Books in Trailblazers series

In this engaging biography, readers will learn about the inventor of the American Girl doll, Pleasant Rowland. Follow the story of Rowland as she creates American Girl from the original historical dolls to the updated American Girl of the Year and American Girl of Today to Truly Me and BeForever. Sidebars, historic photos, and a glossary enhance readers' understanding of this topic. Additional features include a table of contents, an index, a timeline and fun facts. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

In this engaging biography, readers will learn about the innovators of the Slinky, the James family. Follow the story from Richard James's childhood and engineering education at Penn State University where he married Betty Mattas to his naval engineering career at William Cramp & Sons and the accident with a tension spring that led to Slinky. The Jameses founding of the Spring and Wire Company and its success with Slinky, the company's foundering, Richard's departure, and later success under Betty's leadership using one of the nation's most recognizable product jingles. Learn how Slinkys are made, who came up with the name, the role of the movie Toy Story in Slinky's success, and about other Slinky products. Sidebars, historic family photos, and a glossary enhance readers' understanding of this topic. Additional features include a table of contents, an index, a timeline and fun facts. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

For the child who loves dinosaurs, this book is a veritable passport and travel guide into a lost world adventure. It's got all the interactive elements that delight: flaps to lift, textures to get a feel of the prehistoric world (including a texturized T rex tooth), a compass on the cover, photographs galore, plus stickers, timelines, maps and more. Just when you think you've seen it all, there's a button to push and a secret drawer pops open. Inside, among many other prehistoric wonders, a model dinosaur you put together yourself! Dinosaurs are super-celebrities who never wear out their welcome with kids. The stunning, comprehensive, and fascinating text of this edition easily equals the exciting format, and that's really saying something!

Isobel Kuhn wasn't always a missionary - she wasn't always a Christian.Her teachers discouraged a belief in God and promoted evolution. Isobel sometimes doubted whether there was anybody there at all to hear her prayers. "They don't go beyond the ceiling you know," she once said to her father who was desperately praying for his young daughter. Isobel even considered suicide once but the thought of her parents' heartache stopped her. Discover what brought this questioning, antagonistic teenager from doubts to faith in Christ. Find out how she affected the lives of countless people on the mission field of China and Thailand. This stirring and challenging story of faith is a role model to young people everywhere.

John Knox spent his life with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other and he wasn't afraid to use either.He began his theological life as a body guard to George Wishart - and it was when that young man was put to death by the religious authorities that John Knox was finally persuaded of the need to awaken his country from the death of injustice and spiritual poverty that afflicted it.He was never built for a quiet life and when he ran from one danger, he often found himself headed straight for another. Escaping from the authorities brought him straight into a castle siege and from there he ended up as a galley slave on a French frigate.No wonder he appreciated liberty when he had felt the grasp of slavery's chains and the cut of the enemy's whip.But his thirst for true freedom came from his longing for God's Word to be preached. John knew that true liberty only came from being in service to God and his Kingdom.Many stood against him and they still do today... but he gave much to his country and to his God and the church and Scotland owe John Knox - they owe him thanks as they owe the God he served thanks for calling such men to be his preachers.

'I can't see! It's dark everywhere. What place is this? Where am I?'Jeya was only four years old and was terrified as she tried to peer about the dark and gloomy temple. Between the pillars was a huge stone body. She shivered when she saw its face. This, she knew, was Kali, the goddess of death and destruction.Why was Jeya there? Who would leave a little girl in the dark like that? Certainly not the God of love - he sent a woman to rescue these children from destruction - Amy Carmichael. And she had been a little girl herself once a little girl with long dark hair, and deep brown eyes. Once she had even begged God to make them blue - but he hadn't. And as Amy leaned over to pick little Jeya up and rescue her from a life of temple-slavery - she was very glad that God hadn't listened to her prayers. Blue eyes were not the eyes of India - but Amy's brown eyes were.

Saint, Slave or Scholar? Patrick of Ireland is known as all three but who is he really? Let K.C. Murdarasi bring to light the real life of this father of the Christian faith. Kidnapped from his home and family as a young boy you would think forgiveness would have been far from his mind. Yet with God's grace Patrick returned to the land of his captivity where he preached the Good News of Jesus Christ to slaves and kings alike and left a legacy of faith that would last for centuries.

Bring history home and meet some of the world's greatest game changers! Get inspired by the true story of the most famous scientist to ever live. This biography series is for kids who loved Who Was? and are ready for the next level.Albert Einstein is the most famous scientist of all time. His theories form the basis of physics today. Find out how the boy who taught himself calculus at age twelve became one of history's greatest trailblazers!Trailblazers is a biography series that celebrates the lives of amazing pioneers, past and present, from all over the world. Get inspired by more Trailblazers: Neil Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, Jane Goodall, Harriet Tubman, Albert Einstein, Beyoncé, and Simone Biles. What kind of trail will you blaze?

Patricia St. John's life is a story in itself but she grew up to become one of the world's best-loved Christian writers for children.After almost being born in the middle of a storm on the Bay of Biscay it was no surprise to see Patricia's life take twists and turns along the way. She had an adventurous spirit so when the bombs fell during the blitz in London there she was, working as a nurse! When looking after 30 children in a boarding school as housemother her exciting bedtime stories kept the children up! They were later to become her classic stories, Tanglewood's Secret and Treasures of the Snow! When her brother needed her help at his hospital in Morrocco Patricia just jumped on the back of his motorbike and went with him. Every place that she called home was the inspiration for yet another story that brought children to understand and love their Lord Jesus Christ.This is an amazing story of a much-loved figure in Christian history. A trailblazer for women, and for Christians everywhere.

Calvin had ideas on how we could live better lives - particularly how we could live in close harmony with God and each other - but because his ideas were radical, his life was filled with dramatic events and dangers. He was run out of town - and then welcomed back. He was accussed of being too harsh - and also too tender hearted. When he explained what the bible meant he was considered too logical and too spiritual! He must have been an amazing man to have caused such a stir!