Books with author Jessica Lee Anderson

Throughout the 1850s, the issues of slavery and states' rights had divided the nation. With the election of 1860, these issues finally came to a head, setting the stage for the American Civil War. Compelling, action-packed text, vivid sensory details, and primary source quotes bring the story to life so that readers feel as if they were actually alive during the historical event.

After Confederate General Robert E. Lee's surrender on April 9, 1865, the Civil War finally appeared to be coming to a close. But the nation's joy was about to be cut short by a sinister assassination plot and one of the largest manhunts in U.S. history. Through powerful narrative storytelling, follow the tales of people who experienced the tragedy firsthand. Meets Common Core standards for narrative nonfiction and exploring multiple accounts of an event.

The 32-page book, Milkshakes with Maria Mitchell, introduces young readers to an important historical figure while strengthening their reading proficiency. The fictionalized storyline creates a relatable scenario of meeting a history-defining American and learning more about their way of life. The charming illustrations and adventure-filled text of the Time Hop Sweets Shop books work together to support young readers. With comprehension questions, biographical information, and websites for further discovery, this series helps children develop strong reading comprehension skills while also gaining important historical knowledge.

The 32-page book, Brownies with Benjamin Franklin, introduces young readers to an important historical figure while strengthening their reading proficiency. The fictionalized storyline creates a relatable scenario of meeting a history-defining American and learning more about their way of life. The charming illustrations and adventure-filled text of the Time Hop Sweets Shop books work together to support young readers. With comprehension questions, biographical information, and websites for further discovery, this series helps children develop strong reading comprehension skills while also gaining important historical knowledge.

These days it seems everyone is singing the praises of Alexander Hamilton, but what’s the all the fuss about? After all, Hamilton was never a president, nor was he a beloved figure in his time. After rising from humble origins, he won powerful friends and made powerful enemies during his life, which ended in his infamous duel with Aaron Burr. Still, the United States is indebted to Hamilton for his actions as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, when his leadership set the new nation on a course toward prosperity and economic power.

Acclaimed around the world and a national best-seller, this is the definitive work on Che Guevara, the dashing rebel whose epic dream was to end poverty and injustice in Latin America and the developing world through armed revolution. Jon Lee Anderson’s biography traces Che’s extraordinary life, from his comfortable Argentine upbringing to the battlefields of the Cuban revolution, from the halls of power in Castro’s government to his failed campaign in the Congo and assassination in the Bolivian jungle.Anderson has had unprecedented access to the personal archives maintained by Guevara’s widow and carefully guarded Cuban government documents. He has conducted extensive interviews with Che’s comrades—some of whom speak here for the first time—and with the CIA men and Bolivian officers who hunted him down. Anderson broke the story of where Guevara’s body was buried, which led to the exhumation and state burial of the bones. Many of the details of Che’s life have long been cloaked in secrecy and intrigue. Meticulously researched and full of exclusive information, Che Guevara illuminates as never before this mythic figure who embodied the high-water mark of revolutionary communism as a force in history.

Abraham Lincoln watched a play. James Garfield walked through a train station. William McKinley shook hands with his public. John Kennedy smiled and waved from a motorcade. In these moments shots rang out and four presidents suffered mortal wounds. Some say their assassins were calculating killers. Others say they were madmen guided by strange notions of the world. Assassins’ America examines the lives of each killer and his victim. Their stories are full of twists and mysteries, and even today Americans live with lasting effects of these terrible crimes.

For members of the U.S. Navy, the call to arms is a great honor and a solemn duty. Defending their country takes strength, determination, and an uncommon amount of courage. U.S. sailors have faced life and death in many wars throughout American history. Experience for yourself the sights and sounds of war as brave men and women become extraordinary heroes when they display courage under fire.

Formed in 1775 after the start of the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress was the governing body that represented the thirteen American Colonies as they fought to win independence from Great Britain. It organized an army, printed money, and drafted many important documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. At the conclusion of the war, the Second Continental Congress was responsible for rejecting a monarchy in favor of a representative form of democracy for the new country. The decisions made by the Second Continental Congress helped form the America the world knows today.