-Titulo Original : I Have A Superpower-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Four-time NBA champion and superstar Stephen Curry makes a splash with his picture book debut inspiring young readers to unlock their very own superpower. A positive boost from a strong role model. -Kirkus With accessible advice honoring commitment to craft and fortitude, this is a sporty and strong addition to growth-mindset and social-emotional-learning conversations. -Booklist Stephen Curry’s journey to the NBA wasn’t easy. Coaches and recruiters repeatedly told him he was too small to make it in the big leagues. But Stephen used their doubts to shape his ever-positive attitude and fuel his own underdog success story. Now, Curry pens an original story to inspire the next generation of go-getters and big dreamers. I Have a Superpower is the empowering story that teaches kids you dont have to be the strongest, fastest, or even tallest kid out on the court. So long as you have heart, any goal is achievable through hard work and determination-even without a cape! About the Author Stephen Curry (he/him) is a four-time NBA Champion, two-time league MVP, and Finals MVP winner. He is the founder of Eat. Learn. Play., a nonprofit organization that empowers underserved children and communities across the United States. He is also the founder of Unanimous Media, a film and television company specializing in faith, family, and sports content, in tandem with Sony Studios. Geneva Bowers (she/her) is a self-taught illustrator based in western North Carolina. She loves manipulating color and adding whimsy with a touch of realism and calm to her art...

-Titulo Original : Who Is Dwayne The Rock Johnson? (who Hq Now)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: This new title in the Who HQ Now format for trending topics details superstar Dwayne The Rock Johnsons legendary career from the ring to the big screen. This new title in the Who HQ Now format for trending topics details superstar Dwayne The Rock Johnsons legendary career from the ring to the big screen. About the Author Ellen Labrecque is a former Senior Editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids and the author of over twenty nonfiction books for young readers, including biographies of Jim Thorpe and Magic Johnson. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Who Is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Dwayne Johnson stands on the arm of a huge crane, hundreds of feet above a busy city street. In front of him, a skyscraper is on fire. He needs to get inside that burning building. His family is in there, held captive by armed villains. Behind him, a group of men race to stop him. There is only one thing to do. Jump! Bullets ping everywhere around him as Dwayne sprints toward the end of the crane. When he reaches it, he leaps, arms windmilling, legs churning in midair. He plummets toward his goal, an open window in the side of the building. His powerful, muscular body smashes into the glass wall as his mighty hands grip the window ledge. Can he hold on? He can! Dwayne climbs over broken glass to reach the inside of the building! The director yells, “Cut!” The scene in the movie Skyscraper was over. Dwayne stood up with a huge grin on his face. He had just filmed another amazing action-movie moment, one of dozens that have made him the biggest movie star on the planet. In more than twenty hugely popular films, Dwayne has used his oversize muscles-and a personality that is even bigger-to thrill and entertain fans. A former pro wrestling star known as “The Rock,” Dwayne worked hard to become an actor. His inspiring story and constantly positive attitude have made him an international hero. More than 200 million people follow his feed, where he shares details of his life, and some of his wisdom, with the world. Dwayne believes “the road to success and greatness is always paved with hard work. Chase your greatness!” Chapter 1: Just Plain Dwayne Dwayne Johnson was born in Hayward, California, on May 2, 1972. When Dwayne was a baby, he and his family moved often. By the time Dwayne was in kindergarten, he had lived in five different states! The family moved often because Dwayne’s father, Rocky, was a professional wrestler, and took his family with him as he traveled from event to event. Rocky had met his wife, Ata, when he wrestled with her father, Peter Maivia, who was also a professional wrestler. Ata’s full name was Feagaimaleata Fitisemanu Maivia. Her family came from the Pacific islands of Samoa and Hawaii. Peter had won championships in Hawaii and in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the biggest organization in the sport. The WWF put on events all over the United States, attracting huge audiences. WWF wrestlers were big personalities, great showmen and women, and powerful athletes. They were also entertainers. When Dwayne was about nine, the family lived in Hawaii, where Rocky wrestled and Ata was able to spend time with her father and her large Samoan family. Dwayne learned a lot about his heritage on the island. He saw his grandfather’s large Samoan tattoos. He also watched the respect that Peter Maivia had in the wrestling community. Peter died of cancer in 1982, and Dwayne was among thousands who attended his grandfather’s funeral. Rocky’s career kept the family moving from place to place. Before he reached high school, the Johnson family had lived in fourteen states. It was difficult for Dwayne to change schools so often, as he was always having to find new friends. Fitting into a new place over and over was difficult. Dwayne was friendly and outgoing, but he was also very big, which made him stand out even more. He was well over six feet tall in junior high, and wa...

-Titulo Original : What Was The Titanic?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: For more than 100 years, people have been captivated by the disastrous sinking of the Titanic that claimed over 1,500 lives. Now young readers can find out why the great ship went down and how it was discovered seventy-five years later. At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, the largest passenger steamship of this time, met its catastrophic end after crashing into an iceberg. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew onboard, only 705 survived. More than 100 years later, todays readers will be intrigued by the mystery that surrounds this ship that was originally labeled unsinkable. About the Author Stephanie Sabol is a native of the Jersey Shore and a graduate of Boston College. She currently resides in Hoboken, New Jersey. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Was the Titanic? April 14, 1912 The grandest luxury ship ever, the Titanic, was crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It was on its maiden, or first, voyage. The ship had left England four days earlier. It was making great time. In just a few days, the Titanic was scheduled to arrive in New York City. Aboard ship, the evening of April 14 seemed just like any other. First-class passengers enjoyed a feast with ten courses, including oysters and filet mignon. The Titanic’s captain, Edward John Smith, joined a dinner party in first class. It was hosted by a wealthy couple from Philadelphia. After dinner, some first-class passengers played cards or listened to the orchestra. In second class, a minister sang hymns with about one hundred people. Down in third class, passengers danced together in their lounge, known as the general room. But after a long day at sea, many aboard the Titanic were already in bed. Captain Smith checked in with his officers at the bridge around 9:00 p.m. The bridge was the command center of the ship. Smith told his officers to let him know if any problem arose. Then he went to his cabin. Outside, the night was very cold. There was no moon, but the sky was clear. Thousands of stars shone brightly. The sea was so calm it looked like a mirror. No waves rippled in the distance. Up in the crow’s nest, two lookouts kept watch, ready to spot danger. In this part of the Atlantic, ice was a concern. Ships had to be very careful to avoid hitting an iceberg. The two lookouts chatted and tried to keep warm. Then suddenly, at 11:40 p.m., almost out of nowhere, a large black shape came into view. Could it be . . . ? Yes, it was an iceberg! The iceberg was almost directly ahead of the ship. It looked like the ship might run straight into it! The lookouts rang the warning bell three times-the signal for an emergency. They telephoned the bridge where the officers were stationed. “Iceberg, right ahead!” they shouted. The officers only had thirty-seven seconds to respond. First Officer William Murdoch contacted the engine room and ordered the ship’s engines stopped and put into reverse. Would the Titanic avoid the iceberg? Or was it too late? Chapter 1: The Age of Steam Until the mid-1700s, ships had sails and relied on the power of the wind to move. Because winds are unpredictable, it wasn’t possible to know exactly how long a trip would take. A ship might cross the Atlantic Ocean in either a few weeks or a few months. By the early 1800s, steam engines began to power ships instead of sails. These steamships could cross the Atlantic in only two to four weeks. Eventually, more powerful engines were built. A steamship with a powerful engine could cross the ocean in just ten to fourteen days. Steamships grew in size over the years. They became known as ocean liners because they traveled the same route, or “line,” regularly. These lines were like invisible roads across the ocean. For rich passengers, crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner was like being on a vacation. They enjoyed fine meals and luxurious cabins. For poor immigrants in the tight quarters of third class, the voyage offered the c...

