The year was 1981. Just two months into his presidency, Ronald Reagan was shot after leaving a speaking engagement in Washington, D. C. The quick action of the Secret Service and medical professionals saved the president's life. Mere days after his near-death experience, Reagan's personal strength propelled him back into his presidential duties. Adapted from Bill O'Reilly's historical thriller Killing Reagan, with characteristically gripping storytelling, this story explores the events of the day Reagan was shot. From the scene of the shooting and the dramatic action of the Secret Service, to the FBI's interrogation of the shooter, the life-saving measures of the medical professionals and the president's extraordinary recovery, this is a page-turning account of an attempted assassination and its aftermath.This title has Common Core connections. Read more

None

Kennedy's Last Days is a gripping account of the events leading up to the most notorious crime of the 20th century. Adapted from Bill O’Reilly’s best-selling historical thriller, Killing Kennedy, this audiobook will have young listeners - and grown-ups too - hooked on this fascinating and colorful period of history. In the first term of his presidency, as the Cold War escalates, John F. Kennedy struggles to contain the growth of Communism while dealing with the many other complexities facing him as president of the United States. In the midst of a 1963 campaign trip to Texas, Kennedy is gunned down by an erratic young drifter named Lee Harvey Oswald. The former Marine Corps sharpshooter escapes the scene, only to be caught and shot dead while in police custody. With an unforgettable cast of characters, non-stop action, and vivid detail, Kennedy's Last Days is history that reads like a thriller. This is a very special audiobook, irresistible on its own or as a compelling companion to Killing Kennedy. Read more

The year was 1981. Just two months into his presidency, Ronald Reagan was shot after leaving a speaking engagement in Washington, DC. The quick action of the Secret Service and medical professionals saved the president's life. Mere days after his near-death experience, Reagan's personal strength propelled him back into his presidential duties. Adapted from Bill O'Reilly's historical thriller Killing Reagan, with characteristically gripping storytelling, this story explores the events of the day Reagan was shot. From the scene of the shooting and the dramatic action of the Secret Service to the FBI's interrogation of the shooter, the life-saving measures of the medical professionals, and the president's extraordinary recovery, this is a pause-resisting account of an attempted assassination and its aftermath. The introduction to this audiobook is read by Bill O'Reilly. Read more

In this gripping account of the boyhood, marriage, and young professional life of Abraham Lincoln, award-winning writer Russell Freedman brings to life the presidential years, scholarly thoughts and reflections of the Civil War president. Winner of the 1988 Newbery Medal. This 1988 Newbery Medal-winning biography of our Civil War president is warm, appealing, and illustrated with dozens of carefully chosen photographs and prints. Russell Freedman begins with a lively account of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood, his career as a country lawyer, and his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd. Then the author focuses on the presidential years (1861 to 1865), skillfully explaining the many complex issues Lincoln grappled with as he led a deeply divided nation through the Civil War. The book's final chapter is a moving account of that tragic evening in Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Additional content includes a sampling of Lincoln's writings and a detailed list of Lincoln historical sites. Read more

At the age of 17, Don Stinson accidentally landed a job in the White House during Watergate, at the time the largest political scandal in American history. A truly insignificant member of the Nixon White House staff, he frequently loitered outside of the Oval Office to watch it unfold. What he saw throughout the White House ran the gamut from the deeply profound to the wildly hilarious.He was also a kid who did the same kind of harebrained things most teenagers do. Only steps away from the Oval Office, he fought with a foreign head of state for space in a restroom. He devised a shortcut that tripped countless alarms and summoned an agitated band of Secret Service agents. He spilled ice water on Frank Sinatra. And that was just the small stuff.A laugh-out-loud funny, fast-paced memoir, Downstairs at the White House is richly decorated with presidents, first ladies, celebrities ... and events that shook America. Read more

None

New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin gives young readers the causes and curses that divided America into Union and Confederate nations in Two Miserable Presidents: The Amazing, Terrible, and Totally True Story of the Civil War, illustrated by Tim Robinson. A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the YearA Beacon of Freedom Award Winner Get the feeling something big is about to happen? Welcome to the Civil War―one of the scariest, saddest, and occasionally wackiest stories in American History.1856: Northern and Southern settlers attack each other in Kansas.1858: Congressmen start sneaking guns and knives into the Senate chamber.1860: President James Buchanan is heard wailing, “I am the last president of the United States!”Unraveling a very complicated string of events--the small things, the personal ones, the big issues--Steve Sheinkin takes readers behind the scenes that led to The Civil War. It is a time and a war that threatened America's very existence, revealed in the surprising true stories of the soldiers and statesmen who battled it out. “Chatty and accessible, this book does double duty: it introduces Civil War history for readers who don't know much about it and supplies browsable commentary for those familiar with the big picture...Beginning with a look at the role cotton played in the history, his fast-paced narrative is broken into short, tersely titled vignettes...The horrors of slavery and battlefield slaughter are clear, as are achievements of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and many more.” ―BooklistAlso by Steve Sheinkin:Bomb: The Race to Build―and Steal―the World's Most Dangerous WeaponThe Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & TreacheryThe Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil RightsUndefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football TeamMost Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam WarWhich Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward ExpansionKing George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American RevolutionBorn to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America Read more

