The Newbery Award-winning classic by Jean Lee Latham, read by Jim Weiss. The true story of Nat Bowditch, who transformed the way that sailors navigated safely to their destinations.Winner of the American Library Association's 1956 Newberry Award! Carry On, Mr. Bowditch tells the inspiring, true adventures of Nat Bowditch, a boy during the American Revolution. Nat's passion for learning and his unstoppable spirit lead him from poverty and servitude to triumph and adventure at sea. Ultimately, Nat achieves everlasting fame for revolutionizing navigation, thus streamlining voyages and saving countless lives.Today, Nathaniel Bowditch's 1802 book, The American Practical Navigator, is still carried on every U.S. Navy vessel.Carry On, Mr. Bowditch paints a superb portrait of life in Revolutionary-era America, but this is most of all a moving personal tale of the value of knowledge and the exultant human spirit. Read more

"...intriguing and fascinating young adult adventure..." Readers' Favorite'47 DAYS' is a novelette and an excerpt from the award-winning biographical novel, SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND--A True Coming-of-age Love Story Set in WWII Germany. In March 1945 Hitler ordered his last propaganda command: send all 15 and 16-year old boys to defend the fatherland. 47 DAYS tells the true story of Günter and Helmut, best friends, who dared to defy and disobey. Without knowing how long the war might continue, they spent 47 harrowing days as fugitives on the run. Being caught meant certain execution.SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND tells the true and heart-wrenching stories of Lilly and Günter struggling with the terror-filled reality of life in the Third Reich, each embarking on their own dangerous path toward survival, freedom, and ultimately each other. Based on the author's own family and anchored in historical facts, this story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the strength of war children. Read more

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For 13-year-old Sarah Waldman, life in the small Polish town of Olkusz is idyllic, grounded in her loving, close-knit family and the traditions of their Jewish faith.But in 1939, as the Nazis come to power, a storm is gathering - a relentless, unforgiving storm that will sweep Sarah and her family into years of turmoil in the ghetto and concentration camps, tearing them apart. Will Sarah’s strong will and determination be enough for her to survive when everything she loves is taken from her?Part memoir, part fiction, What She Lost is the reimagined true-life story of the author’s grandmother growing into a woman amid the anguish of the Holocaust. It is a tale of resilience, rebuilding a life, and rediscovering love. Read more

When 16-year-old Helmuth Hubner listens to the BBC news on an illegal short-wave radio, he quickly discovers Germany is lying to the people. But when he tries to expose the truth with leaflets, he's tried for treason. Sentenced to death and waiting in a jail cell, Helmuth's story emerges in a series of flashbacks that show his growth from a naive child caught up in the patriotism of the times, to a sensitive and mature young man who thinks for himself. Read more

Paul Revere didn't make his famous midnight ride alone. Meet a patriot unlike any other: Scheherazade, the mare who doesn't mind mentioning she was once the fastest and most admired horse in the King's army. But on arrival in America, "Sherry" is quickly let down by her British rider and recruited by Sam Adams to join the Sons of Liberty. Before long, she finds herself teamed with Raul Revere to play a key-if unnoticed-role in the American Revolution. Full of wit and wisdom, this beloved classic presents an unforgettable view to the birth of a nation-straight from the horse's mouth!Explore this historical time period even further in this new edition of award-winning author Robert Lawson's classic tale, with additional bonus material, including a map of Paul Revere's ride! Read more

Growing up on the rough streets of Newark, New Jersey, Rameck, George,and Sampson could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison.  But when a presentation at their school made the three boys aware of the opportunities available to them in the medical and dental professions, they made a pact among themselves that they would become doctors.  It took a lot of determination—and a lot of support from one another—but despite all the hardships along the way, the three succeeded.  Retold with the help of an award-winning author, this younger adaptation of the adult hit novel The Pact is a hard-hitting, powerful, and inspirational book that will speak to young readers everywhere. Read more

