Library History

From the three-time Coretta Scott King Honor winning author of The Skin I'm In comes a poignant story about a southern girl far from home at an elite girls boarding school in the north, who must find the courage to be herself and to dream of a brighter future, set against the backdrop of the...

The What Do We Know About? series explores the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexplained. Are fairies supernatural helpers or mischievous tricksters? Find out everything we know about the history of these magical and mythical creatures. For centuries, the presence of fairies has been both...

An awe-inspiring audiobook about the origin and advancement of humans, from author and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Nikkolas Smith. Fossil records show that the first humans were born in Africa. Meaning, every person on Earth can trace their ancestry back to that continent. The...

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto is a world-renowned scholar, professor of history and geography at Queen Mary, University of London, and a member of the Faculty of Modern History of Oxford University. The Americas, part of the acclaimed Modern Library Chronicles series, offers an intriguing history of the world's western hemisphere.

A pioneer of the long-form sports story, W. C. Heinz wrote with a freshness of perception, a gift for characterization, and a finely tuned ear for dialogue. Here is a first of its kind audio edition of some of his finest work, selected and read by Bill Littlefield (NPR's "Only a Game")...

In this lyrical book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination, exploration, and escape. In what...

Lawrence M. Friedman is Professor of Law at Stanford University and author of 23 books about law and legal history. Hailed as American law's greatest living historian, Friedman traces the evolution of America's legal system from the colonial period to the present. A Modern Library Chronicle, this book is concise, insightful, and graced with wit.

This entertaining volume provides a concise history of one of the world's premiere cities. Acclaimed author A.N. Wilson starts at the beginning, when London was founded by the Romans, and continues to contemporary times, hitting all the historical highlights along the way. London is the perfect starter book for anyone wishing to understand this great city a little better, and even seasoned London fans will find new information here.

A Morris Award Finalist Longlisted for the National Book Award For fans of The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas comes a lushly illustrated novel about a teen Holocaust survivor who must come to terms with who she is and how to rebuild her life. "A tour de force. This powerful story...

Set in an alternate America that feels dangerously close to our own, a ghost, the boy she loves, and their friends pick up the pieces of a shattered rebellion--turning from violence to art. Fierce, fast-moving, and full of heart, it’s Feed meets Severance meets Fahrenheit 451. The first time...

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the sinking of the Titanic with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. On April 15, 1912 an "unsinkable" ship called the Titanic unexpectedly hit an iceberg and sank to the...

You can sparkle, shimmer, shine – just like Marsha did. This vibrant and joyful audiobook celebrates the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman and activist who played an instrumental role during the Stonewall Riots that lead to PRIDE month, written by award-winning filmmaker and...

A “brilliant and provocative” (The New Yorker) celebration of Melville’s masterpiece—from the bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea, Valiant Ambition, and In the Hurricane's Eye One of the greatest American novels finds its perfect contemporary champion in Why Read Moby-Dick?...

A New York Times Bestseller An Indiebound Bestseller A Kids' Next Top Ten Book A Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices Selection A Junior Library Guild Selection One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Summer Reads “Not since Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass have I seen such an...

From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler. Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Learn how the Statue of Liberty made her way to New York Harbor in this fascinating history for young readers, part of the beloved What Was? series. The perfect way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary! In 1876, France decided to give the United States a very...

Learn about the White House, how it came to be, the changes it has experienced since its initial design, and more in this detailed history for young readers, part of the beloved Where Is? series. The perfect way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary! The history of the White House, first...

Learn about the origin, creation, and history of one of America’s most iconic landmarks—Mount Rushmore—in this detailed history for young readers, part of the beloved Where Is? series. The perfect way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary! It was the early 1920s when world-famous...

Claude Monet is considered one of the most influential artists of all time. He is a founder of the French Impressionist art movement, and today his paintings sell for millions of dollars. While Monet was alive, however, his work was often criticized and he struggled financially. With over one...

A dark and intricate fantasy, City of the Uncommon Thief is the story of a quarantined city gripped by fear and of the war that can free it. "Guilders work. Foundlings scrub the bogs. Needles bind. Swords tear. And men leave. There is nothing uncommon in this city. I hope Errol Thebes is dead...