Abraham Lincoln stood out in a crowd as much for his wit and rollicking humor as for his height. Here is a warm, appealing biography of our Civil War president.Russell Freedman begins with a lively account of Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood, his career as a country lawyer, and his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd. Then the author focuses on the presidential years (1861 to 1865), skillfully explaining the many complex issues Lincoln grappled with as he led a deeply divided nation through the Civil War. The audiobook’s final section is a moving account of that tragic evening in Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865.Lincoln: A Photobiography concludes with an interview with the author. Read more

As Margaret Truman knows from firsthand experience, living in the White House can be exhilarating and maddening, alarming and exhausting, but it is certainly never dull. Part private residence, part goldfish bowl, and part national shrine, the White House is both the most important address in America and the most intensely scrutinized. In The President's House, Margaret Truman takes us behind the scenes as she reveals what it feels like to live in the White House. Here are hilarious stories of Teddy Roosevelt's rambunctious children tossing spitballs at presidential portraits and a heartbreaking account of the tragedy that befell President Coolidge's young son John. Here, too, is the real story of the Lincoln Bedroom - as well as the thrilling narrative of how first lady Dolly Madison rescued the priceless portrait of George Washington and a copy of the Declaration of Independence before British soldiers torched the White House in 1814. Today the 132-room White House operates as an exotic combination of first-class hotel and fortress, with 1600 dedicated workers and an annual budget over $1 billion. But ghosts of the past still walk the august corridors, including the phantom whose visit President Harry S. Truman described to his daughter in eerie detail. From the basement swarming with reporters to the "Situation Room" crammed with sophisticated technology to the Oval Office where the President receives the world's leaders, the White House is a beehive of relentless activity, deal-making, intrigue, gossip, and, of course, history in the making. Read more

A thrilling true survival story that follows one of America's most beloved presidents, John F. Kennedy, as he fought to save his crew after a deadly shipwreck in the Pacific during World War II. In September 1941, young Jack Kennedy was appointed an Ensign in the US Naval Reserve. After completing training and eager to serve, he volunteered for combat duty in the Pacific and was appointed commander of PT 109. On August 2, 1943, Kennedy's PT 109 and two others were on a night mission to ambush an enemy supply convoy when they were surprised by a massive Japanese destroyer. The unsuspecting Americans had only seconds to react as the Japanese captain turned his ship to ram directly into Kennedy's. PT 109 was cut in half by the collision, killing two of Kennedy's 12 crewmen and wounding several others in the explosion. In Harm's Way tells the gripping story of what happened next as JFK fought to save his surviving crew members who found themselves adrift in enemy waters. Read more

New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin gives young readers the causes and curses that divided America into Union and Confederate nations in Two Miserable Presidents: The Amazing, Terrible, and Totally True Story of the Civil War, illustrated by Tim Robinson. A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the YearA Beacon of Freedom Award WinnerGet the feeling something big is about to happen? Welcome to the Civil War—one of the scariest, saddest, and occasionally wackiest stories in American History.1856: Northern and Southern settlers attack each other in Kansas.1858: Congressmen start sneaking guns and knives into the Senate chamber.1860: President James Buchanan is heard wailing, “I am the last president of the United States!”Unraveling a very complicated string of events--the small things, the personal ones, the big issues--Steve Sheinkin takes readers behind the scenes that led to The Civil War. It is a time and a war that threatened America's very existence, revealed in the surprising true stories of the soldiers and statesmen who battled it out.“Chatty and accessible, this book does double duty: it introduces Civil War history for readers who don't know much about it and supplies browsable commentary for those familiar with the big picture...Beginning with a look at the role cotton played in the history, his fast-paced narrative is broken into short, tersely titled vignettes...The horrors of slavery and battlefield slaughter are clear, as are achievements of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and many more.” —BooklistAlso by Steve Sheinkin:Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous WeaponThe Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & TreacheryThe Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil RightsUndefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football TeamMost Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam WarWhich Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward ExpansionKing George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American RevolutionBorn to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America Read more

New York Times bestselling author James L. Swanson brings to life the fast-paced, suspense-filled story of Abraham Lincoln's and Jefferson Davis's final journeys through our wounded nation following the Civil War. This middle grade nonfiction book is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.This suspense-filled true-crime thriller—the young readers’ adaptation of Swanson’s Bloody Crimes—explores two epic events of the Civil War era: the manhunt to apprehend Confederate president Jefferson Davis in the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the momentous 20-day funeral pageant that brought President Lincoln’s body from Washington, DC to his home in Springfield. Full of fascinating twists and turns, and lavishly illustrated with dozens of rare historical images, Bloody Times captures the riveting stories of these two fallen leaders who changed the course of history. It’s perfect for young readers who enjoy dramatic nonfiction tales from the likes of Steve Sheinkin and Patricia McCormick.This book contains a note from the author, a glossary, a list of important Civil War figures, and a guide to visiting the historic sites mentioned within. A companion to the bestselling and highly acclaimed Chasing Lincoln's Killer. Read more

