Books in Self-Help for Kids Series series

Now more than ever, kids want to know about our country's great struggles during World War II. This book is packed with information that kids will find fascinating, from Hitler's rise to power in 1933 to the surrender of the Japanese in 1945. Much more than an ordinary history book, it is filled with excerpts from actual wartime letters written to and by American and German troops, personal anecdotes from people who lived through the war in the United States, Germany, Britain, Russia, Hungary, and Japan, and gripping stories from Holocaust survivors—all add a humanizing global perspective to the war. This collection of 21 activities shows kids how it felt to live through this monumental period in history. They will play a rationing game or try the butter extender recipe to understand the everyday sacrifices made by wartime families. They will try their hands at military strategy in coastal defense, break a code, and play a latitude and longitude tracking game. Whether growing a victory garden or staging an adventure radio program, kids will appreciate the hardships and joys experienced on the home front.

Heroes, traitors, and great thinkers come to life in this activity book, and the concepts of freedom and democracy are celebrated in true accounts of the distinguished officers, wise delegates, rugged riflemen, and hardworking farm wives and children who created the new nation. This collection tells the story of the Revolution, from the hated Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party to the British surrender at Yorktown and the creation of the United States Constitution. All American students are required to study the Revolution and the Constitution, and these 21 activities make it fun and memorable. Kids create a fringed hunting shirt and a tricorn hat and reenact the Battle of Cowpens. They will learn how to make their voices heard in “I Protest” and how Congress works in “There Ought to Be a Law.” A final selection including the Declaration of Independence, a glossary, biographies, and pertinent Web sites makes this book a valuable resource for both students and teachers.

As the first Americans, hundreds of indigenous bands and nations already lived in North America when European explorers first set out to conquer an inhabited land. This book captures the early history of these complex societies and their 500-year struggle to survive against all odds from war, displacement, broken treaties, and boarding schools. Not only a history of tribal nations, Native American History for Kids also includes profiles of famous Native Americans and their many contributions, from early leaders to superstar athlete Jim Thorpe, dancer Maria Tallchief, astronaut John Herrington, author Sherman Alexie, actor Wes Studi, and more. Readers will also learn about Indian culture through hands-on activities, such as planting a Three Sisters garden (corn, squash, and beans), making beef jerky in a low-temperature oven, weaving a basket out of folded newspaper strips, deciphering a World War II Navajo Code Talker message, and playing Ball-and-Triangle, a game popular with Penobscot children. And before they are finished, readers will be inspired to know that the history of the Native American people is the history of all Americans.

With clear facts and answers to the questions kids eight to twelve ask most, this adaptation of Lee Strobel's New York Times bestselling and award-winning The Case for Christ uses kid-friendly language to explore the research, eyewitness accounts, and evidence behind the question of whether Jesus really was the savior the Bible promised, and if he is, what that answer means for our lives today.Maybe you go to church every week and have listened to Bible stories so often that you can recite them word for word. Or maybe you know someone who is a Christian and are curious about why they believe the things they do. Either way, while you’ve been told Jesus was God’s son, that he lived thousands of years ago, and that he died on a cross to save everyone from sin … and then rose from the dead and now lives in heaven, you have some questions. For instance, how do you know that everything about Jesus is actually true? Well, here’s a book that gives you all the answers. Inside is the historical evidence, expert testimonies, extensive research, and scientific proofs that point to the truth about Jesus and who he said he was, as well as why Christians believe what they do. And once you have all the answers, you will know for sure whether or not Jesus is the Messiah, and have the facts to share with others.The Case for Christ for Kids:Is a solid source of information that looks at all sides of the issue to present solid evidence behind each conclusion and fact about the Christian faithHas illustrations and callout graphics to make the topics memorable for kids eight and upIs an excellent resource for Sunday schools, church libraries, and homeschoolingCan be used on its own or alongside other books like The Case for a Creator for Kids, The Case for Faith for Kids, and The Case for Miracles for Kids to help children with faith development and answer questions they wonder about mostPairs with Case for Christ for Kids 90-Day Devotional, which expands on the themes of The Case for Christ for Kids to apply those truths to late elementary and middle school kids’ everyday lives

Did God create the universe? Is the Big Bang theory true? Are your science teachers wrong? Packed full of up-to-date scientific research and eye-opening investigations, The Case for a Creator for Kids gives you the answers. Get ready, because The Case for a Creator for Kids answers questions about creation that even adults struggle to answer. How did the universe begin? Was everything just created by chance? How can we know?The Case for a Creator for Kids investigates up-to-date scientific research in Cosmology (how the universe began), Physics (how the universe functions), Astronomy (celestial objects outside our planet), and DNA (the building blocks of all living things). Based on scientific evidence and logic, The Case for a Creator answers the most difficult questions about creation in a way that a smart, curious kid like you can read and understand.You’re learning stuff in school, you’re learning stuff in church, and you’re learning stuff at home about the creation of the world. Now investigate for yourself. The facts are in. What will your verdict be in The Case for a Creator?The Case for a Creator for Kids includes:Questions and definitions of terms for further investigationIllustrations and stories to think about and discussEye-opening scientific investigations intocosmology, physics, astronomy, and DNAThe answers about the creation of the universe that rocked the world of atheist investigative reporter Lee StrobelIs written in kid-friendly language that is logical and easy to understand

You meet skeptics every day. They ask questions like:Why does God allow bad things to happen? Can you have doubts and still be a Christian?Here’s a book written in kid-friendly language that gives you all the answers.Packed full of well-researched, reliable, and eye-opening investigations of some of the biggest questions you have, Case for Faith for Kids is a must-read for kids ready to explore and enrich their faith.