Horses were in Annie Bronn’s blood. For as long as she could remember, she had been fascinated by the spirited wild mustangs that roamed free throughout the West. So when greedy cattlemen started to round up the mustangs for slaughter, Annie knew it was up to her to save the breed.The true story of Wild Horse Annie’s crusade to save the mustangs is inspiring. Readers will cheer her on, all the way to the White House, in her struggle to preserve these beautiful creatures from extinction. Read more

From international best-selling author David Blixt: Nellie Bly has the story of a lifetime. But will she survive to tell it?Enraged by a sexist article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch, Elizabeth Cochrane pens a furious letter to the editor that results in a job offer! Saddled with the name Nellie Bly, she struggles against the male-dominated newspaper industry to report what no one else will—stories of women.Chased out of Mexico for revealing government corruption, her romantic advances rejected by a married colleague, Bly can break into New York’s Newspaper Row if she can nab a major scoop—life inside a madhouse! Feigning madness, she is committed to the Insane Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, where matters are far worse than she dreamed. Stripped, drugged, beaten, she must endure a week of terror, reliving the darkest days of her childhood. She must escape to tell the world her story. But at the end of a week, no rescue comes, and she fears she may be trapped forever....Ripped from the true events of Nellie Bly’s life and reporting comes a novel of rage, determination, and triumph, all in the frame of a tiny Pennsylvania spitfire who refused to let the world change her, and changed the world instead. Read more

Benjamin Franklin was one of the busiest men in the American colonies. He was a printer, a postmaster, an inventor, a writer, and a diplomat. When the Revolutionary War began, Ben supported America in the Continental Congress. Like the clever adages from his Poor Richard’s Almanac, Ben Franklin still sets an example for Americans today. Read more

A William C. Morris Award Finalist "Brown has written a guidebook of survival and wonder."―The New York Times "Just brilliant."―Kirkus ReviewsHeavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism―all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson's Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi's American Street.Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor.Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.Christy Ottaviano Books Read more

“In 1945 the war ended. The Germans surrendered, and the ghetto was liberated. Out of over a quarter of a million people, about 800 walked out of the ghetto. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. I was one of the twelve.” For more than fifty years after the war, Syvia, like many Holocaust survivors, did not talk about her experiences in the Lodz ghetto in Poland. She buried her past in order to move forward. But finally she decided it was time to share her story, and so she told it to her niece, who has re-told it here using free verse inspired by her aunt. This is the true story of Syvia Perlmutter―a story of courage, heartbreak, and finally survival despite the terrible circumstances in which she grew up. A timeline, historical notes, and an author’s note are included. Read more

Annie Sullivan was little more than a half-blind orphan with a fiery tongue when she arrived at Ivy Green in 1887. Desperate for work, she’d taken on a seemingly impossible job—teaching a child who was deaf, blind, and as ferocious as any wild animal. But if anyone was a match for Helen Keller, it was the girl who’d been nicknamed Miss Spitfire. In her efforts to reach Helen’s mind, Annie lost teeth to the girl’s raging blows, but she never lost faith in her ability to triumph. Told in first person, Annie Sullivan’s past, her brazen determination, and her connection to the girl who would call her Teacher are vividly depicted in this powerful novel. Read more

Who was Lizzie Borden? A confused young woman, or a coldhearted killer? For generations, people all over the world have wondered how Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby, met their gruesome deaths. Lizzie, Andrew's younger daughter, was charged, but a jury took only 90 minutes to find her not guilty. In this retelling, the family maid, Bridget Sullivan, shines a compassionate light on a young woman oppressed by her cheap father and her ambitious stepmother. Was Lizzie mad, or was she driven to madness? Read more