-Titulo Original : What Were The Salem Witch Trials? (what Was?)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: About the Author Joan Holub is the author of What Was the First Thanksgiving?, What Was the Gold Rush?, and other Who Was...? titles, including Who Was Marco Polo? and Who Was Babe Ruth? She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Something wicked was brewing in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It started when two girls, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, began having hysterical fits. Soon after, other local girls claimed they were being pricked with pins. With no scientific explanation available, the residents of Salem came to one conclusion: it was witchcraft! Over the next year and a half, nineteen people were convicted of witchcraft and hanged while more languished in prison as hysteria swept the colony. Author Joan Holub gives readers and inside look at this sinister chapter in history. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Were the Salem Witch Trials? In the winter of 1692, trouble came to the village of Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Witch trouble! Suddenly, two girls got a strange illness. Their bodies twitched and shuddered. They spoke nonsense and seemed to be choking. They said they were being pinched and poked by something invisible. Soon more girls in Salem began acting strangely, too. If this was an illness, no one could find a cure. Some villagers thought it might be the work of witches! Witches were serious stuff in the New England colonies. Scary stuff. Many people believed witches were real and that they wanted to hurt people. A hunt began in Salem to catch and punish the witches who were making the girls sick. But who were the witches? Could they be neighbors? Family members? Frightened villagers panicked. They pointed fingers at one another and cried, “Witch!” Over the next ten months, about two hundred people in Salem Village and surrounding areas were accused of witchcraft. Most were women. A few were children. Almost all went to jail. There were trials. There were hangings. Innocent people were convicted of witchcraft and killed. It was horrible! For a while, it seemed there would be no end to this awful time. But eventually, the witch hunt did stop and so did the trials. So, what was really going on in Salem in 1692...

-Titulo Original : The Crayons Christmas-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Celebrate the holidays with the Crayons in this festive story from #1 New York Times best-selling duo Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. This special book has letters, games, ornaments, a poster, and even a pop-up Christmas tree! Tis the season for all of us to write our holiday wishlists. But everyone--even the crayons--know the best presents are the ones that you give. In this unique book, readers get to see how Duncan, the crayons, and their families celebrate the holidays. With real, folded letters from the Crayons that you can pull from their envelopes and read, games, punch-out ornaments, a poster, and a pop-up tree, this book is the perfect gift for for the holidays and for fans of The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. Praise for The Day the Crayons Came Home Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Book of 2015! A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2015! One of Parents Magazines Ten Best Childrens Books of 2015! A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year! Funnier than the creators original blockbuster.--Parents Magazine Mr. Daywalts text blends with Mr. Jefferss illustrations to make a picture book that will have children clamoring for more crayon adventures.--The Wall Street Journal Continues its predecessors pleasing, goofy conceit...Once again, both Daywalts text and Jeffers illustrations are endearing.--New York Times Book Review By telling stories from the points of view of crayons, giving voices to the small and ignored, Daywalt and Jeffers have created two books that offer plenty of charm and fun, but also make children feel deeply understood.--The Boston Globe * A masterwork of humor and design . . . Sure to be as popular as The Day the Crayons Quit.--Booklist, starred review * A brilliant, colorful tale that begs to be read aloud and a must-have for all collections.--School Library Journal, starred review * Once again, Daywalt and Jeffers create rich emotional lives and personalities for their colorful cast, and its hard to imagine a reader who wont be delighted.--Publishers Weekly, starred review Not only stands on its own merit, but may be even more colorful than the original.--Huffington Post Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers once again offer perceptive and frequently hilarious insights...The Day the Crayons Came Home will have readers of all ages chuckling--and will inspire kids empathy and imagination in equal measure.--BookPage Praise for The Day the Crayons Quit The #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon--over two years on the bestseller list! Winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Amazons 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2013 Goodreads 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year * Hilarious . . . Move over, Click, Clack, Moo; weve got a new contender for the most successful picture-book strike. -BCCB, starred review Jeffers . . . elevates crayon drawing to remarkable heights. -Booklist Fresh and funny. -The Wall Street Journal This book will have children asking to have it read again and again. -Library Media Connection * This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime. -School Library Journal, starred review * These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes. -Publishers Weekly, starred review Utterly original. -San Francisco Chronicle About the Author Drew Daywalt grew up in a haunted house, but now lives in a Southern California home haunted by only his wife, two kids, and a German Shepherd. A Hollywood screenwriter when he is not writing for young readers, Drews favorite crayon is Black. He is the #1 bestselling author of The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. Follow Drew at @DrewDaywalt. Oliver Jeffers ( oliverjeffers ) is a creator of art for adults and children. An illustrator of fine art, his picture books have received numerous awards and much critical acclaim. The Day the Cra...

