Books in stories for kids series

Super fun stories specially chosen for seven-year-olds! An injured penguin, a school play spectacular, vacations at Pop’s farm, Grumbles the angry fairy, a lost goblin princess, a shark for a best friend, a homework disaster, a prince, a dragon and an ogre, two queen dolls, a greedy duck, a full moon fruit mystery, and a party organizing dog . . . you’ll find all these and more inside. After you’ve read one, you’ll want to read them all!

A very bossy robot, hats in the playground, a scary garden gnome, a stuck-tight tooth, an intrepid cat-burglar, an ugly bunyip, a deal with an imp, a very big snail, snails and more snails, a boy with luck on his side and a very grumpy goblin . . . you'll find all these in Stories for 6 Year Olds. And you'll find some of your favourite Australian authors too. - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/linsay-knight/stories-for-six-year-olds-9781742756646.aspx#sthash.QMadQ2Aw.dpuf Perfect for six-year-olds, these stories have been collected just for young readers A very bossy robot, hats in the playground, a scary garden gnome, a stuck-tight tooth, an intrepid cat-burglar, an ugly bunyip, a deal with an imp, a very big snail, snails, and more snails, a boy with luck on his side, and a very grumpy goblin . . . you'll find all these and more inside.

Ludwig van Beethoven was a great innovator who expanded the limits ofclassical music to write some of the biggest, boldest, most complex and revolutionary compositions of all time. This fascinating man and his works are brought vividly to life and made relevant to today in Beethoven for Kids. Young readers will be intrigued by Beethoven’s hardscrabble childhood and turbulent family life, his early gift and passion for music, and his famously fiery personality. In addition, they’ll learn about the great musicians and thinkers and historical events and movements of Beethoven’s time and how they affected the composer’s life and music. Kids will be inspired to learn how Beethoven championed equality and freedom throughout his life, rejected the strict societal divisions and norms of the day, and never gave up on his work despite increasing hearing loss. Budding musicians will also come away with a thorough understanding of complex music concepts such as counterpoint, ornamentation, improvisation, and motifs. Twenty-one engaging, hands-on activities illuminate the times in which Beethoven lived or reinforce music concepts introduced.

Swirling, curling brushstrokes. Vivid colors. Thick layers of paint. These are the hallmarks of a painting by Vincent van Gogh, whose work his fellow artist Paul Cézanne once called “that of a madman.” But Van Gogh and the Post-Impressionists for Kids moves beyond the image of the mad pauper to reveal a complex young man who loved nature and reading, spoke four languages, and enjoyed a successful career as a gallery salesman before embarking on studies as a minister and, finally, finding his calling as an artist. Kids journey from the Netherlands to Paris to southern France as they learn about van Gogh’s friendships with four other like-minded painters who admired but were determined to depart from Impressionism: Paul Gauguin, Paul Signac, Émile Bernard, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Aspiring artists and history buffs learn not only how these Post-Impressionists’ daring shapes, colors, and techniques distinguished their work from what was painted before but also how the men helped one another and whether or not they always got along. Twenty-one creative projects bring history and art to life. Readers will create a Starry Night peep box, make a Pointillist sailboat (that can really sail!), craft a Japanese fold-out album, and much more. The text includes a time line, glossary, and reading list for further study.

In this lively 400-year history, kids will read about Peter Stuyvesant and the enterprising Dutch colonists, follow the spirited patriots as they rebel against the British during the American Revolution, learn about the crimes of the infamous Tweed Ring, journey through the notorious Five Points slum with its tenements and street vendors, and soar to new heights with the Empire State Building and New York City’s other amazing skyscrapers. Along the way, they’ll stop at Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and many other prominent New York landmarks. With informative and fun activities, such as painting a Dutch fireplace tile or playing a game of stickball, this valuable resource includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study, helping young learners gain a better understanding of the Big Apple’s culture, politics, and geography.