“I was captivated...from the start...beautifully written.” Readers’ Favorite Five StarsBased on true events – a companion novella to 47 Days: The True Story of Two Teen Boys Defying Hitler's ReichSolingen, Germany, December 19, 1944: Günter has had it—he is starving. After the bombing of his hometown, even the few food rations, they were getting, are no longer available. On the eve of his sixteenth birthday, he and his friend, Helmut, come across a battalion of returning German soldiers. One offers them his downtrodden military horse, if they can trade civilian clothes. Günter immediately agrees, even if he doesn’t quite know where to find something suitable. All he wants is the horse, which means survival for him, his mother and little brother. He and Helmut set out on a treacherous night excursion—getting caught, means certain execution.Based on my father's memories as a youth in World War II, 24 HOURS explores what a person is willing to do to survive. In December of 1944, the war had been raging for more than five years and most civilians were famished. My father saw a chance to fill his stomach and took it. The task of doing so would bring him to the edge of his abilities. But true hunger overcomes just about any obstacle, no matter how dangerous or cruel it may seem to our modern-day sensitivities. Read more

Favourite son and heir to the powerful Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, Eirik was destined for greatness from the moment he was born.But his journey to becoming the second king of Norway was not an easy one. His first taste of battle comes at eleven when his father gives him three longships. Eirik spends the next nine years as a Viking, raiding in the east, west and north.Spurred on by his cunning wife Gunnhild, Eirik grows ever more ambitious and stops at nothing to achieve his goal of ruling all of Norway. His methods are brutal and bloody, and he gains a reputation as one of the most fearsome warriors in all of Scandinavia - earning him the nickname Bloodaxe.As Eirik’s power grows, so too does his list of enemies. Among them are vindictive berserks, wealthy jarls, and a dozen of his half-brothers conspiring to seize the throne. His conquests even lead him to Northumbria, where he clashes with the mighty King Athelstan of England.Through it all, Eirik remains fiercely determined to succeed, and his iron will and unshakable courage make him a force to be reckoned with.Åsli and Bakkejord deftly weave together history, action, and drama to create a fascinating portrait of Eirik Bloodaxe. Their vivid descriptions of Viking life and battle scenes are sure to transport readers back in time to this fascinating era. At its heart, this is a story about a man who was both a hero and a villain; a man driven by ambitions and desires, who left a lasting impact on Norway and England alike.Whether you are a fan of historical fiction or just looking for a thrilling read, Bloodaxe is not to be missed. Read more

First published in 1719, "Robinson Crusoe" is a novel by Daniel Defoe and sometimes regarded as the first novel in English."Robinson Crusoe" is a fictional autobiography of the title character, an English castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Venezuela, encountering Native Americans, captives, and mutineers before being rescued. This device, presenting an account of supposedly factual events, is known as a "false document" and gives a realistic frame story. Read more

Vienna, late 1930s. Bright, red-headed Inge Eisenger leads a privileged life with her glamorous, distant mother. When forced to flee from Nazi-occupied Austria to Switzerland, Inge sees her young life turned upside down. She hopes to finally connect with her mother during their escape, but her mother soon abandons her. Vulnerable and alone, Inge makes her way to Paris before reuniting with her grandmother in Central France. But even there, Inge endures one hardship after another—all while her grandmother keeps a family secret that, if revealed, could result in their whole family’s demise.Running for Shelter is written by Inge’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Suzette Sheft. The gripping, true story offers a window through which young adult readers can witness the challenges of growing up during the Holocaust. As this important chapter of history fades from living memory, Inge’s tale offers hope to a new generation who must also cultivate courage and determination in the face of personal and political challenges. Read more

Horses were in Annie Bronn's blood. For as long as she could remember, she had been fascinated by the spirited wild mustangs that roamed free throughout the West. So when greedy cattlemen started to round up the mustangs for slaughter, Annie knew it was up to her to save the breed. The true story of Wild Horse Annie's crusade to save the mustangs is inspiring. Readers will cheer her on, all the way to the White House, in her struggle to preserve these beautiful creatures from extinction. Read more

Say “Hitler” and people would automatically think of evil and Jews. Adolf Hitler was responsible for the Holocaust, wherein thousands of Jews were killed. But what made Hitler craft anti-Jew legislation? Maybe his life held the answers. Reading about the lives of historical figures will never undo what they did but it can help to make sure history does not repeat itself. Start reading today! Read more