Examines the period in world history from the late fifteenth century voyages of Columbus and da Gama to the eighteenth century voyages of James Cook.

A witty and probing travelogue through the landscapes associated with The Book of Mormon, it argues for taking The Book of Mormon seriously as work of American storytelling.

Ethan Gage wants to enjoy the fruits of victory after helping Napoleon win the Battle of Marengo, but an ill-advised tryst with Bonaparte's married sister has made that impossible. So now, with President Thomas Jefferson's blessings, Ethan and a mystic Norwegian, Magnus Bloodhammer, embark upon an expedition into America's western wilderness--dodging hostile Indians and a British seductress as they search for the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor....

Stories of magic, superstition, and witchcraft were strictly forbidden in the little town of Salem Village. But a group of young girls ignored those rules, spellbound by the tales told by a woman named Tituba.  When questioned about their activities, the terrified girls set off a whirlwind of controversy as they accused townsperson after townsperson of being witches. Author Shirley Jackson examines in careful detail this horrifying true...

The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day—"the longitude problem."
Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that "the longitude problem" was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day-and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration...

Discover a world of creativity and tradition in this fascinating picture book that explores the history and cultural significance of the color blue. From a critically acclaimed author and an award-winning illustrator comes a wonderful audiobook for listeners of all ages.
For centuries, blue powders and dyes were some of the most sought-after materials in the world. Ancient Afghan painters ground mass quantities of sapphire rocks to...

Booklist Editors' Choice

WINNER of the Russell Freedman Award for Non-Fiction for a Better World

Knowledge is power. The secret is this. Knowledge, applied at the right time and place, is more than power. It's magic.

That's what the Black Panther Party did. They called up this magic and launched a revolution.

In the beginning, it was a story like any other. It could...

This biography for young readers explores the life of the thirty-second president, who lifted the United States from depression to global leadership.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt was first elected president in 1933, America was in the throes of the Great Depression—the worst economic crisis in U.S. history—and the world was experiencing a menacing rise in Nazism and other dangerous extremists. Throughout his four presidential terms, Roosevelt...

Presents stories featuring authors when they were children, including Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, and Zora Neale Hurston.

Written for a young audience, this intense memoir explores the harsh realities of life on the streets in contemporary North Korea.
Every Falling Star is the memoir of Sungju Lee, who at the age of twelve was forced to live on the streets of North Korea and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains.
Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story,...