-Titulo Original : What Was The Age Of The Dinosaurs?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Travel back to the time when the mighty dinosaurs ruled the earth. The Age of Dinosaurs began about 250 million years ago. In the beginning they were quite small but over time they evolved into the varied and fascinating creatures that captivate our imaginations today. What we know about dinosaurs is evolving, too! Weve learned that some dinosaurs were good parents, that dinosaurs could grow new teeth when old ones fell out, and that most dinosaurs walked on two legs. Weve even discovered that birds are modern relatives of dinosaurs! About the Author Megan Stine has written several books for young readers, including Where Is the White House?, Who Was Marie Curie?, Who Was Ulysses S. Grant?, Who Is Michelle Obama?, and Who Was Sally Ride? She lives in Clinton, Connecticut. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Was the Age of the Dinosaurs? In 1822, a young country doctor named Gideon Mantell was living in Sussex, England. He delivered babies and treated people with serious diseases. But Mantell had another passion as well. Ever since childhood, he had loved to collect fossils-the ancient remains of dead plants and animals. Whenever he could, the busy doctor spent time digging near the chalky cliffs of England’s coastline. At first what he dug up were small pieces of fossil bones. But as time went on, he began to find some big bones-really big ones. The bones were too big to belong to any known animal. Even elephant bones would have been smaller. Then one day, Mantell’s wife, Mary, found a few enormous fossil teeth. She brought them to her husband. What were they? What kind of animal could possibly have teeth as big as this? Mantell wasn’t sure what to think. He talked to other scientists. No one could agree about what they were. A man named William Buckland had once been given some huge bones. He studied them for six years and finally decided they belonged to a giant lizard no one had ever seen before. Buckland called it Megalosaurus (say: MEG-uh-lo-SORE-us), which means “big lizard.” Mantell asked Buckland about the huge teeth he had found. But Buckland didn’t think they had come from a creature similar to his Megalosaurus. He said they came from a fish! After that, Mantell went to a museum and looked at other fossils and animal skeletons on display. The teeth he had found looked exactly like iguana teeth-only many times larger. If they came from an iguana, it would have to have been at least sixty feet long! That’s as long as a house! Suddenly Mantell realized something exciting. Like Buckland, he had discovered a new kind of animal no one knew about. He decided to call it Iguanodon (ig-WAN-uh-don). Neither Mantell nor Buckland understood that they had stumbled onto a completely unknown group of animals. The word dinosaur hadn’t been invented yet-and wouldn’t be for another twenty years. But that’s what Megalosaurus and Iguanodon were. In the early nineteenth century, no one yet realized that in prehistoric times, gigantic animals had roamed the earth. But soon, more fossils were found, and slowly scientists began to put together the pieces of a long-lost world-the Age of the Dinosaurs. Chapter 1: The Prehistoric World Two hundred thirty million years ago, the Age of the Dinosaurs began. The first baby dinosaurs poked their heads out of their eggshells and looked around for something to eat. The earth was a very different place then. North America didn’t exist. Neither did Africa or Europe. All seven continents we know today were clumped together into one huge landmass that we call Pangaea (pan-JEE-uh). Pangaea was surrounded on all sides by water. The center of the huge continent was a hot desert, where not much could survive. A giant ocean covered the rest of the earth. Near the coastlines, the ocean cooled the air. Cool air and water made it possible for fabulous life-forms to develop. Ferns grew along the coast. Moss covered the rocks. There were forests of...

-Titulo Original : Who Is Shaquille Oneal? (who Was?)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: NBA champion, sports analyst, and successful businessman Shaquille ONeal is a lively and entertaining addition to the #1 New York Times Bestselling Series! Shaquille ONeal discovered his love of basketball while spending time in an afterschool program called the Boys & Girls Club of America. Standing over six feet tall by the time he turned eleven years old, Shaq--as he is affectionately known--continued to practice the game and stunned the country with his phenomenal skills. From leading his high-school team to its first-ever state title to becoming the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft and going on to win four NBA championships, Shaq proved that he could dominate almost any player. But the fifteen-time All Star who played for six teams throughout his nineteen-year NBA career isnt just a force on the court, he is also an actor, television host, musician, and businessman who is always ready to crack a joke or bust a dance move. With such a welcoming personality and immense talent, it is easy to see why Shaquille ONeal is often considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. About the Author Ellen Labrecque is a former Senior Editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids and the author of over twenty nonfiction books for young readers, including biographies of Jim Thorpe, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson, and a number of Who Was? biographies. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Who Is Shaquille O’Neal? It was February 7, 1993, and the Orlando Magic were playing the Phoenix Suns in a National Basketball Association (NBA) game. The NBA is a men’s professional basketball league that plays in North America. The Magic were only in their fourth season in the NBA. Their game was being broadcast live on national television for the first time in franchise history while a sold--out crowd of over nineteen thousand fans watched the game in the Suns’ America West Arena. Everybody was focused on rookie Shaquille O’Neal, the Magic’s seven--foot--one, three--hundred--pound center. Shaq (pronounced “Shack”) played basketball like a bulldozer. In a game filled with giants, Shaq was still taller and stronger than his opponents. Defenders who got in his way could end up on the floor, or in the third row! “When he gets the ball under the basket, I pray he misses,” said Hakeem Olajuwon, another seven--foot--tall NBA center. “He’s so big and he can’t be stopped.” In the matchup against the Suns, Super Shaq did not disappoint his fans. Less than three minutes into the game, he went up for a thundering two--handed dunk. The “Shaq attack” did not just bring down the rim and the backboard; it also pulled down the entire basket structure--the rim and net, the six--foot--by--three--foot backboard, and the bar and post the backboard and rim were attached to--onto the court. Players scattered out of the way to safety. No one had ever seen anything like it. No other player had ever had the strength and power to do something like that. The game had to be delayed for thirty--seven minutes as workers brought in a whole new basket replacement. Shaq stood on the sideline and smiled a giant thousand--watt smile. He’s a serious basketball player, but he knows how to have fun while playing the game, too. “I was a little surprised,” he said later about the mighty dunk. “But when it started coming down, I started running the other way.” Shaq finished the game with twenty points, but the Magic lost the game 121--105. The score didn’t really matter, though. The Hercules--size dunk announced to the world that twenty--year--old Shaquille O’Neal was Superman in a basketball uniform. He was a star like no other. Chapter 1: An Army Kid Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey. His mother explained that “Shaquille Rashaun” is an Arabic name that means “little warrior.” (As he grew up, Shaquille’s name sometimes got shortened to Shaq by family and friends.) Shaquille was less than eight...

-Titulo Original : Mr. Boddingtons Studio Twas The Night Before Christmas-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Mr. Boddingtons Studio delivers a stylish and modern illustrated reimagining of the most iconic Christmas picture book story using the words of the Clement Clarke Moores poem A Visit from St. Nicholas. A perennial bestseller and timeless gift in the holiday season, multiple adaptations exist of this classic holiday tale, almost exclusively illustrated in bold classic colors. Mr. Boddingtons Studio provides a fresh take by using the same poem and updating the style with a sophisticated and modern color palette. Children and parents alike will delight in revisiting this classic holiday tale with the iconic and fresh Mr. Boddingtons style. About the Author Mr. Boddingtons Studio is a design and stationery store based in Brooklyn, New York, that delivers stylish design services and unique products to online and physical retailers throughout the United States and Canada...