2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People List Have you ever wondered what it was like to live during the Great Depression? Perhaps you think of the stock market crash of 1929, unemployed workers standing in breadlines, and dust storms swirling on the Great Plains. But the 1930s were also a time when neighbors helped neighbors, librarians delivered books on horseback, and an army of young men rebuilt the nation’s forests, roads, and parks. TheGreat Depression for Kids provides a balanced and realistic picture of an era rife with suffering but also deep-rooted with hope and generosity. Beginning with a full chapter on the 1920s, the book provides important background knowledge to help set the stage for an in-depth look at the decline of the economy and attempts at recovery over the next decade. Twenty-one hands-on activities invite young history buffs to understand and experience this important era in American history. Kids can recreate Depression glassware; simulate a windstorm; learn how to research, buy, and sell stocks; design a paper block quilt; play “round ball”; and much more.

Surprisingly, kids were some of the key instigators in the Civil Rights Movement, like Barbara Johns, who held a rally in her elementary school gym that eventually led to the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court school desegregation decision, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges, who was the first black student to desegregate elementary schools in New Orleans. In The Civil Rights Movement for Kids, children will discover how students and religious leaders worked together to demand the protection of civil rights for black Americans. They will relive the fear and uncertainty of Freedom Summer and learn how northern white college students helped bring national attention to atrocities committed in the name of segregation, and they’ll be inspired by the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, and Malcolm X. Activities include: reenacting a lunch counter sit-in; organizing a workshop on nonviolence; holding a freedom film festival followed by a discussion; and organizing a choral group to sing the songs that motivated the foot soldiers in this war for rights.

Kids can experience William Shakespeare’s England and get their first taste of the Bard’s sublime craft with this lively biography and activity book. Staging swordplay, learning to juggle, and creating authentic costumes like a flamboyant shirt with slashed sleeves or a lady’s lace-trimmed glove bring the theater arts to life. Making a quill pen and using it to write a story, binding a simple book by hand, creating a fragrant pomander ball and a dish of stewed apples show what daily life was like in Elizabethan times. Inspired by scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, kids can invent new words, write songs, and devise scathing or comical insults just as he did. Fascinating and accurate historical information and 21 fun activities open a dramatic new world of learning for children ages 8 and up.

David and Goliath is the story of a shepherd boy who is the youngest of 8 children every day David takes care of his father's sheep, goes to market, practice's his slingshot and play music in his spare time. David wants to grow up to be a warrior just like his big brothers when he grows up. One day David hears about a war between his tribe Judah and another tribe called the Philistines. The King, Sal is stressed and worried about losing the war because the General of the Philistine army is a giant named Goliath. Everyone was scared to accept Goliath's challenge to a one-on-one fight to win the war. The Giant Goliath threatened to take David's entire tribe as slaves if no man accepted the challenge. When David heard this he was not scared and accepted the challenge. But David's father, King Sal and his brothers thought he was just a little boy and would not let him fight. But David's belief in himself and in God was unstoppable. Finally after hearing of David's bravery protecting his father's sheep from loins and dangerous predators with this slingshot the King was convinced to let the Boy David fight the Giant Goliath to save his people.

An interactive guidebook to the history and inner workings of the legislative branch of the U.S. Government Providing a historical perspective on all that is going on today, US Congress for Kids examines the major milestones in congressional history, including the abolition of slavery, extending the vote to African Americans and to women, and investigating misconduct in both government and private institutions. Kids will be engaged by the focus on dramatic stories, personalities, and turning points while also benefitting from the clear discussions of Congressional purpose, structure, history, and ongoing issues. Educational, hands-on activities that illuminate the workings of the U.S. Congress include making a House ceremonial mace, creating congressional money, making a capitol dome, and designing a Congressional Medal of Honor.

An NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People ILA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award—Intermediate Nonfiction 2014 VOYA Non-Fiction Honor List The Industrial Revolution for Kids introduces a time of monumental change in a “revolutionary” way. Learn about the new technologies and new forms of communication and transportation that impacted American life—through the people who invented them and the people who built, operated, and used them. In addition to wealthy industrialists such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie and ingenious inventors such as Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell, you’ll learn about everyday workers, activists, and kids. The late 19th and early 20th centuries come to life through the eyes of hardworking Chinese immigrants who built the Transcontinental Railroad; activist Isaac Myers, an African American ship caulker who became a successful businessman and labor union organizer; toiling housewife Hannah Montague, who revolutionized the clothing industry with her popular detachable collars and cuffs; and many others who help tell the human stories of the Industrial Revolution. Twenty-one hands-on activities invite young history buffs to experience life and understand the changing technologies of this important era.