Books published by publisher Walker Childrens, 2004

Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, epic failures even lead to super successes . . . sometimes they become deep dark secrets. But remember-to fail is human, to laugh about our shortcomings divine. From Montezuma II's mistaking a conqueror for a god to Isaac Newton turning from science to alchemy to J. Bruce Ismay's jumping the lifeboat line on the Titanic, How They Choked knocks fourteen famous achievers off their pedestals to reveal the human side of history.Successful “failures” include:Marco Polo • Queen Isabella of Spain • Montezuma II • Ferdinand Magellan • Anne Boleyn • Isaac Newton • Benedict Arnold • Susan B. Anthony • George Armstrong Custer • Thomas Alva Edison • Vincent Van Gogh • J. Bruce Ismay • “Shoeless Joe” Jackson • Amelia M. Earhart

Now that Fiona Tarsis and her twin brother, Jonah, are no longer beasts, they set out to find their mother, with the help of Bowen and a former neighbor, Jacqui. Heading for a safe settlement rumored to be in Wyoming, they plan to spread the cure along the way--until they are attacked by raiders. Luckily, they find a new ally in Kevin, who saves them and leads them to safety in his underground shelter. But the more they get to know Kevin, the more they suspect he has ties to the raiders. He also seems to know too many details about Jacqui and her family-details that could endanger them all. For the raiders will do anything they can to destroy the cure that would bring an end to their way of life. Bethany Wiggins's reimagining of our world after an environmental catastrophe won't fail to stun readers.

A debut novel set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Life in Winnie's sleepy town of Coward Creek, Texas, is just fine for her. Although her troubled mother's distant behavior has always worried Winnie, she's plenty busy caring for her younger sisters, going to school, playing chess with Mr. Levy, and avoiding her testy grandmother. Plus, her sweetheart Nolan is always there to make her smile when she's feeling low. But when the Spanish Influenza claims its first victim, lives are suddenly at stake, and Winnie has never felt so helpless. She must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk. Winnie's take-charge attitude will empower and inspire readers, as Jenny Moss's lyrical writing beautifully captures the big-time worries of a small-town girl.

Is it foolish to think that one boy and a blood red horse can save a fair maiden and the throne of England?Will and Gavin de Granville have come back from the crusade older, braver, and definitely wiser.Ellie has been longing for their return. But they've changed. And home is almost as dangerous as the war they've just left.The king is missing. The country is in turmoil. And some men would do anything for power. What will two brothers risk for the woman they both love and the king they have both sworn to protect and serve? In the second book of the de Granville trilogy, Will and Gavin find their family – and all of England – in serious peril.

Howard Gardner is starving to death. All spring and summer, Howard and his older, more charming brother Jack worked as hoggees, driving the mules that pulled boats along the Erie Canal. In a misguided attempt to outshine his brother, Howard chooses to stay behind in Birchport for the winter to save his traveling money and send it home to his family. After his winter job falls through, Howard fears that he might not survive the winter.As desperate as Howard is, he is haunted by the sadness he sees in the eyes of Sarah, the granddaughter of the man who keeps the mules. Even though she's older than her two sisters, she never speaks, and she seems completely disconnected from the world. Sarah's family won't discuss her problem with outsiders, but Howard longs to help her in any way he can, and his quest to do so eventually reveals to him how he truly compares to his brother.Once again, Anna Myers has crafted a moving, nuanced coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of an intriguing historical era.

Do you wonder what goes on inside a church, a temple, or a mosque? Do you find it strange that some of your friends worship on Saturday and others on Sunday? Why are young Buddhist's heads shaved? What do you suppose is meant by "speaking in tongues"?Worshipers tread many different paths in their search for peace, love and eternal happiness. This book will tell you about the most familiar paths or faiths, and about some of the lesser-known faiths, too.

Barred from his family home- stead by his mean-spirited uncle, eighteen-year-old Chris weathers a Minnesota winter in a small cabin with his grandfather. Poverty and the tempting stories of a wandering Easterner convince Chris to harvest the trees on his grandfather's land and float the logs down the spring floodwaters of the Mississippi to the lumber mills in Saint Louis. Filled with stories of raft hands and river pilots, this fast-paced novel has all the momentum of the great Mississippi.

Visited by millions of people every year, the Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is also a multi-story home to all kinds of animals and plants. The award-winning team of The Ever-Living Tree brings to life the awesome story of one of our country's greatest national treasures, with breathtaking illustrations and illuminating prose.

The stories behind the Constitution are as powerful as the nation it created."We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." After the American Revolution, the thirteen united states were joined, barely, by an almost powerless government. The federal army was too weak to defend the nation; there was no national currency; and there was no authority to collect taxes for debts. Soon states' militias were needed to quiet rebellions. As Washington wrote, if a change wasn't made soon, the new nation "rais[ed] at the expense of so much blood and treasure, must fall." Delegates from twelve of the thirteen states met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to create the United States Constitution. But it was no easy task- four months of bitter debate ensued, in which arguments became so heated that delegates nearly abandoned the convention many times. Thirty-nine men ultimately signed this important, influential framework that saved our country and gave us our amazingly strong and balanced federal government. Dennis Brindell Fradin and Michael McCurdy combine their talents to bring all of the founders stories to light in this fascinating companion volume to their bestselling book The Signers.

Ten-year-old Samantha “Sweet Feet” Gordon isn't just a girl who plays football. She's also the best player in a league full of boys and has become an online sensation. Known for flying past the defense to reach the end zone 35 times while racking up almost 2,000 yards in one season, Sam's YouTube highlight reel made her an overnight sensation. Appearing in her own Super Bowl commercial and on ESPN, Good Morning America, and Cartoon Network, Sam's attitude that girls can do anything, has inspired people across the world, from the U.S. women's soccer team to NFL greats to other kids just like her. She even got her own Wheaties box-the first one to ever feature a female football player. Sam's courage on and off the football field has lead her to greatness, but there were times when it wasn't easy. Readers will hear Sam Gordon's take on her love of football, her rise to fame, and her hopes for the future in this exciting autobiography full of stories and photos that will inspire all kids to go for their dreams.

When the littlest dinosaur goes out exploring one day, he only wants to play leapfrog with the frogs and chase the butterflies through the meadows. But when he gets lost in the dark woods, all he can think about is getting home again. Summoning all of his courage is difficult, but when he finds a small pterodactyl also lost in the woods, the littlest dinosaur finds that he is brave enough to get them home safely.