-Titulo Original : What Was The Plague?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Oh, rats! Its time to take a deeper look at what caused the Black Death--the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history. While the coronavirus COVID-19 changed the world in 2020, it still isnt the largest and deadliest pandemic in history. That title is held by the Plague. This disease, also known as the Black Death, spread throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe in the fourteenth century and claimed an astonishing 50 million lives by the time it officially ended. Author Roberta Edwards takes readers back to these grimy and horrific years, explaining just how this pandemic began, how society reacted to the disease, and the impact it left on the world. With 80 black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this latest additon to Who HQ! About the Author Roberta Edwards has written several books for young readers. She lives in New York, New York. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Was the Plague? Looking back at history, certain periods stand out as times of progress and prosperity, when people enjoyed a better life than the generations before them had. The three hundred years from 1000 to 1300 in Europe count as one of those prosperous periods. One reason is that there were not many wars. That meant kings, lords, and knights weren’t off on battlefields and could stay at home in their manors or castles. There, along with noble ladies in rich gowns and headdresses, they could enjoy lavish feasts, often with music and acrobats. Together, they went off hunting deer. They enjoyed playing card games and chess, both of which had originated in the Far East. Knights who served as soldiers for a lord kept up their battle skills through festive “pretend battles” called tournaments. In a contest called a joust, two knights in full armor on horseback would gallop straight at each other, each trying to knock his opponent off his horse with a hard blow from a lance. After showing off such strength and bravery, the winner might get a keepsake from the lady he loved, who’d been sitting in the grandstand. The peasants who farmed the lords’ land had none of the luxuries enjoyed by the nobility. Nevertheless, they saw their lives improve, too. Because of certain inventions, the work of peasants was made easier. There were better plows to till the soil. A work harness designed for horses meant that peasants no longer had to depend on slow oxen to pull a plow. Ways of farming also improved. Varying what was grown and leaving part of the land fallow (unplanted) resulted in much bigger crops. That resulted in more food and, in turn, more food meant healthier people who no longer owed as much free labor to the lords, as had been the case in earlier times. By the year 1300, the cities growing all over Europe gave rise to a new middle class. These were people who had thriving businesses. In the social order, they fell in between the nobles at the top and the peasants at the bottom. There were guilds (groups of people all in the same type of business) producing high--quality goods--leather shoes, steel suits of armor, wooden furniture, and jewelry made from gold and silver. Trade was showing the first sign of becoming global, with ships connecting all the parts of the world known to Europe. Western Europe was so prosperous that its population almost doubled between 1000 and 1300. Three cities--Paris, Milan, and Granada--each had 150,000 people living in them. Both Florence and Venice could claim a population of 100,000, and while London only had 80,000, it was growing into the most important trade center in Northern Europe. To many, it must have seemed as if the good times would last forever. No one had cause to think that a disaster was coming. But one was. About one-third of the population of Western Europe--an estimated twenty--five million people--was wiped out between 1345 and 1351. All because of tiny, disease--carrying fleas. The di...

-Titulo Original : Who Was Jackie Robinson?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: As a kid, Jackie Robinson loved sports. And why not? He was a natural at football, basketball, and, of course, baseball. But beyond athletic skill, it was his strength of character that secured his place in sports history. In 1947 Jackie joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the long-time color barrier in major league baseball. It was tough being first- not only did fans send hate mail but some of his own teammates refused to accept him. Here is an inspiring sports biography, with black-and-white illustrations throughout. About the Author Gail Herman lives in Newton, Massachusetts. John OBrien lives in Delran, New Jersey. Nancy Harrison lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania...

-Titulo Original : What Is The Declaration Of Independence? (what Was?)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Step back in time to the birth of the United States of America and meet the real-life rebels who made this country free! On a hot summer day near Philadelphia in 1776, Thomas Jefferson sat at his desk and wrote furiously until early the next morning. He was drafting the Declaration of Independence, a document that would sever this countrys ties with Britain and announce a new nation-The United States of America. Colonists were willing to risk their lives for freedom, and the Declaration of Independence made that official. Discover the true story of one of the most radical and uplifting documents in history and follow the action that fueled the Revolutionary War. About the Author Michael C. Harris is a freelance writer and college writing instructor based in Evanton, Illinois, where he lives with his wife, two soccer-loving sons, a dwarf hamster, a gecko, and a really weird cat. He has written a number of books for kids-including Cool Science titles about artificial intelligence, weird diseases, and spare body parts for humans. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Is the Declaration of Independence? June 26, 1776, Philadelphia The June heat in Philadelphia was blistering. Even before the sun came up, it was hot. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia did his best to stay cool as he wrote in the room he had rented on Market Street. He was writing a letter. But it was no ordinary letter. Along with Jefferson, important men from all thirteen American colonies had come to Philadelphia. They planned to do something brave and dangerous. The colonies were declaring their freedom from Great Britain. They were going to create a new country-the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write a public letter to the British king listing all the reasons why people in America were rebelling. Jefferson also wanted the letter to show other countries in Europe why this was the right decision for America. It took Jefferson-with help from others-only a couple of weeks to finish one of the most important documents in history: the Declaration of Independence. Sending an announcement like this-a declaration-meant that the colonists in America would go to war. The British army was large and powerful. The colonists didn’t even have an army. The chances were slim that the Americans could win. Many would certainly die. And even if by some chance the colonists did win their freedom, could thirteen different colonies create a new country together? For two weeks Jefferson worked on the Declaration of Independence. He sat at the small desk that he had made by hand. He wrote in ink on large sheets of paper with his quill pen. Each day Jefferson would discuss the ideas for the declaration with some of the other men who had gathered in Philadelphia. After these talks, Jefferson would sometimes tear up his most recent draft of the declaration and start over. He wanted to get every word just right. The declaration had to explain more than why the colonies could no longer live under British rule. More importantly, it had to tell the world what this new country hoped to stand for. It would not have a king. It would set up a government in which ordinary men decided the laws. After the Declaration of Independence was finished, it was signed on July 4, 1776. It has become one of the most important statements of freedom. It has inspired people around the globe to fight for their freedom as well. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” This meant that this new United States would treat everyone the same. Jefferson may not have realized how powerful those simple words would be for hundreds of years to come. Chapter 1: A Battle for America After Columbus set foot in the “New World” in 1492, many European countries wanted to rule different parts of North America. Great Britain, France, and Spain controlled almost the entire continent. Great Brit...