Complex, passionate, brilliant, flawed―Alexander Hamilton comes alive in this exciting YA biography by Martha Brockenbrough.He was born out of wedlock on a small island in the West Indies and orphaned as a teenager. From those inauspicious circumstances, he rose to a position of power and influence in colonial America. Discover this founding father's incredible true story: his brilliant scholarship and military career; his groundbreaking and enduring policy, which shapes American government today; his salacious and scandalous personal life; his heartrending end.Richly informed by Hamilton's own writing, with archival artwork and new illustrations, Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary is an in-depth biography of an extraordinary man. Read more

Harry S. Truman was America’s 33rd president during the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War. Despite not having a college degree, Truman led the nation by making tough decisions, including whether to unleash the atomic bomb against Japan and how to contain communism. This biographical book will teach elementary students about the firm and commonsense leadership of President Truman.Created for children in 3rd through 5th grade, PragerU Kids' beautifully illustrated biographical books for kids are packed with facts and fun to teach elementary students about important figures often mischaracterized or forgotten in today’s classrooms. Read more

"I did have a murderous trip down South, but it was mighty interesting." In October 1913, Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a tour of South America. The thrill-seeking adventurer had no idea that he would soon receive an offer he couldn’t refuse: the chance to lead an expedition deep into the Amazon jungle to chart an unmapped river with his son Kermit and renowned Brazilian explorer Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon.Death on the River of Doubt takes readers inside the thrilling journey that unfolds as Roosevelt, Rondon, Kermit, and their companions navigate an unpredictable river through an unforgiving jungle. With new threats at every turn, from bloodthirsty piranhas and raging rapids to starvation, disease, and a traitor in their own ranks, it seems that not everyone will make it out alive.Through it all, the indomitable Teddy Roosevelt remained determined to complete their mission and rewrite the map of the world. Or die trying. Read more

"The Education of Henry Adams", the most famous work of its author, was originally intended only for a small audience; after its posthumous publication in 1918, it promptly won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1919, and it is still regarded as a masterpiece of American literature."The Education of Henry Adams" is a brilliant autobiography of this relevant American historian. A member of the Adams political family and descendant of two US presidents, Adams wrote the book in 1905 to reconcile himself to the turn of the century, which was shaping up to be vastly different from the life he knew as a child. The book also provides a pointed critique of educational philosophy and practice of the 19th century.  Read more

Now adapted for young adults—the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, which Toni Morrison called “quite extraordinary,” offers an intimate look at Barack Obama’s early days. This is a compelling journey tracing the future 44th president's odyssey through family, race, and identity.  A revealing portrait of a young Black man asking questions about self-discovery and belonging—long before he became one of the most important voices in America. This unique edition includes a new introduction from the author, full-color photo insert, and family tree.  The son of a white American mother and a Black Kenyan father, Obama was born in Hawaii, where he lived until he was six years old, when he moved with his mother and stepfather to Indonesia. At twelve, he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Obama brings readers along as he faces the challenges of high school and college, living in New York, becoming a community organizer in Chicago, and traveling to Kenya. Through these experiences, he forms an enduring commitment to leadership and justice. Told through the lens of his relationships with his family—the mother and grandparents who raised him, the father he knows more as a myth than as a man, and the extended family in Kenya he meets for the first time—Obama confronts the complicated truth of his father’s life and legacy and comes to embrace his divided heritage. On his journey to adulthood from a humble background, he forges his own path through trial and error while staying connected to his roots. Barack Obama is determined to lead a life of purpose, service, and authenticity. This powerful memoir will inspire readers to examine both where they come from and where they are capable of going. Read more

The definitive biography of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt for young adult readers, from National Book Award finalist Albert Marrin, is a must-have for anyone searching for President's Day reading.   Brought up in a privileged family, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had every opportunity in front of him. As a young man, he found a path in politics and quickly began to move into the public eye. That ascent seemed impossible when he contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. But with a will of steel he fought the disease—and public perception of his disability—to become president of the United States of America.   FDR used that same will to guide his country through a crippling depression and a horrendous world war. He understood Adolf Hitler, and what it would take to stop him, before almost any other world leader did. But to accomplish his greater goals, he made difficult choices that sometimes compromised the ideals of fairness and justice.   FDR is one of America’s most intriguing presidents, lionized by some and villainized by others. National Book Award finalist Albert Marrin explores the life of a fascinating, complex man, who was ultimately one of the greatest leaders our country has known. Read more