Books in Great Leaders and Events series

A classic biography of Benjamin Franklin for young readers in a new, illustrated edition. Benjamin Franklin was a true American original―an accomplished scientist, athlete, inventor, writer, statesman, diplomat, printer, and philosopher. This classic biography by eminent historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Fleming paints a lively portrait of Franklin, a self-made man blessed with talent and immense curiosity about the world around him. With charm, humor, and a keen understanding of human nature, Franklin guided the American colonies to independence and nationhood. His remarkable career will inspire readers of all ages. Kids will learn about the lives of famous historical figures and famous events in history through compelling stories paired with fresh illustrated images, timelines, and fact boxes. The theme of "American Leaders" connects these debut titles, where the lives of some of the greatest American heroes are recounted.

The life of Abraham Lincoln, America's greatest president, in a new, illustrated edition of the Newbery Honor classic. Clara Ingram Judson's Newbery Honor Book is a richly drawn biography of Abraham Lincoln from his backwoods boyhood, to his days as a shopkeeper and lawyer, his entry into politics, and finally through his extraordinary presidency and tragic assassination. Judson presents Lincoln as he was--the plain-spoken and practical man, often ridiculed as a country bumpkin, who won the Civil War, ended slavery, and saved the Union. Judson's narrative is enlivened by her visits to his home and vivid descriptions of the Lincoln family's pioneer life.

Recounts the dramatic surrender of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in a new, illustrated edition. From the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Andersonville comes the story of an unforgettable moment in American history: the historic meeting between General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant that led to the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia―and ultimately to the end of the Civil War. MacKinlay Kantor's book for young readers captures all the emotions and drama of those few days in April 1865: Lee's mingled sorrow and relief, Grant's generosity toward his late opponent and the nearly starving Confederate soldiers; and the two commanders' negotiation of surrender terms intended to help heal the wounds of more than four years of the most violent conflict in American history.

The early life of George Washington in a new, illustrated edition of the classic biography by Sterling North. Before he became the first president of the United States, George Washington was a frontiersman. North fully captures the spirit of the man as he examines Washington's childhood in colonial Virginia, his work as a teenage surveyor, his early experiences as a member of the Virginia militia, and his many adventures before the American Revolution. The fully rounded man who emerges from this captivating portrait is uncomfortable with words, shy around women, completely at home in the outdoors, and deeply in love with the country he helped found.