-Titulo Original : Who Was Babe Ruth?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Just in time for baseball season! Babe Ruth came from a poor Baltimore family and, as a kid, he was a handful. It was at a reform school that Babe discovered his talent for baseball, and by the age of nineteen, he was on his way to becoming a sports legend. Babe was often out of shape and even more often out on the town, but he had a big heart and an even bigger swing! Kids will learn all about the Home Run King in this rags-to- riches sports biography. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, a true sports legend is brought to life. About the Author Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated over 130 childrens books, including Who Was Johnny Appleseed?, Who Was Marco Polo?, Groundhog Weather School, and Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers and Swirly Stars. She is also the co-author of the popular GODDESS GIRLS series for ages 8-12 (Athena the Brain, Aphrodite the Diva, Artemis the Brave, etc.). Visit her at joanholub...

-Titulo Original : Who Was Michelangelo?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: 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 worlds 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 Michelangelos 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. About the Author Kirsten Anderson is a writer and actress who lives in New York City with her charming Pomeranian, Sunflower. She has written several biographies for children, including Who Was Andy Warhol? and Who Is Kamala Harris? Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Who Was Michelangelo? A crowd gathered around the new statue in the chapel of Santa Petronilla in 1500. It was indeed a wonder. The sculpture showed a famous scene from the Bible. There was the Virgin Mary, holding the body of her dead son, Jesus Christ. This scene is often called a pieta. (Pieta means “pity” in Italian.) Many others had painted or sculpted this same grouping of mother and son. But this statue was different. Although carved from hard marble, it was incredibly lifelike. People could see tiny details, like stretched muscles and the pull of the skin where Mary’s hand held onto the body of Jesus. The folds of Mary’s gown looked as soft as real fabric. When the sun streamed through the chapel’s windows, the statue glowed. It was hard to believe it was carved from stone. Everyone agreed that it was a magnificent work, unlike anything they had seen before. But who had carved it? Many of the people gathered in the chapel that day didn’t seem to know. As much as the crowd loved the image before them, they might not have been looking too closely at it. Nearby, a young man listened quietly. He was amazed that anyone would wonder who the artist was. He had made the statue. Hadn’t they seen his name? On a ribbon across Mary’s chest, he had carved the words, “Michelangelo the Florentine was making.” He wrote “was making” instead of “made” because he had heard that the artists of ancient Greece signed their work like that. It was their way of saying that a work of art was never truly finished. But Michelangelo (say: mee-keh-LAN-juh-low) was ready to begin working on something new. He had other important projects ahead of him. Soon he would become known as one of the greatest artists in the world. Hundreds of years later, people are still awed by the statues, paintings, and buildings he made. And he never signed any others. That first pieta is the only one with his name on it. After that, no one would look at his work and ask, “Who made this?” Everyone would know it was Michelangelo. Chapter 1: Education of an Artist Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, a town in what is now known as Italy. His family was really from Florence, a big city nearby, but his father, Lodovico, had taken a job as podesta, or mayor, of Caprese for a year. Then the Buonarrotis, as they were known, returned to Florence. Michelangelo had one older brother and three younger brothers. His mother, Francesca, died when he was six. The Buonarrotis had once been a wealthy merchant family, but by the late 1400s, they had lost almost all of their large fortune. Lodovico, though, considered himself a member of the upper class and believed it was beneath him to work. He occasionally took small government jobs, and the family tried to get by on the money he earned from those. Lodovico thought that Michelangelo seemed clever and decided to send him to school, whi...

-Titulo Original : Who Was Rosa Parks?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This seemingly small act triggered civil rights protests across America and earned Rosa Parks the title Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. This biography has black-and-white illustrations throughout. About the Author Yona Zeldis McDonough is a longtime doll lover and collector. She is also an award-winning author who has published numerous books for children and adults. She presently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children...

-Titulo Original : Who Is Michael Jordan? (who Was?)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Grab your Js and hit the court with this Who Was? biography about NBA superstar Michael Jordan. Meet the man who changed the game forever. Michael Jordan has always been competitive--even as a young boy, he fought for attention. His need to be the best made him a star player on his college basketball team and helped him become an NBA legend, both for his skills and his endorsements. His Nike contract for Air Jordan basketball shoes set an unmatched precedent for professional athletes. Author Kirsten Anderson takes readers through each exciting moment, detailing the iconic reverse lay-ups and jump shots of Michael Jordans storied career. About the Author Kirsten Anderson is a freelance writer and actress who lives in New York City with her charming Pomeranian, Sunflower. She has written several biographies for children, including Who Was Andy Warhol? and Who Was Robert Ripley? Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Who Is Michael Jordan? There was less than a minute to go in the 1982 college basketball championship game, one of the biggest events in sports. The Hoyas, Georgetown University’s men’s basketball team, had taken a one-point lead over their rivals, the Tar Heels from the University of North Carolina. With thirty-two seconds left, Carolina coach Dean Smith called a time-out so he could discuss their next moves with his players. The team, in their white-and-blue uniforms, gathered around their coach. He knew that Georgetown would carefully guard James Worthy and Sam Perkins, two UNC players who had become big stars. Coach Smith had to decide who else could take a shot at scoring a basket if Worthy and Perkins couldn’t get free from defenders. He thought the team should try to get the ball to Michael. Michael Jordan was a nineteen-year-old freshman at UNC in 1982. Coach Dean Smith rarely let freshmen play. He thought the first-year students needed to watch and learn-from the bench-before they were ready to play big-time college basketball. But Michael stood out. He was quick and could jump high. He was tough and energetic. Even better, he loved to work and to learn. He practiced hard and listened to his coaches’ instructions. Coach Smith knew he was different. He put Michael in the starting lineup for the first game of the season, and he stayed there all year. Now, with seconds left on the clock, Coach Smith was going to trust the team’s chance at a championship to the freshman, Michael Jordan. Everyone knew he had the talent to make the shot. But even more importantly, Michael had the confidence. Some athletes would be scared by this big moment. They might be afraid of making a mistake. And they certainly didn’t want to be the one to lose the game. Michael was another kind of athlete. He wanted to take the shot. The time-out ended and the players got ready to go back on the court. Their coach had only one thing to say: “Knock it in, Michael.” The clock started again. The Georgetown players swarmed Worthy and Perkins. Michael waited on the other side of the court. With fifteen seconds left, Jimmy Black passed the ball to him. Michael caught it and jumped in the air. The ball left his hands and sailed sixteen feet to the basket. It swished in and the Tar Heels took a one-point lead. The crowd roared. Georgetown had time to make another shot, but their players couldn’t seem to score. The clock ticked down to zero. The UNC Tar Heels were the 1982 college basketball champions! After the game, Michael told a reporter that he hadn’t felt any pressure. It was just another jump shot. That was the very first game-winning shot made by Michael Jordan. It was far from the last. He would go on to win six NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals. He was named Most Valuable Player five times and played on fourteen All-Star teams. Many people consider him the greatest basketball player ever and one of the greatest athletes of all time. Chapter 1: Too Short Michael Jeffrey J...

