Books in What's So Great About...? series

A true adventure story full of trains, explosives, sneaky tactics, spying, and dinosaurs! The Bone Wars tells the true story of the battle to be the most famous dinosaur hunter in the world! The "Great Dinosaur Rush" was an amazing time in U.S. history when the hunt for dinosaurs really began. Would the two gentlemen scientists who led the hunt play nicely and work together or would their desperation to be the best lead them to behave very, very badly? Told as a story for children for the very first time, the book is thoroughly engaging and factually correct, and will delight all budding paleontologists! Thoughtfully illustrated, it brings 19th-century America alive.

George Washington Carver realized his love for plants and nature at a very young age. While still a child, he would spend hours in the woods and in his garden caring for his young plants. Soon he became known as the Plant Doctor, a distinction that stuck with him the rest of his life. Carver worked his way through primary school, high school, and college. At first he pursued a degree in art. He even won prizes for some of his floral paintings. But soon he realized that he could make a greater difference in the field of agriculture. Carver became a professor of agriculture at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and studied the varying uses of different plants. He became best known for promoting the peanut. He came up with over 300 practical applications of the plant and helped encourage farmers to grow a greater variety of crops on their land.

Michelle Obama s family always encouraged her to reach for the stars. From her early days as a schoolgirl in Chicago to her time as a student in Chicago and later at Princeton University, Michelle was always determined to do her best. However, even she could not have imagined how high she could reach. After meeting and marrying Barack Obama, Michelle became part of a powerful team that changed history when Barack was elected the nation s first African-American president. Despite her fame, Michelle has always placed her family first. She has also become a role model for helping others and building a strong community. Read this exciting biography to find out what s so great about Michelle Obama.

Walt Disney was a man who had both an incredible artistic talent and a powerful imagination. His career as an artist began when he was just seven years old, living with his family in Marceline, Missouri. You may know his name, but perhaps you've wondered, "What's so great about him?"This book (part of the “What’s So Great About…”) series, gives kids insight into life, times and career of Walt Disney.

Michael Rosen’s lively exploration of Dickens, reissued in an accessible new format for young middle-grade readers.From the Artful Dodger to Miss Havisham to Scrooge, Charles Dickens brought some of our favorite fictional characters to life. But what inspired him? Who was the man behind the pen? Michael Rosen’s chatty and engaging narrative helps answer these questions and explores the world of Dickens and four of his best-loved books: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations.

If you ever study music, chances are that you will end up hearing the name "Bach" somewhere along the line. The German composer is one of the most famous musicians of all time, and throughout his life he penned absolutely beautiful music that is still popular today. Johann Sebastian Bach, sometimes only referred to as J.S. Bach, or Sebastian Bach, wrote music that today is considered part of the classical genre. You may know Johann Sebastian Bach's name, but perhaps you've wondered, "What's so great about him?" This book (part of the "What's So Great About...") series, gives kids insight into life, times and career of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Most people today know George Washington because his head is on the money we use and because there are memorials to him across the country (including his face on Mt. Rushmore and the towering Washington Monument in Washington D.C.). There are counties and cities named after him, and children hear almost unbelievable stories about this impressive man. You may know Washington’s name, but perhaps you've wondered, "What's so great about him?” This book (part of the “What’s So Great About…”) series, gives kids insight into life, times and career of Washington.

Imagine defending your country with your life and then being treated unfairly when the battle is over and you go back home to rest and recover. That is what it was like for many of the African American soldiers who fought on the frontier in the mid-1800s. As peacekeepers on American soil and as soldiers fighting the Spanish-American War, the Buffalo Soldiers saved lives and gave their own to help the United States grow. Find out what roles they played, and how, as soldiers, they took a major step toward desegregating the military and in gaining civil rights for future generations.

In the 1940s, when the world was at war, finding enough pilots for the military was a national challenge. The solution came from a small university tucked in the middle of Alabama. Tuskegee University was teaching African Americans how to fly but was the rest of the world ready to accept black pilots? In the beginning, the answer was a clear no. However, hundreds of missions and amazing aerial acrobatics turned that opinion around. Today, the Tuskegee Airmen are considered key role models in the country s fight for civil rights and equality for everyone.