Books published by publisher First Avenue Editions

What do you think of when you hear the name Albert Einstein? Perhaps you picture an old man with rumpled clothing, a halo of wild white hair, and an impish grin. You might know that he developed two of the most important and complex theories in science, the theories of relativity. You probably think of the word genius. Albert Einstein may have been a genius--but he was also much more than that. Einstein was a man who hated violence and took a stand for peace in the world. He was a man who was proud to be Jewish and worked to ensure a better life for his people. And he was a man who never took himself--or his fame--too seriously, and only wanted to be treated like an ordinary person and live an ordinary life.

"Exceptionally handsome photographs light up the pages of this well-designed introduction to jellyfish. A few sentences or fragments, closely tied to the illustrations, appear on each spread. The words underscore the variety of jellyfish in the sea and point out their comparative simplicity, their special features, and their unforgettable beauty. The sometimes impressionistic, informative text begins by helping readers to imagine life as a jellyfish: 'If you were a jellyfish you would have two choices―to go up or to go down. That's it. Two.' An intriguing introduction to the subject."―Booklist

Traffic jams, news stands, and theater fans, oh my! Check out eight action-packed scenes to see what happens during a full day in a busy city. In each picture, the city buzzes with activity. Peek inside a school, an apartment building, a theater, a museum, and more. Keep your eye on the clock too. By spending a whole day in a city, you can watch events unfold from morning to night.

Fourteen-year-old John Darragh was a spy. But British-occupied Philadelphia in 1777 was not a safe place for an American spy. If he were captured, John knew he would be hanged. In this suspenseful story based on accounts of the Darragh family's spying activities for General Washington, young John undertakes a dangerous mission to deliver a message to the American army.

Eleven-year-old Willie McLean knows that General Lee will defeat the Yankees and win the Civil War, he just knows it. When a battle moves to the fields near his home in Appomattox, Virginia, Willie’s thrilled―especially when General Lee, himself, comes to Willie’s house! But then General Grant comes, too. Overhearing the two men talk, Willie hears one word: Surrender. Is the war really over?

On October 11, 1896, 10-year-old Sam Deal and his horse, Ginger, watch as the brave surfmen of Pea Island struggle to save the lives of nine people stranded on a shipwreck. Sam has dreamt of becoming a surfman just like the all-African-American crew, and this is his chance. Can he and Ginger help the crew rescue the victims, or will they be lost forever?

As a young man growing up in Greenland, Leif Ericsson had heard stories about a land to the west across the Atlantic Ocean. One day, he gathered a crew and set off to explore the land himself. He landed at three different places, finally settling at “Vinland”, now Newfoundland, Canada, for the winter. When he returned home, he became a hero, and inspired many other Vikings to explore the new world.

Casey Jones was the most famous railroad engineer there ever was. Casey had one hang up. He had to be on time. He expected his trains to be on time too. One night Casey was asked to drive a train that was far behind schedule. He got that train running as fast as she could go. Would Casey make it on time? Hop on board and find out what made this railroad engineer an American hero in this fast-paced tale.