History books are replete with heroic stories of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams, but what of Allen, Russwurm, and Hawley? America’s Black Founders celebrates the lesser known but significant lives and contributions of our nation’s early African American leaders. Many know that the Revolutionary War’s first martyr, Crispus Attucks, a dockworker of African descent, was killed at the Boston Massacre. But far fewer know that the final conflict of the war, the Battle of Yorktown, was hastened to a conclusion by James Armistead Lafayette, a slave and spy who reported the battle plans of General Cornwallis to George Washington. Author Nancy Sanders weaves the histories of dozens of men and women—soldiers, sailors, ministers, poets, merchants, doctors, and other community leaders—who have earned proper recognition among the founders of the United States of America. To get a better sense of what these individuals accomplished and the times in which they lived, readers will celebrate Constitution Day, cook colonial foods, publish a newspaper, petition their government, and more. This valuable resource also includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and Web resources for further study.

The story of California is the story of dreamers—explorers, gold miners, immigrants, ranchers, moviemakers, farmers, and everyday Americans who headed west for a fresh start. The first native inhabitants arrived 9,000 years ago, ancestors of the tribes who would greet the Spanish in the 1700s. Father Junípero Serra later established a chain of missions along the coast, expanding European and Mexican influence. But when gold was discovered in 1848, the rush was on, and two short years later California became a state. After the gold ran out, other rushes followed, from agriculture to industry, Hollywood to Silicon Valley. California History for Kids includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and Web resources for further study. And to get a better idea of the scope of California history and the lives of its citizens, readers can:* create a Chumash rock painting* play the Miwok Hoop-and-Pole game* bake and eat hardtack like a gold miner* design a cattle brand* decode a railroad cipher* immortalize their handprints in plaster * assemble an earthquake preparedness kit* and more Author Katy Duffield tells the rich story of the men and women who, despite challenges and occasional hardships, settled and built the vibrant cities and bountiful farms, ranches, and orchards of the Golden State.

An interactive introduction to working with animalsZoology for Kids invites the next generation of zoologists to discover the animal kingdom through clear, entertaining information and anecdotes, lush color photos, hands-on activities, and peer-reviewed research. Young minds are introduced to zoology as a science by discussing animals’ forms, functions, and behaviors as well as the history behind zoos and aquariums. Related activities include baking edible animal cells, playing a dolphin-echolocation game, and practicing designing an exhibit. Young readers can peek into the world of zookeepers and aquarists, veterinarians, wildlife researchers, and conservationists as they “train” their friends, mold a tiger’s jawbone, and perform field research in their own backyard. This engaging resource provides readers with new knowledge, a healthy respect for the animal kingdom, and the idea that they can pursue animal-related careers and make a difference to preserve and protect the natural world.

In 1961, President Kennedy issued a challenge: before the end of the decade, the United States would land a person on the moon and return him safely to Earth—a bold proclamation at the time given that only one US astronaut had ever been to space, for just 15 minutes. To answer President Kennedy’s call, NASA embarked on the Apollo missions: a complicated, dangerous, and expensive adventure involving 400,000 people. Before the missions were over, NASA astronauts had made eleven Apollo flights, six of which landed on the moon, and eight astronauts had lost their lives. The Apollo Missions for Kids tells the story of this pivotal era in space exploration from the perspective of those who lived it—the astronauts and their families, the controllers and engineers, and the technicians and politicians who made the impossible possible. The book includes a time line, resources for further study, and places to visit to see Apollo mission artifacts, along with 21 hands-on activities to better understand the missions and the science behind them. Kids will:Determine what they would weigh on the moonLearn to identify the moon’s featuresDemonstrate orbital mechanics with a marble and a shallow bowlCalculate how far away the moon is using sports equipmentRecreate the shape and size of the command moduleEat like an astronaut and make “space food”Design a mission patchAnd much more!

This activity book features 25 projects such as making a surface survey of a site, building a screen for sifting dirt and debris at a dig, tracking soil age by color, and counting tree rings to date a find, teaches kids the techniques that unearthed Neanderthal caves, Tutankhamun’s tomb, the city of Pompeii, and Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire. Kids will delight in fashioning a stone-age tool, playing a seriation game with old photographs of cars, “reading” objects excavated in their own backyards, and using patent numbers to date modern artifacts as they gain an overview of human history and the science that brings it back to life.

History explodes in this activity guide spanning the turmoil preceding secession, the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the fierce battles on land and sea, and finally the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Making butternut dye for a Rebel uniform, learning drills and signals with flags, decoding wigwag, baking hardtack, reenacting battles, and making a medicine kit bring this pivotal period in our nation’s history to life. Fascinating sidebars tell of slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad, the adventures of nine-year-old drummer boy Johnny Clem, animal mascots who traveled with the troops, and friendships between enemies. The resource section includes short biographies of important figures from both sides of the war, listings of Civil War sites across the country, pertinent websites, glossary, and an index.