Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters.  Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to.  Only thirteen paintings are known to be his; as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that he left were thousands of disorganized notebook pages.  Here is an accessible portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating time—Italy during the Renaissance. Read more

Travel to Renaissance Italy and learn about the young apprentice who went on become a true master, and one of the most beloved sculptors and painters of all time in this addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series!Michelangelo created some of the world's most recognizable art, from the statue of David to the intricate ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel. Beyond his well-known painting and sculpting, he was a gifted poet and architect. Young readers can learn about the entirety of Michelangelo's life, from his time as a young apprentice, his relationships with several Catholic popes and the Medici family, to his unwillingness to stop working into his late eighties. A perfect read for art lovers and fans of the Renaissance. Read more

Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit! He turned long-held notions about the universe topsy turvy with his support of a sun-centric solar system. Patricia Brennan Demuth offers a sympathetic portrait of a brilliant man who lived in a time when speaking scientific truth to those in power was still a dangerous proposition. Read more

The famous Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci is the twentieth hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series. (Cover may vary) This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This book features Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance artist and inventor. He always followed his interests, no matter where they led! His quest to fly led him to study birds' wings and his invention designs were the very earliest sketches of helicopters and other flying machines. Da Vinci's hard work and dedication to his curiosities is why we still remember him today.This friendly, fun biography series inspired the PBS Kids TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. One great role model at a time, these books encourage kids to dream big. Included in each book are:    • A timeline of key events in the hero’s history     • Photos that bring the story more fully to life   • Comic-book-style illustrations that are irresistibly adorable   • Childhood moments that influenced the hero   • Facts that make great conversation-starters    • A virtue this person embodies: Leonardo da Vinci's creativty is seen in everything he accomplished in his life  You’ll want to collect each book in this dynamic, informative series! Read more

Lift the drawbridge and prepare the defenses! Kids will love this sticker activity book complete with medieval coloring activities, matching, counting, mazes, 1,000 stickers and more.Young readers fascinated with kings, queens, knights, and princesses will love this fun and informative sticker activity book about medieval times around the world. Discover how castles were built and evolved over time to be the ultimate defense. Find out where people lived and worked within the castle walls and what everyday life was like in the Middle Ages. Kids will also learn about the process of becoming a knight, the code of chivalry that knights followed, and knights' weapons, jousts, and famous quests from history and literature.This smart and fun interactive title brings National Geographic Kids signature content to a sticker and activity book format. It's a great way for kids to go off-screen and learn while they play. It's also an engaging treat for a rainy day, car trips, downtime, or anytime. Read more

Discover all there is to know about the Renaissance, the period in history that took Europe from the Middle Ages to modern times!Beginning in Italy, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe and affected art, science, technology, politics, and thought. From the 1300s to the beginning of the 1600s, scholars started to question what they knew and looked to literature and historical texts to develop new ideas for why things were the way they were. In just a short amount of time, the foundations for European life were uprooted and examined, leading people, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, to explore new ways of thinking and being. Readers will learn why the Renaissance was such a pivotal time in European history and how it still influences us. Read more

Here's another one of those "They could make it into a movie!" books that keeps you always wanting to hear just one more chapter. Red Hugh was a true champion for Irish liberty from Queen Elizabeth's constricting reign in the late 1580's and beyond. Hugh's capture, imprisonment, and escape from the Dublin Castle; his triumph over a blizzard and frostbite; his dramatic rescue of his family's castle; his conflict with the evil Captain Leeds; and his inexhaustible love for Ireland make this a wonderful book for the entire family. You learn an astonishing amount of Irish geography and culture while relishing this true adventure, as well. Read more

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Travel to the age of the Renaissance and learn why Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings in English history.Mainly remembered for his six marriages and his self-appointment as the "Supreme Head of the Church of England," Henry VIII was also attractive, educated, and athletic. When Henry Tudor ascended to the English thrown at the age of 17, his reign looked promising. But by the time of his death in 1547, King Henry VIII was characterized as an extremely egotistical, harsh, and insecure king. Though Henry VIII's legacy isn't free from scandal, his monarchy thrived due to the achievements of his daughter Queen Elizabeth I. Read more

With her characteristically sprightly words and pictures, Aliki brings Shakespeare's life, times, and legacy to life in this highly acclaimed information-packed treasury that is truly for readers of all ages. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 6 to 8. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for childrenFrom Hamlet to Romeo and Juliet to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare's celebrated works have touched people around the world. Aliki combines literature, history, biography, archaeology, and architecture in this richly detailed and meticulously researched introduction to Shakespeare's world-his life in Elizabethan times, the theater world, and the Globe, for which he wrote his plays. Then she brings history full circle to the present-day reconstruction of the Globe theater. . Read more

