"John Marshall (1755-1835) was a good son, a kind older brother, a loving father and husband, and a dear friend to many. He was a soldier for the Revolutionary Army, a successful lawyer, a congressman, and Secretary of State. Most importantly, he was Chief Justice of the United States. As Chief Justice, John Marshall made the Supreme Court the strong and powerful body it is today."--Back cover.

A brief biography of the man who was the first African American baseball player on a major league team, as well as the first African American elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Barbara Jordan was the first African American to serve in the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first black woman elected to Congress from the South, and the first to deliver the keynote address at a national party convention. Yet Jordan herself remained a mystery, a woman so private that even her close friends did not know the name of the illness that debilitated her for two decades until it struck her down at the age of fifty-nine. In Barbara Jordan, Mary Beth Rogers deftly explores the forces that shaped the moral character and quiet dignity of this extraordinary woman. She reveals the seeds of Jordan's trademark stoicism while recapturing the essence of a black woman entering politics just as the civil rights movement exploded across the nation. Celebrating Jordan's elegance, passion, and patriotism, this illuminating portrayal gives new depth to our understanding of one of the most influential women of our time-a woman whose powerful convictions and flair for oratorical drama changed the political landscape of America's twentieth century.

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became a national star. That morning at Cape Canaveral, a small-town boy from Ohio took his place atop a rocket and soared into orbit to score a victory in the heavily contested Cold War. The television images were blurry black-and-white phantoms. The cameras shook as the rocket moved, but by the end of the day, one thing was clear: a new hero rode that rocket and became the center of the world's attention for the four hours and fifty-five minutes of his flight. From that day forward, Glenn restively wore the hero label. Refusing to let that dramatic day define his life, he went on to become a four-term US senator--and returned to space at the age of seventy-seven. He was a creation of the media, in some ways, but he was also a product of the Cold War. At a time when increasingly cynical Americans need heroes, his aura burns brightly in American memory.

Grant was the most famous person in America, considered by most citizens to be equal in stature to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Yet today his monuments are rarely visited, his military reputation is overshadowed by that of Robert E. Lee, and his presidency is permanently mired at the bottom of historical rankings. In an insightful blen...

Just in time for the major motion picture release, discover everything you wanted to know about Jackie Robinson! To tie- in with the April 2013 release of the movie 42, the life story of Jackie Robinson, this full-color comprehensive biography will feature everything there is to know about this inspiring American hero. The movie, featuring high-profile actors such as Harrison Ford, Christopher Meloni, and T.R. Knight, explores Robinson's history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey. The biography will explore what led up to Robinson's signing and what happened after. As the first black man to play major league baseball, his progress monumentally influenced the desegregation of baseball. Because of this, Robinson became an icon for not only the sport of baseball, but also for the civil -rights movement. Featuring photos throughout, this biography will be a sports tale and a history lesson. It will coincide with the movie and also provide many more Robinson details, introducing him to a new generation of readers.

The little-known life of York, the African American man enslaved by William Clark, and his contributions to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition are examined in this carefully crafted Society of School Librarians International Honor Book. Award-winning author Laurence Pringle gives an accurate account of York's life—before, during, and after the expedition. Using quotations from the expedition's journals, he tells how York's skills, strength, and intelligence helped in the day-to-day challenges of the journey. Artists Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu consulted with a Lewis and Clark expert to create thoroughly researched and stunning watercolor paintings of York's life.

Impassioned in its anger, lethal in its aim, American Hero paints a scathing portrait of the strange place this country had become in the Reagan-Bush years--and shows how only Hollywood could have taken full advantage of the demise of the Old World Order.

Find out more about this famous Founding Father! With his face on the ten-dollar bill and an award-winning musical about his life, it's clear that Alexander Hamilton's story is one worth telling. Despite feeling like an outsider, Hamilton fought hard to form a united nation with a strong central government--and many of his ideas are still relevant today! With this illustrated leveled reader, kids can learn more about the man who, in many ways, was a true American hero.

At a toasted subs franchise in the local mall, three up-and-coming “sandwich artists”—a teenager, a single mom, and a downsized refugee from corporate banking—are perfecting the mustard-to-cheese ratio according to the company manual. But when their shot at the American dream is interrupted by a series of strange events, they become unlikely allies in a post-recession world. AMERICAN HERO is a supersized dark comedy about life, liberty, and the pursuit of sandwiches.