-Titulo Original : Who Is Cristiano Ronaldo? (who Hq Now)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Discover how a young boy born in Portugal with a passion for soccer worked hard to become one of the most famous athletes of all time in this exciting addition to the Who HQ Now series that features newsmakers and trending topics. When he was just twelve years old, Cristiano Ronaldo was recruited to play professional soccer for a team in Portugal, 600 miles from his home on the island of Madeira, a region of Portugal. For the next twenty-five years, Cristiano would prove to the world that he is one of the greatest to ever play the game. Author James Buckley Jr. takes readers through each exciting moment--from his first championship with Manchester United to each of his five Ballon Dor award-winning seasons. He has spent his career playing for teams in Portugal, England, Spain, and Italy. And he is the first player with league championships in England, Spain, and Italy. Outside the world of soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous people in the world - a true international superstar. About the Author James Buckley Jr. has written more than 50 books for kids, including Who Was Ernest Shackleton? and Who Was Roberto Clemente? Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Who Is Cristiano Ronaldo? The world’s greatest soccer player was crying. He was not sad. He was shedding tears of joy.At a star--studded ceremony, Cristiano Ronaldo had just won the 2013 Ballon d’Or (French for “Golden Ball”), a trophy given to the year’s top player. He had won the award before, in 2008, but it had been five long years since he had taken home this important honor. This time, he did not come onto the stage alone. His three--year--old son, Cristiano Jr., had scampered up to follow his dad. Tears flowed as Cristiano spoke in Portuguese, his native language. He thanked his mother, Dolores, and his family. He thanked his teammates and coaches. And for the first time on any stage, he tearfully thanked his son for being in his life. For soccer fans, seeing Cristiano Ronaldo cry was not that unusual. For a decade, he had been part of some of the greatest teams and championships in world soccer, first for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, then for Manchester United in England. Since 2009, he had been with Real (say: ray--AHL) Madrid in Spain. He had helped his teams take home trophies that brought tears of joy. He had also wept in disappointment when he could not help his national team from Portugal do the same. Why all the tears for a game? For billions of people around the world, soccer is much more than a game. For Cristiano Ronaldo, too, it is an obsession. From almost as soon as he could walk, he had a burning desire to be the best in the game. It took a lot of hard work, a lot of talent, and a bit of luck, but now, on this stage in Switzerland, he could say that he had made it. On the awards show stage, Cristiano stood proudly with his son by his side. They were like an island amid a sea of cheering fans. His story, however, begins on another island entirely. Chapter 1: Island Kid Turns Pro The island of Madeira is in the Atlantic Ocean, about 620 miles from the coast of Portugal. Madeira is a region of Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on Madeira on February 5, 1985. His mother, Dolores dos Santos, chose the name Cristiano. His father, Jose Dinis, chose Ronaldo, after Ronald Reagan, the American president at the time, and a man Jose Dinis admired. For most of his life, Cristiano has been known just by his first two names, which is not unusual for people from Portugal. Cristiano was the youngest of four children. The family lived in a three--room house with a tin roof in a poor part of the island’s biggest city, Funchal. Soccer was a huge part of Cristiano’s life from when he was very young. Jose Dinis worked as the equipment manager for a local soccer club called Andorinha (Portuguese for “the Swallows”). He took care of the uniforms, known as the “kit,” the balls, and even ...

-Titulo Original : Where Were The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World? (where Is?)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Explore the most amazing wonders of the ancient world! More than 2,000 years ago, travelers wrote about the incredible sights they saw while on their journeys. They told tales of hanging gardens that were built for a Babylonian queen, and a colossal statue that guided ships through the harbor of Rhodes in Greece. These writers compiled a list of the very best of these sights that are now known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Author Yona Zeldis McDonough takes the readers on a trip to the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Great Pyramids in Egypt (the only Wonder still standing), the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the Colossus of Rhodes in ancient Greece, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Temple of Artemis, detailing the creativity and skill that these early civilizations possessed. About the Author Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of What Was the Underground Railroad?, Who Was Rosa Parks?, Who Was John F. Kennedy?, Who Was Louis Armstrong?, Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?, and Who Was Harriet Tubman? Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Where Were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Imagine you live thousands of years ago, somewhere in the area you see on the map. Even back then, people wanted to travel and see the world’s most famous landmarks. Several writers from ancient times did just that. During their travels, they made lists of the most unusual and impressive sights. Not everyone wrote about the same places. But in the seventeenth century, seven of these marvels became known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World--even though most of them no longer existed. In fact, only one remains standing today. Still, you can imagine what they looked like by reading books like this one. Chapter 1: The Great Pyramid at Giza Perhaps the most famous monument in the world is the Great Pyramid at Giza in northern Egypt. (A pyramid is a three--dimensional object with triangular sides that meet in a point at the top.) That’s because it’s so huge and old, and the story of why and how it was built is so interesting. The pyramid at Giza was built by the Egyptians during the years 2550-2530 BC. Egypt was a great civilization even more than 4,500 years ago. The Egyptians were able to build a pyramid as tall as a fifty--story skyscraper. At its base, each side is about 756 feet long. That’s more than twice the length of a football field. For longer than 3,880 years, the Great Pyramid remained the tallest structure made by human hands in the entire world--that’s quite a record! Unlike all the other ancient wonders in this book, the Great Pyramid is still standing. It is located outside the city of Cairo, on the Nile River. It’s made of over two million blocks of limestone and granite. Some of the blocks are so big and heavy that even today, no one knows exactly how builders in ancient times were able to put them in place. They are not held together with mortar (mortar is like concrete). Instead, the blocks fit next to one another so perfectly that the pyramid has stood for 4,500 years. We know a lot about life in ancient Egypt because good records were kept and because so many objects--both practical things and works of art--were put in the tombs for the dead. Egyptians back then believed the soul needed all the same things in the afterlife that had been enjoyed in this world. The Great Pyramid at Giza is one of these tombs, probably for a pharaoh (ruler) named Khufu. Khufu, like all pharaohs, had a special role. Not only was he the ruler of the people, but he was also believed to be a link between them and the gods. By performing certain ceremonies, the pharaoh made sure that the sun would rise and set, the Nile River would flow, and the crops would grow. And when the king died, he became a god. For this reason, everything about his death and burial was considered extremely important. After Khufu’s death, his body was made into a mum...