Who were the Renaissance explorers? How did they change the world?Being a Renaissance explorer was both exciting and rewarding. But it sure wasn’t easy! Explorers in the Age of Exploration faced many challenges and dangers as their ships sailed into new and unfamiliar lands. Some explorers caught diseases, while others battled with native peoples over control of the territory. Without the efforts of the Renaissance explorers, the world as we know it might have been very different! Brave men such as Ferdinand Magellan and Niccolò de Conti ventured into uncharted territory around the globe and learned much about what lay beyond Europe and brought back an incredible wealth of information about this “new world .” In The Renaissance Explorers with History Projects for Kids, readers ages 10 to 15 find out more about what it meant to be an explorer and follow the biographies of five famous Renaissance explorers, including Niccolò de Conti, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Pêro da Covilhã, and Ferdinand Magellan, from their childhoods until their exhilarating days of scouting new-to-them lands. In addition to diving deep into the biographies of five Renaissance explorers, readers discover the skills and tools essential for these brave men as they crossed vast oceans and interacted with very different civilizations during the course of their journeys. Kids also find out more about the science and navigational techniques that made the Renaissance one of the most important periods for the discovery of new lands, peoples, and animals.Using the engineering design process, kids develop critical and creative thinking skills with 10 STEAM activities, such making a compass that works and building a beacon like the ones used by Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama on their journeys. Fun facts, primary source illustrations, and links to online resources spark an interest in the Renaissance that goes beyond the boundaries of Europe. Even without a time machine, learners can experience the Renaissance!The Renaissance Explorers is one of a set of four books in the Renaissance for Kids series. Books in the Renaissance for Kids series invite readers ages 10 to 15 to learn about the inventors, artists, explorers, philosophers, scientists, and politicians who lived in Europe and around the world during the Renaissance and who made contributions to the wealth of human knowledge and experience that have lasted far into the future. Primary sources, color photography, relevant quotes, and hands-on STEAM activities that promote the scientific method or engineering design process keep even the most curious kids satisfied! Titles in this series include The Renaissance Thinkers: With History Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Artists: With History Projects for Kids; and The Renaissance Explorers: With History Projects for Kids. Read more

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Galileo made the first effective use of the refracting telescope to discover important new facts about astronomy. His observations led him to support Copernicus's claim that Earth and the other planets circled the sun. This conflicted with the teachings of the Catholic Church, and brought Galileo before the judges of the Inquisition. He spent his final years under house arrest.Galileo's genius lay in the way he approached scientific problems. He reduced problems to simple terms on the basis of experience and common-sense logic. Then he analyzed and resolved the problems according to simple mathematical descriptions, thus opening the way for the development of modern mathematical physics.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information. Read more

Spend an entire year investigating the fascinating story of the world between 1600 and 1850--from Europe and the Middle East through India, China, the Arabian Peninsula, Australia, and both North and South America!Designed for parents and elementary/middle grade students (grades 3-7) to share together, The Story of the World, Volume 3: Early Modern Times history set builds historical literacy, improves reading and comprehension skills in both fiction and nonfiction, and increases vocabulary--all in an enjoyable and entertaining story-like format.The Story of the Worldpaperback text offers 42 narrative chapters, told in chronological order and spanning the entire globe, that begin with the Spanish colonization of South America and end with the Gold Rush. Independent readers can easily enjoy the stories on their own, or parents can read aloud to younger students. This newly revised edition includes improved maps, 40 new illustrations, and a timeline.The Volume 3 Activity Book offers a whole variety of hands-on projects to complement each chapter in the paperback text--map activities, coloring pages, games, cooking experiments, crafts, board games, science experiments, puzzles, and more! Extensive booklists, both fiction and nonfiction, accompany each set of projects and give parents and children the opportunity to read more about the fascinating people and events in each of the 42 chapters. Also newly revised, this edition has updated book recommendations, 42 brand new coloring pages, an increased focus on non-western and underrepresented peoples, and dozens of new illustrations, game boards, and more.The Volume 3 Test Book & Answer Key rounds out this history resource by providing simple tests and answer keys for each chapter in the text. A combination of multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short writing samples allow parents to evaluate the child’s comprehension, and gives young students a simple, low-pressure way to practice test-taking skills. historical figures, coloring pages, maps, game boards, study cards Read more

In this welcome reissue, celebrated author and illustrator Diane Stanley and her husband, Peter Vennema, paint an impressive portrait of the remarkable queen who loved her people so dearly and ruled them so well. Elizabeth's forceful personality, colorful court, and devoted subjects come vividly to life in this stellar picture-book biography.When it was first published, Good Queen Bess was named a Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies, an American Library Association Notable Book, a Booklist Editors' Choice, an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, and an IRA Teachers' Choice. Read more

Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time. Discover the origins of one of literature's most famous couples, Romeo and Juliet, and their creator, William Shakespeare, in this fun and informative addition to the What Is the Story Of? series.In 1597, Shakespeare debuted his newest play, a tragedy about a young Italian couple whose families were sworn enemies. Romeo and Juliet quickly became one of the most famous couples in literary history, and this play became one of Shakespeare's most performed shows. But did you know that much of Romeo and Juliet's story was adapted from tales by other writers? Learn all about how William Shakespeare's dynamic and romantic teenage duo sprouted from the Italian story of The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet in 1562 and grew into adaptions like West Side Story and even Gnomeo & Juliet in this nonfiction book for young readers. Read more

