Showing titles in History & Culture

Could any story be more inspiring than that of Joan of Arc, the courageous maiden who fought for the glory of France and God? Guided by what she firmly believed were visions of saints, this young Frenchwoman - still just 16 years old - led her people in battle against the British occupiers. Though she proved victorious in war, Joan ultimately became a martyr when some of her own countrymen betrayed her to the English.

When Kate Thompson's father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the 18-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.

Gary Paulsen takes listeners along on his maiden voyage, proving that ignorance can be bliss. Also really stupid and incredibly dangerous. He tells of boats that owned him, good, bad, and beloved, and how they got him through terrifying storms that he survived by sheer luck. His spare prose conjures up shark surprises and killer waves as well as moonlight on the sea, and makes listeners feel what it’s like to sail under the stars or to lie at anchor in a tropical lagoon where dolphins leap, bathed in silver.

George M. Johnson, activist and bestselling author ofAll Boys Aren't Blue, returns with a striking memoir that celebrates Black boyhood and brotherhood in all its glory. This is the vibrant story of George, Garrett, Rall, and Rasul -- four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted...

In this simmering, joyous novel, I’ll Be the One author Lyla Lee delivers a tender romance set between two brave teens who decide that when the script isn’t working, it’s time to rewrite it themselves. The first rule of watching K-dramas: Never fall in love with the second lead. As an avid...

Return to President Obama's White House in this New York Times best-selling anthology for young women by young women, featuring stories from 10 inspiring young staffers who joined his administration in their 20s with the hope of making a difference.

"The audio version adds to the authenticity even more as she narrates her own words, bringing the listener into her world." -- School Library Journal, starred review This program includes a foreword read by Angela Davis Patrisse Cullors' and asha bandele's instant New York Times bestseller, When...

Told in alternating narratives that bridge centuries, the latest novel from New York Times best-selling author Samira Ahmed traces the lives of two young women fighting to write their own stories and escape the pressure of familial burdens and cultural expectations in worlds too long defined by men.

Discover the strange legends, tales and history of Wales. Did the Welsh sail across the Atlantic in the 12th century? Was King Arthur Welsh? Included, are stories on ghosts - both real and fake - and the legend of King Arthur. Welsh animal lore, customs, monsters, and music are also examined. One of the strangest villages in the world gets a chapter to itself, as do witches, miners, and druids. The book is written in a personal, lighthearted style, with geographical references to help identify the places.

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family - the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them.

James Meredith's 1966 march in Mississippi began as one man's peaceful protest for voter registration and became one of the South's most important demonstrations of the civil rights movement. It brought together leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael, who formed an unlikely alliance that resulted in the Black Power movement, which ushered in a new era in the fight for equality. The retelling of Meredith's story opens on the day of his assassination attempt and goes back in time to recount the moments leading up to that event and its aftermath.

From Martha Brockenbrough, award winning author of The Game of Love and Death, comes an intimate new YA audiobook focusing on the private life of Alexander Hamilton. Complex, passionate, brilliant, flawed—America's favorite Founding Father comes alive in this exciting biography. He was born...

Before Teddy Roosevelt earned his reputation as a strong, masculine hunter, explorer, and Rough Rider, he actually endured a sickly childhood. That's just one aspect of his life covered in this biography, which follows his transformation into a disciplined athlete and one of the world's best-known public servants and politicians.

New England is best known for its covered bridges, immaculate town greens, and Revolutionary War history. Yet an evil presence has hidden behind the 17th-century stone walls and clap-boarded homes of CT, Mass., and Rhode Island for centuries. New York Times best-selling author M. William Phelps takes a look at some of the most terrifyingly true stories in New England history.

That’s the Stonewall. The Stonewall Inn. Pay attention. History walks through that door. In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lost jobs, and were disowned by their families...

Award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer’s book Witches! was named a School Library Journal Best Book and a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best. Witches! recounts, in electrifying detail, the true events of the 17th-century witch trials in Salem Village, Massachusetts. After two girls exhibit strange behavior, the colonial town’s doctor concludes their symptoms are the result of witchcraft. The chilling events of this period remain one of the most disturbing passages of U.S. history.

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton is a Maasai tribesman of Kenya. In this fascinating autobiography, he shares stories about growing up in his nomadic tribe - from licking sweat off cows’ noses to survive a drought, to facing down a lion at age 14, to playing soccer for the president of Kenya. The only member of his family to receive a formal education, Joseph sometimes lived as much as 40 miles away from school. While at school, he learned about Western culture and traditions.

In this heroic clash of opposing conviction, Vincent Wingfield, a young spirited teenager and heir to a southern slave plantation, bravely proves his sympathy for brutally treated slaves and becomes a staunch supporter of slaves' rights. But, with the onset of the Civil War, Wingfield's fidelity to the state of Virginia leads him to serve under Robert E. Lee's cavalry and fight for the Confederacy.

Two-time Newbery Medal winner Gary Schmidt talks about the frequently comic mishaps and adventures of a 12-year-old Long Island boy in the Vietnam era. Actor Khris Lewin performs an excerpt from the book. Thalia Kids' Book Club events are lively talks between children's book authors and their fans (ages 9-12) plus one event for teens. Each event includes a creative writing project, a free-wheeling discussion with the audience, and a book signing. Sometimes an actor stops by to read from the book.

2017 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist Did you know that many of America’s Founding Fathers―who fought for liberty and justice for all―were slave owners? Through the powerful stories of five enslaved people who were “owned” by four of our greatest presidents, this book...