Books with author Steve Otfinoski

You are on the front lines at the height of World War II, fighting bravely against Germany and the other Axis powers. Will you: Fight alongside Filipino soldiers to defend the Philippines' Bataan Peninsula? Struggle to push the Germans out of El Alamein, Egypt, as part of the British Army? Land on the beaches of Normandy, France, as part of an invasion to drive the German Army from the country?

It's 1915 and the Lusitania is set to sail from New York on its 202nd Atlantic crossing. But this will be a dangerous trip, as German U-boats lurk beneath the surface. Will you: Experience the journey as an American boy traveling in second class to England with his family? Travel first class as a young woman on her honeymoon? Work as an American sailor hired to serve on the ship? Everything in this book happened to real people. And YOU CHOOSE what you do next. The choices you make could lead you to opportunity, to adventure, or even to death.

You live in a United States on the move in the 1860s. The government gives two railroad companies the Central Pacific and Union Pacific the job of building the first transcontinental railroad. This railroad will unite the country and allow people to travel west to pursue new lives and opportunities. Will you: Toil as a Chinese worker for the Central Pacific? Work as an Irish laborer for the Union Pacific? Serve as an engineer for the Central Pacific in the final race to complete the railroad? Experience situations taken from real life. YOU CHOOSE what you'll do next. The choices you make will either lead you to success or to failure.

The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War have brought an official end to slavery, yet some Southern slave owners are refusing to comply. The road to freedom is still long and hard for many African Americans, but you’re not giving up. Will you: Overcome obstacles as you make your way north from Texas, looking to begin a new life of freedom? Seek out your family, from whom you were separated as a child, after emancipation? Fight back when you take work as an apprentice but find that you’re still treated as a slave? YOU CHOOSE offers multiple perspectives on history, supporting Common Core reading standards and providing readers a front-row seat to the past.

It's the 1800s, and you are a child from a poor family. You have to go to work to keep from starving. Will you: Work as a pauper apprentice in an English factory? Emigrate from Ireland in order to work in the New England cloth mills? Make your living on the streets of New York City selling newspapers? Everything in this book happened to real people. And YOU CHOOSE what you do next. The choices you make could lead you to opportunity, to wealth, to poverty, or even to death.

You live in a United States on the move in the 1860s. The government gives two railroad companies the Central Pacific and Union Pacific the job of building the first transcontinental railroad. This railroad will unite the country and allow people to travel west to pursue new lives and opportunities. Will you: Toil as a Chinese worker for the Central Pacific? Work as an Irish laborer for the Union Pacific? Serve as an engineer for the Central Pacific in the final race to complete the railroad? Experience situations taken from real life. YOU CHOOSE what you'll do next. The choices you make will either lead you to success or to failure.

The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War have brought an official end to slavery, yet some Southern slave owners are refusing to comply. The road to freedom is still long and hard for many African Americans, but you’re not giving up. Will you: Overcome obstacles as you make your way north from Texas, looking to begin a new life of freedom? Seek out your family, from whom you were separated as a child, after emancipation? Fight back when you take work as an apprentice but find that you’re still treated as a slave? YOU CHOOSE offers multiple perspectives on history, supporting Common Core reading standards and providing readers a front-row seat to the past.

Vivid storytelling brings an incredible story to life and place readers in the shoes of people who experienced the most successful ditching in aviation history - the emergency river landing of US Airways Flight 1549. On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger was faced with disaster when his Airbus A320 airplane struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. With no engine power and no airports close enough for a landing, Captain Sully had no choice but to ditch his craft in the Hudson River. Suspenseful, dramatic events unfold in chronological, interwoven stories from the different perspectives of people who experienced the event while it was happening. Narratives intertwine to create a breathless, "What's Next?" kind of read. Students gain a new perspective on historical figures as they learn about real people struggling to decide how best to act in a given moment.

The quiet Sunday morning was shattered as Japanese warplanes screamed toward the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet without warning. The attack sent shockwaves around the globe, pushing the United States to enter World War II. Through powerful narrative storytelling, follow the tales of people who experienced the tragedy firsthand. Perfect for Common Core studies of narrative nonfiction and exploring multiple accounts of an event.