Michelangelo saw something—someone—special in the stone. No one wanted the “giant.” The hulking block of marble lay in the work yard, rained on, hacked at, and abandoned—until a young Michelangelo saw his David in it.Night and day, Michelangelo worked in secret, lovingly coaxing statue out of the stone. Its majesty endures even today. This is the story of how a neglected, discarded stone became a masterpiece for all time. It is also a story of how humans see themselves reflected in art. Back matter includes further information about David and a selected bibliography Read more

Why was the Renaissance such an important period of time in Western history? Who were the innovators who thought of the inventions we still use today?In The Renaissance Inventors with History Projects for Kids, readers 10 through 15 explore the period of European history from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries while focusing on the biographies of five inventors from that time and the creations they brought to the world. The lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Leon Battista Alberti, Johannes Gutenberg, and Gerardus Mercator are brought to life as kids discover the challenges these men faced and the discoveries they made using their critical and creative thinking skills combined with their passion for science and engineering.Imagine a world without inventors and scientists. How would people understand the environment around them? What new technologies would improve people's lives? During the Renaissance, inventors and other creative thinkers designed and constructed many new things, including a more accurate map that showed the spherical Earth on a flat paper, a printing press that brought books beyond just the realm of the rich, and a machine that measured the speed of the wind. In The Renaissance Inventors, readers learn about what it is to be an inventor, both now and in the past. They also discover how brainstorming and tinkering with everyday materials can lead to the development of great problem-solving skills, not to mention the creation of new inventions.With 10 hands-on projects that use the engineer design process, kids create their own versions of many amazing inventions from the Renaissance. Activities such as making a parachute and creating a globe from an orange let middle schoolers stretch their inventive wings and learn what it’s like to be an inventor. Fun facts, primary source illustrations, fun STEAM activities, and links to online resources all spark an interest in the Renaissance. Even without a time machine, learners can experience the Renaissance!The Renaissance Inventors is one of a set of four books in the Renaissance for Kids series. Books in the Renaissance for Kids series invite readers ages 10 to 15 to learn about the inventors, artists, explorers, philosophers, scientists, and politicians who lived in Europe and around the world during the Renaissance and who made contributions to the wealth of human knowledge and experience that have lasted far into the future. Primary sources, color photography, relevant quotes, and hands-on STEAM activities that promote the scientific method or engineering design process keep even the most curious kids satisfied! Titles in this series include The Renaissance Thinkers: With History Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Artists: With History Projects for Kids; and The Renaissance Explorers: With History Projects for Kids. Read more

Have you ever wondered how humans first learned to share their thoughts and ideas?In The Story of Communication, you'll embark on an incredible journey through time, discovering how we went from simple grunts and gestures to the complex digital world we live in today. Inspired by the Montessori approach to learning, this book encourages young readers to explore the fascinating ways people have communicated throughout history, starting with ancient cave paintings and hieroglyphs, moving through the invention of the alphabet and the printing press, and finally arriving at emails, text messages, and social media. Each page unfolds like a story, filled with colourful illustrations and engaging tales that bring the history of communication to life.Designed for curious minds aged 6-12, this Montessori-inspired book fosters independent exploration, critical thinking, and a love for learning. Whether you're writing a story, sending a text, or chatting with a friend, you'll see how you're part of a long tradition of communication that stretches back thousands of years. So, turn the page and start your adventure. The Story of Communication is waiting to connect you with the past, present, and future of human expression, all through the lens of Montessori-inspired discovery. Read more

Based on stories handed down from the past, The Rabbi and the Painter tells of the unique relationship between the 16th Century Rabbi Judah Areyeh di Modena and the Venetian painter Tintoretto. Modena's interests extended far beyond the typical confines of the ghetto's synagogue life to the secular world around him, while Tintoretto breaks all the artistic rules of the Renaissance with his mannerist painting style. In The Rabbi and the Painter we are transported to a place where cultures mixed to create a breathtaking masterpiece. Jennifer Kirkham's colorful illustrations bring Renaissance Venice to life. At the same time, the expressive texture evokes those brush strokes of Tintoretto's own masterpieces. Read more

Presents three great movements that brought Europe out of the Middle Ages and into Modernity: The Renaissance; The Growth of the English Constitution and, especially, The Growth of the English Parliament; and The Reformation. Focuses on the conflict between the principle of self-government and the principle of despotic government to determine which should rule and direct the lives of men. Volume 5 in the 7-volume Streams of History series, which presents a vivid picture of the growth of Western Civilization from the early source of the historic stream back in the Nile, the Tigro-Euphrates and the Indus valleys, and then its widening and deepening as it moves westward. The series highlights the contributions of each culture to the stream of history and shows how its contributions are caught up and carried on to future peoples and nations. The student is led to see how each grows out of that which precedes, and shadows forth what follows, and that the discovery of America, and its subsequent institutional development was the fruitage of a seed which lay deep in the historic soul of Europe. Read more