen Krull and Kyrsten Brooker's entertaining and enlightening book may just hold the answers to these and other fascinating questions.