In a tiny log cabin a boy listened with delight to the storytelling of his ma and pa. He traced letters in sand, snow, and dust. He borrowed books and walked miles to bring them back.
When he grew up, he became the sixteenth president of the United States. His name was Abraham Lincoln.
He loved books.
They changed his life.
he changed the world.

The Apgar Score is known the world over: a test given to babies to determine their health moments after they are born. Less well-known is the story of the brilliant, pioneering woman who invented it. Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Virginia “Ginny” Apgar soared above what girls were expected to do—or not do. She wasn’t quiet, she wore all sorts of outfits, she played the sports she wanted to—and she pursued the career she chose, graduating near the top of her class at Columbia University and becoming only the second board-certified female anaesthesiologist in the United States. The simple five-step test she created—scribbled on the back of a piece of paper in answer to a trainee’s question—became the standard and continues to impact countless newborn babies’ lives today. Ginny adored science, hated cooking, drove fast, made her own violins, earned a pilot’s license and travelled the world. Here, Carrie Pearson’s jaunty storytelling and Nancy Carpenter’s playful illustrations capture the energy and independence of a woman who didn’t slow down for anything—and changed newborn care forever.

Discover the true story about the determined engineer who fixed London’s pollution problem in this funny, accessible nonfiction picture book featuring engaging art from the illustrator of Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine. It’s the summer of 1858, and London’s River Thames STINKS. What is creating this revolting smell? The answer is gross: the river is full of poop. But the smell isn’t the worst problem. Every few years, cholera breaks out, and thousands of people die. Could there be a connection between the foul water and the deadly disease? One engineer dreams of making London a cleaner, healthier place. His name is Joseph Bazalgette. His grand plan to create a new sewer system to clean the river is an engineering marvel. And his sewers will save lives. Nothing stinky about that. With tips for how to prevent pollution today, this fascinating look at science, history, and what one person can do to create change will impress and astound readers who want to help make their planet a cleaner, happier place to live.

Apples, ho!

When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can't bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too. But the trail is cruel -- first there's a river to cross that's wider than Texas...and then there are hailstones as big as plums...and there's even a drought, sure to crisp the cherries. Those poor pippins! Luckily Delicious (the nonedible apple of Daddy's eye) is strong -- as young 'uns raised on apples "are" -- and won't let anything stop her father's darling saps from tasting the sweet Oregon soil.

Here's a hilarious tall tale -- from the team that brought you "Fannie in the Kitchen" -- that's loosely based on the life of a real fruiting pioneer.

Apple Facts

More than 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.

About 2,500 varieties grow in the United States.

The apple variety Delicious is the most widely grown in the United States.

Apples are part of the rose family.

The science of fruit growing is called pomology.

Fresh apples float. That's because 25 percent of their volume is air.

Cut an apple in half, across the core, and you'll see a star shape.

It takes apple trees four to five years to produce their first fruit.

It takes about thirty-six apples to make one gallon of apple cider.

A laugh-out-loud look at all the fun things grown-ups never let you do . . . now in paperback! Jenny Offill, author of "11 Experiments That Failed, " describes how tough it is to be a kid, when even the (seemingly) best ideas are met with resistance. The text is short, spare, and fall-on-the-floor funny--not to mention utterly child-friendly. Here, accompanied by Nancy Carpenter's hilariously clever illustrations, is a day-in-the-life look at a kid as she torments her brother, her pet, her classmates, and, of course, her mother. The theme of this Dragonfly Book is Just for Fun.

Prince Albert comes up with a royally creative solution to Queen Victoria's modesty concerns in this true story that reveals an overlooked splash of history.
Poor Queen Victoria She loves to swim, but can't quite figure out how to get to the water without her devoted subjects glimpsing her swimming suit. (Because, of course, such a sight would compromise her regal dignity.) Fortunately for the water-loving monarch, it's Prince Albert to the rescue with an invention fit for a queen
This quirky tale about the longest reigning monarch in British history is as fun as it is authentic, and the book includes a picture of the actual bathing machine Prince Albert created.

A beautiful picture book about family and love across distance. Mona's grandmother, her Sitti, lives in a small Palestinian village on the other side of the earth. Once, Mona went to visit her. The couldn't speak each other's language, so they made up their own. They learned about each other's worlds, and they discovered each other's secrets. Then it was time for Mona to go back home, back to the other side of the earth. But even though there were millions of miles and millions of people between them, they remained true neighbors forever.

A pioneer father transports his beloved fruit trees and his family to Oregon in the mid-nineteenth century. Based loosely on the life of Henderson Luelling.

Meet Imogene Tripp, a plucky girl with a passion for history. As a baby, her first words were "Four score and seven years ago." In preschool, she finger-painted a map of the Oregon Trail. So it's not surprising that when the mayor wants to tear down the long-neglected Liddleville Historical Society to make room for a shoelace factory, Imogene is desperate to convince the town how important its history is. But even though she rides through the streets in her Paul Revere costume shouting, "The bulldozers are coming, the bulldozers are coming " the townspeople won't budge. What's a history-loving kid to do?
Filled with quotes from history's biggest players--not to mention mini-bios--and lots of humor, this is the perfect book for budding historians.
"This girl-power story succeeds as an energetic--and funny--against-all-odds tale." --"The Horn Book Magazine, " Starred

"From the Hardcover edition."

Little Bear loves his little boat. But Little Bear begins to grow and grow, until one day he doesn't fit in his little boat anymore All children who experience growing pains will appreciate Little Bear's predicament. And they will smile with satisfaction as the solution to his problem unfolds in simple, lyrical words and charming pictures from two award-winning picture-book creators.

This rollicking and fascinating picture book biography chronicles the life of the first pioneer of children's books-John Newbery himself. While most children's books in the 18th century contained lessons and rules, John Newbery imagined them overflowing with entertaining stories, science and games. He believed that every book should be made for the reader's enjoyment. Newbery-for whom the prestigious Newbery Medal is named-became a celebrated author and publisher, changing the world ofchildren's books forever. This book about his life and legacy is as full of energy and delight as any young reader could wish.

In this powerful tribute to the true meaning of liberty, a boy comes to understand why his grandmother insists that the family travel to Ellis Island each year to celebrate the Statue of Liberty's birthday. Full color.

A little girl learns about the Masai tribe at school and daydreams about what her life would have been like if she had been born a Masai. Comparing her life and theirs she learns that their dignity is something that she can also acquire and that she has her own spiritual and even physical kinship with them.