-Titulo Original : ¿quien Es Alexandria Ocasio-cortez? (¿quien Fue?) -Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: La inspiradora historia de la mujer mas joven jamas elegida para el Congreso, contada en el nuevo formato Who HQ Now para temas de actualidad. The inspiring story of the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, told in the new Who HQ Now format for trending topics. El 26 de junio de 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, una camarera de Nueva York de veintiocho años, se convirtio en la mujer mas joven elegida para formar parte del Congreso. Su victoria conmociono al mundo politico y se convirtio en una celebridad de la noche a la mañana. Pronto, todo el mundo la conocia por sus iniciales: AOC. Nada mas tomar posesion de su cargo, AOC se convirtio en una firme defensora de la asistencia medica para todos y de la lucha contra el cambio climatico. Esta apasionante historia detalla los momentos decisivos que la llevaron a la victoria y todos los eventos importantes que se han producido desde entonces y que la han convertido en una politica inteligente, dispuesta a luchar por los demas, por el medio ambiente y por el futuro de Estados Unidos. On June 26, 2018, twenty-eight-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a bartender from New York City, became the youngest woman ever elected to serve on Congress. Her win shocked the political world and she became a celebrity overnight. Soon, everyone knew her by her initials: AOC. As soon as she was sworn into office, AOC became a vocal champion for healthcare for all and the fight against climate change. This exciting story details the defining moments of what led to her victory and all the monumental ones since that have shaped her into a smart politician willing to fight for others, the environment, and the future of America. About the Author Yanitzia Canetti es la presidenta de Cambridge BrickHouse, Inc. Yanitzia se desempeña como consultora literaria, escritora y traductora para las principales editoriales. Experta tanto en libros para el mercado general como para el sector educativo, es la autora de mas de 500 libros. En el 2011, fue elegida por la revista People en español como una de las 25 Mujeres Hispanas Mas Poderosas del Mundo. Yanitzia Canetti is the head of Brickhouse Learning. Yanitzia works as a literary consultant, writer, and translator across all major publishing houses. An expert in both the trade and educational markets, she has published over 500 books in Spanish. In 2011, she was selected by People magazine as one of the 25 Most Powerful Hispanic Women of the World. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. ¿Quien es Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez parecia una candidata con pocas probabilidades para enfrentarse a Joseph Crowley, uno de los democratas mas poderosos de Nueva York y del Congreso. Sin embargo, la mesera de veintiocho años del Bronx queria marcar la diferencia. Creia apasionadamente que todos debian tener atencion medica y que el cambio climatico era la batalla mas urgente de nuestro tiempo. Ella habia caminado por los barrios de Queens y del Bronx, tratando de convencer a la gente de que era hora de un cambio. Pensaba que era el momento de que sus vecindarios estuvieran representados por alguien que realmente viviera en su distrito, no en Washington, DC, y que ya era hora de ser representados por alguien que se pareciera mas a ellos. Ella sabia lo que era trabajar duro todo el dia, porque lo habia hecho en los restaurantes de Manhattan. Alexandria, Alex para sus amigos, era una joven latina de clase trabajadora de una de las areas de mayor diversidad etnica de la ciudad de Nueva York. La noche del 26 de junio de 2018, Alex no esperaba ganar la eleccion primaria. La mayoria de la gente pensaba que ella no tenia ninguna oportunidad. En uno de sus debates, Crowley incluso la felicito por traer “nueva energia” a la contienda, como si el resultado ya hubiera sido decidido. Nadie se habia molestado en presentarse contra el representante Crowley durante los ultimos catorce años. Y ahora eran casi las 9:00 p. ...

-Titulo Original : The Who Was? History Of The World-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Based on The New York Times Best-Selling series, this timeline of world history gives a fresh take on global events, from King Tut to Malala Yousafzai. For the first time ever, the Who Was? subjects are gathered into a single title! The Who Was? History of the World is a journey along the timeline of history, noting the birthdays of 150 people in the series and what was happening in the world at that moment in time. Follow the timeline to learn who was doing what when, from the days of ancient Egypt, all the way up to the present. About the Author Paula K. Manzanero is an Executive Editor at Penguin Workshop and a childrens book author...

-Titulo Original : The Golden Girls Twas The Night Before Christmas-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Celebrate this holiday season with the Golden Girls! Twas the night before Christmas and out on the lanai... This holiday season, celebrate with Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia. This illustrated gift book is a perfect stocking stuffer for fans of the show that won eleven Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a place in pop culture fame as one of the best shows of all time. About the Author Francesco Sedita and Doug Yacka are longtime fans of the Golden Girls. They are both authors living in New York City. Alex Fine is an illustrator originally from the suburbs of Washington, DC. Now living in Baltimore, he freelances for a variety of publications and teaches at the Baltimore Academy of Illustration, which he cofounded in 2015...

-Titulo Original : No One Likes A Fart-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Fart is desperate to make friends and have fun. But no one likes a fart -- not even a fart with a heart. With plenty of laughs and even more heart, this delightful picture book shows that even the smelliest among us can find a friend in this world. Its hard out there for a fart. Too smelly. Too embarassing. Too gross. Striking the perfect balance of gross-out humor, wit, and heart, this beautifully illustrated picture book delivers a message of accepting yourself and finding a friend who loves you just the way you are. About the Author Zoe Foster Blake is an Australian author, columnist, magazine editor, and cosmetics entrepreneur. Shes worked for over a decade in journalism, writing for titles such as Cosmopolitan, Harpers BAZAAR, and Sunday Style, as well as being the founder of all-natural Australian skin care line, Go-To. Zoe has written four novels -- Air Kisses, Playing the Field, The Younger Man, and The Wrong Girl -- and a dating and relationship book, Textbook Romance, written in conjunction with Hamish Blake. She lives in Melbourne, Australia. Adam Nickel is an illustrator whose client list includes The Daily Telegraph, The Boston Globe, and New Scientist. He lives in Brisbane, Australia, and spends his spare time working on old things that have wheels on them, or at least staring at them on the Internet...

