Books in Tony Stead Nonfiction Independent Reading Collections series

Kids love reading about sports, but it can sometimes be a bit harder to get them excited about history. What better way to get kids curious about the past than to combine the two? This set of informative books will help young readers gain historical perspective and encourage them to think about how technology and the environment have affected the ways people have lived and played in the past. Most importantly, it will teach them about the games they know and love.

Back by popular demand, here are six new biographies of writers of the books that America's children love to read. Each book includes an interview with the author, as well as excerpts and illustrations from the authors' published works. Kids will read firsthand accounts of where authors get their inspirations, what messages they hope to impart to their audiences and what it's like to be a professional writer. This series is the perfect nonfiction counterpart to some of the best fiction for children. Titles feature many rare childhood photographs of the authors. Harry Potter, Ramona, Wilbur the Pig, Winnie-the-Pooh--these characters have enriched the lives of countless children everywhere.

The power of a volcanic eruption is one of nature's most dangerous forces. From the beginning of recorded time, volcanoes have continually changed Earth's surface and weather patterns. Each of these books, which are written to accompany and enhance an earth science curriculum, describes the composition of planet Earth, the different types of volcanoes, and the geologic events that bring about an eruption. This dynamic series takes a look at six of the most important active volcanoes on Earth and the big blasts that have altered the history of humankind.The 1815 eruption of this volcano was the most deadly explosion of any volcano in recent history. Nearly 92,000 human deaths were attributed to the blast from this Indonesian volcano.