Kids State

Many people came to America in the early 1900s looking for jobs, opportunity, and freedom, and a lot of them were kids. But what happened to all these immigrant children after they passed inspection at New York’s Ellis Island - that is, if they passed inspection? Life was not easy for immigrants. Large families lived in small, one-room tenement apartments with failing plumbing and few windows. Children had to go to school with kids from different countries and learn to read and write a new language.

When the very modern character of Nancy Drew first appeared in 1930, no one had a clue that she would remain a star for the next century! To this day, Nancy is still the main character in new TV shows, movies, and books. What makes her so interesting to so many generations of readers? Nancy can do it all! She's a daring teenage girl who solves mysteries, expertly drives her famous blue car, cooks like a gourmet chef, swims like a pro, and more! Since her first appearance, the prodigy detective has inspired young readers to believe that they can do it all, too.

On October 29, 1929, life in the United States took a turn for the worst. The stock market – the system that controls money in America – plunged to a record low. But this event was only the beginning of many bad years to come. By the early 1930s, one out of three people was not working. People lost their jobs, their houses, or both and ended up in shantytowns called “Hoovervilles”, named for the president at the time of the crash. By 1933, many banks had gone under.

The shootings keep coming, and so do Jeremiah's questions. Dad doesn't have easy answers, but that doesn’t mean he won’t talk about it - or that he won’t act. But what if Jeremiah doesn’t want to talk anymore? None of it makes sense, and he’s just a kid. Even if he wants to believe in a better world, is there anything he can do about it? Inspired by real-life events, this honest, intimate look at one family’s response to racism and gun violence includes a discussion guide.

Educational and engaging, "Civil War Chronicles" isn't just a book; it's a gateway to understanding a pivotal period in history. It combines rich narratives with learning, providing a profound connection to the past while inspiring creativity, resilience, and empathy in young minds.

History knows Harry Longabaugh as the Sundance Kid’s real name. History is about to be changed! It all started in 2004 when the first “major clue” surfaced at a family reunion in a rural ranching community of Fremont Utah. A single picture surfaced from one of the great nieces of Bill Long, who was rumored to have been a member of Butch Cassidy’s gang of outlaws. The picture was passed around for all to see. When the picture was viewed by Jerry Nickle, (a great grandson of Bill Long), something came over Jerry!

¡Hola, compañero! Prepárese para viajar en el tiempo hasta la época en que se descubrió América. Aprenderá todo sobre cómo se formaron los Estados Unidos de América y los acontecimientos más significativos de su historia. Se sorprenderá al descubrir todas las cosas increíbles que han dado forma a Estados Unidos hasta convertirlo en la nación que es hoy.

How does the president get his job? How do people know who will win an election before everybody’s voted? Do the candidates hate each other? Dan Gutman takes on his strangest subject ever: the American political system. Reaching through history from the days of the founding fathers to today’s voting system, Gutman tackles complex subjects in a clear, easy-to-understand way. Even grown-ups will find something in here that they’ve never learned before.

The perfect biography to "bite into" at the start of a new school year! Children are sure to be fascinated by the eccentric and legendary Johnny Appleseed, a man who is best known for bringing apple trees to the Midwest. Over John Chapman’s lifetime, he saw the country grow and start to spread westward. Traveling alone - in bare feet and sporting a pot on his head! - Johnny left his own special mark planting orchards that helped nourish new communities.

Includes excerpts from the journals of two of the Mayflower's passengers.

"By God's providence, upon the ninth of November following, by break of the day we espied land which was deemed to be Cape Cod, and so afterward it proved. And the appearance of it much comforted us, especially seeing so goodly a land, and wooded to the brink of the sea. It caused us to rejoice together, and praise God that had given us once again to see land." — Edward Winslow

In many ways, Charles Lindbergh represented the best and worst of America during the first half of the 20th century. Lindbergh became famous for being an aviation pioneer whose solo flight across the Atlantic captured the imagination of an entire world, yet he was an isolationist who wanted to keep American freedoms safe for Americans and no one else. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Charles Lindbergh for Children chronicles the amazing life and career of Lindbergh, his greatest highs and most notorious lows, and everything in between.

In many ways, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his young family were the perfect embodiment of the '60s. The decade began with a sense of idealism, personified by the attractive Kennedy, his beautiful and fashionable wife, Jackie, and his young children. This audiobook chronicles the amazing lives and legacies of John and Jackie, weaving their lives and legacies together into one narrative.

History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Jacqueline Kennedy for Children details the fame and fashion of the famous first lady while also examining her legacy during and after her years in the White House. Americans were fascinated by the young first lady’s style and the manner in which she glamorously positioned both the first family and the White House in those years, and Jackie remains one of the country’s most popular first ladies.

This book looks at the amazing lives and careers of America's most powerful political couple, including their unprecedented highs and their notorious controversies, but it also humanizes the duo who have overcome considerable personal and political hurdles along the way. Your kids will learn about Bill and Hillary Clinton like never before.

Hollywood has produced no shortage of famous movie stars, but none have been as culturally significant as John Wayne. Marion Morrison was born in a quintessentially quaint Midwestern town, but he eventually grew up to become John Wayne, the legend of the silver screen who embodied the Western frontier. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of John Wayne for Children looks at the iconic actor's life on and off the silver screen, from his out-sized influence to Hollywood to his outspoken views on politics.

It would be no exaggeration to say that James Dean has been more mythologized than any other actor in history, a development due more to his off-screen personality and conduct than the films he actually starred in. History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of James Dean for Children profiles the life and legacy of the famous actor and rebel without a cause. Your kids will learn about James Dean like never before.

In a story that could have come straight out of Hollywood, the golden actor rose through California politics to become California governor and eventually the 40th President. The 70-plus-year-old former actor then went on to have one of the most consequential presidencies of the 20th century, unquestionably making him one of the most influential men of the last 50 years. And his name is still as relevant in American politics today, with every politician with an R next to his or her name trying to claim Ronald Reagan’s conservative mantle.

It would be impossible to sum up the life and legacy of Bill Clinton in one sentence or even one paragraph, as the former president represents many different things to many different people. Indeed, the yin and yang of Clinton’s life and career are inescapable....

There is no shortage of professional magicians and stuntmen in the 21st century, but all of them owe something to the most famous stuntman of them all, Harry Houdini. A century after he began to thrill audiences with his patented escape acts, Houdini's name remains synonymous with seemingly miraculous escapes and getaways, and his name is instantly recognizable. With fame came skepticism, and Houdini was frequently accused of being a fake and fixing his escapes.

On the night of December 16, 1773, a group of 30-130 men boarded the tea ship Dartmouth and two other ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor over the span of three hours in protest of the Tea Act of 1773. Agreement over what exactly happened ends there, but a number of legends have since popped up and become part of the common narrative. The urban legend that the people who boarded the ship dressed as Mohawks is not entirely true.