On the run after teasing a bully, Alex decides to take karate lessons but is surpised when the bully turns up in his karate class, behaving respectfully and changing Alex's opinion of him.

Ten-year-old Tommy and his sister Annie are intrigued by the new soldiers arriving in their Georgia town. Since the Civil War started, wounded men waiting to be treated at the local church-turned-hospital have been coming in by droves. When Tommy sees a soldier drop his notebook, he sends his dog, Samson, to fetch it. Tommy soon meets the soldier and is faced with the hardest decision he's ever had to make: whether or not he should help a Yankee escape to freedom. Filled with intriguing suspense and tackling difficult questions about slavery, this story, told in accessible short chapters, will appeal to history buffs as well as those who appreciate a faithful dog.

There was no reason to bet on Bruce Johnson, given where he started out. Poor, Black, and raised by a single mother who had a secret. He was the child she hid in plain view from the rest of her family. Bruce would spend his youth at Chickasaw Park in Louisville—Kentucky’s segregated west end. He would grab the low hanging tree branches, then swing out over the Ohio River before dropping into the dangerous water below. He didn’t know how to swim, but was fearless and knew to paddle quickly back to shore before the current could drag him under. This tenacity served him well, and he learned to be a risk taker early on. As an adult, he set out to just make a living—to do better than Black folks who tried their best before, while making his Momma and Grandmomma proud. His journey to becoming a successful TV journalist nearly killed him, but he refused to treat himself as a victim. His role was to use his voice and example to pull others out of deep waters. The rollout for his retirement was unprecedented. Week-long on-air tributes, hour-long online tributes from corporate CEOs, former colleagues, Congressmembers, the Mayor, and the governor. After a near forty-five year career, all was deserved and expected, except for a final tribute—seeing his image secretly painted on the Wall of Fame outside the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl restaurant alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Dave Chappelle. No one could have imagined such an ending. Or could they? Bruce Johnson’s journey is the culmination of his mother and grandmother’s stories—the ultimate American story of race, opportunity, and perseverance.

Just as the ant feels a jolt when John knocks over the ant farm, Johyn and his third grade classmates find their world turned upside down following the news of their beloved teachers imminent departure.

Seaman, Meriwether Lewis's Newfoundland dog, describes Lewis and Clark's expedition, which he accompanied from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.

Throughout the year, 12 of Mr. Magro's students have written about their biggest emergencies and tucked them into The SOS File. Now it's time to read the stories out loud and try to guess whose contribution has earned extra credit. Illustrations.

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

One piece of paper ... twelve lives changed forever ... Shortly before the car accident, Kate wrote the simple words of Psalm 23 on a piece of paper to give to her wayward and confused son. When a lonely dry-cleaning employee finds Kate's humble, handwritten copy of the psalm, it begins an incredible journey around the world, forever changing the lives of twelve very different people. From a soldier wounded in Iraq to a Kenyan runner about to begin the Rome Invitational Marathon, the power of the ancient words begins to shape lives. When Kate's paper makes it back to its starting place, she discovers the unexpected ways that God moves and changes lives through even our smallest actions.

From the company that kick-started the trend, a funny, touching and mad collection of first-time European backpacking experiences that bring new life to a well-told tale.