Books in Signature Lives: Colonial America series

As a young boy, Thomas Alva Edison was fascinated with technology and chemical experiments. Later, his attempt to improve the telegraph led to his first creation, the phonograph, that set the stage for his life of discovery and invention. His incandescent light bulb made him a popular hero, and many dubbed him the Wizard of Menlo Park. Driven by his curiosity and desire to make life easier for everyone, Edison ended up changing the world.

Amelia Earhart gained worldwide fame in 1928 when she became the first woman to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean. Her lifelong accomplishments as an aviator influenced pilots in the United States and throughout the world. Her bravery encouraged women to learn to fly and fulfill their dreams. On her attempt to circumnavigate the globe at the equator, Earhart and her plane vanished and were never found. But her memory endures as a symbol of adventure, courage, and perseverance.