-Titulo Original : What Is The Story Of Ebenezer Scrooge?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most beloved characters of our time. Bah humbug! Get to know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation from miser to hero in this addition to the What Is the Story Of? series. When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, he likely had no idea that the story and its main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, would remain so popular nearly two centuries later. Today, readers still find themselves entertained by the story of a grumpy, selfish man who becomes a holiday hero after he learns generosity through the help of three spirits in Victorian-era England. Whether a Dickens fan or someone in love with all things Christmas, readers will enjoy learning the history of this memorable character and his many appearances on the page, the screen, and the stage in What Is the Story of Ebenezer Scrooge? About the Author Sheila Keenan is an established author of fiction and nonfiction for young people. Her books include the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Dogs of War, the picture book As the Crow Flies, I Spy The Illuminati Eye, and O, Say Can You See? Americas Symbols, Landmarks and Inspiring Words, among other selected titles. She lives in New York City. Visit her at sheilakeenan Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Is the Story of Ebenezer Scrooge? There is a tidy row of nineteenth-century brick town houses on Doughty Street in London, England. Behind the cheery red door at number 48, the rooms are decorated for Christmas. Presents are piled under a tree lit with candles. The halls are decked with holly and ivy. There are evergreens on the mantel of each fireplace. Wreaths and red bows are hung throughout the four-story building, and there is Christmas sheet music on the piano. It’s all very merry, until a tall professor in a green sweater reads aloud: “Once upon a time-of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve-old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house.” Meet Ebenezer Scrooge, one of beloved British author Charles Dickens’s most famous characters. Or as Dickens described him: “Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” Scrooge is the main character in Dickens’s short novel A Christmas Carol. That is what the professor is reading for his audience at 48 Doughty Street, the London town house that was once the home of Charles Dickens and his family that is now a museum. Every Christmas, performances like this take place on the radio, at schools, in libraries, and in other public places. It is an annual holiday tradition for many people to buy tickets to see a play or a musical production of A Christmas Carol. Many more watch movie versions of Dickens’s popular Christmas tale. There are even festivals dedicated to A Christmas Carol. People re-create Dickens’s world. They dress up in clothes from the 1800s, sing carols, and serve food like sugarplums and fruitcake. Actors stroll around in costumes. They look and talk like the men, women, children-and ghosts-in the book. Everyone is on the lookout for Scrooge! But what makes so many people want to gasp, boo, hiss, or clap for the main character of a book written nearly 180 years ago? Who is this Ebenezer Scrooge, and what exactly is his story? Chapter 1: A Man of Many Words Ebenezer Scrooge is a fictional character. But his last name is now a real word used for anyone who is mean, coldhearted, or cheap. This is thanks to the power of Charles Dickens’s writing. Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1812. He never finished school but still grew up to be one of the world’s most famous authors. The life he led was an education in itself. Charles was one of eight children. His father, John Dickens, was not very good with money. He spent more of it than he earned. When Charles was ten years old, the family moved to Camden Town, a neighborhood in London. Life there was difficult. The Dickens family lived in a series of c...

-Titulo Original : What Is The World Cup? (what Was?)-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: GOOOAAAAAL! Get ready for a front-row seat at the worlds most-watched sporting event--the World Cup. Every four years, thirty-two of the best mens soccer teams from across the globe compete for the title of FIFA World Cup winner. Over one billion people tuned in worldwide to watch the final game of the 2014 competition, making the World Cup the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Summer Olympics! This book takes a look back at what has changed since the first tournament in 1930 and what lies ahead for the most popular sport in the world. About the Author Bonnie Bader has written several Who Was? biographies for young readers. She lives in Brooklyn, New York...

-Titulo Original : Who Was Nikola Tesla?-Fabricante : Penguin Workshop-Descripcion Original: Get ready for the electrifying biography of Nikola Tesla--part creative genius, part mad scientist, and 100% innovator. When Nikola Tesla arrived in the United States in 1884, he didnt have much money, but he did have a letter of introduction to renowned inventor Thomas Edison. The working relationship between the two men was short lived, though, and the two scientist-inventors became harsh competitors. One of the most influential scientists of all time, Nikola Tesla is celebrated for his experiments in electricity, X-rays, remote controls, and wireless communications. His invention of the Tesla coil was instrumental in the development of radio technology. About the Author Jim Gigliotti is a freelance writer based in Southern California. A former editor at the National Football League, he has written more than 50 books for readers of all ages, including biographies for young readers on Olympian Jesse Owens, baseball star Roberto Clemente, and musician Stevie Wonder. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Who Was Nikola Tesla? Nikola Tesla was seven years old on the day the people of Gospi , in what is now modern-day Croatia, received a brand-new fire pump. The town had organized a fire department for the very first time. The firefighters trained hard to learn to work together. But it was the fire pump that everyone wanted to see. It was a really big deal. The pump let firefighters move water from the local river and direct it onto flames, in order to put out fires quickly. The leaders of the town organized a celebration to show off the fire pump. Everyone in Gospi (say: GAH-spich) put on their best Sunday clothes. They gathered around when the machine was brought down to the river. There was a ceremony, and several people gave speeches. Then came the big moment: a demonstration to show how the pump could spray water. The new machine was painted black and red. It needed sixteen men to work it. They took their positions, turned on the hose, and . . . nothing! No water came out. The pump didn’t work! None of the grown-ups was sure what to do. But young Nikola (say: NEEK-oh-la) had an idea. “I know what to do, mister,” he told one of the men in charge. “You keep pumping.” Nikola jumped into the water and felt for the hose. There was no pressure. He tried to picture the reason in his mind. He thought something might be blocking it. Quickly, Nikola found the problem. The hose had bent sharply in one spot and stopped the pressure from pushing the water out. He straightened out the line, and water surged through the hose! The crowd cheered. Many of the people got wet! But they didn’t mind. Nikola was a hero. They carried him on their shoulders. Before Nikola jumped into the river that day in the early 1860s, he didn’t know anything about fire pumps or water pressure. He just knew there was some reason the machine was not working properly-and he knew he could figure out a way to fix it. Nikola never lost his gift for figuring things out. He grew up to be one of the most important inventors in the history of the world! He helped create the technology that led to radios and remote-control devices. He imagined cell phones and the Internet many years before anyone heard of such things. He created a motor that helped power machines around the world. And he is most famous for helping to bring electricity into homes everywhere. Nikola had a talent for picturing a problem in his mind and figuring out a way to fix it. Luckily for us, he loved to develop new and better ways of making things work. Chapter 1: Learning Experiences Young Nikola Tesla was a very smart boy who one day did something not very smart: He tried to fly. He went out to the barn at his family’s farm carrying an umbrella. He climbed to the roof of the barn, opened the umbrella, and jumped off. Not surprisingly, Nikola fell directly to the ground with a thud. Fortunately, he didn’t break any bones. He spent several weeks ...