Even grownups enjoy a bedtime story every now and then,especially one that combines, as does this one, the sophisticationof a novel with the whimsy of a fairy tale. Gaarder, the Norwegianformer professor of philosophy who brought us The Solitaire Mystery(1996) and the bestselling Sophie's World (1995), is up to hisusual tricks here, serving up a metaphysical brainteaser thatunfolds into a warm?but not preachy?meditation on God and theChristian doctrines. Set in an unnamed town in present-day Norway,it tells the story of Joachim, a young boy who finds a faded,handmade Advent calendar in a bookstore on the eve of Decemberfirst, and begs his father to let him take it home. The nextmorning, when he opens the calendar's first door, Joachim discoversnot just the expected picture but also a tightly folded piece ofpaper, the first installment of the fantastic tale of a littlegirl's journey through time and space to be present at theNativity. Soon the girl's story is making unexpected intrusionsinto Joachim's o
Clara Barton is most renowned as the Civil War nurse who laterfounded the Red Cross. Yet in everything she did, Clara strove tomake a difference. This important biography highlights many of herlesser-known feats, including her early teaching career, work inthe U.S. Patent Office, and unceasing fight for women’s rights.There are also sidebars on kids’ games, Civil War Medicine, MysteryPerson (Florence Nightingale), Red Cross fast facts, and Glen Echo(Clara’s home, which is now a National Historic Site)—as well as aninterview with Bonnie McElveen Hunter, Chairman of the American RedCr
Born in Austria in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his first piece of music, a minuet, when he was just five years old! Soon after, he was performing for kings and emperors. Although he died at the young age of thirty-five, Mozart left a legacy of more than 600 works. This fascinating biography charts the musician's extraordinary career and personal life while painting a vivid cultural history of eighteenth-century Europe. Black-and-white illustrations on every spread explore such topics as the history of opera and the evolution of musical instruments. There is also a timeline and a bibliography. Illustrated by Carrie Robbins. Cover illustration by Nancy Harrison.
Jim Henson created puppets like none ever seen before, with expressive fabric faces and rod-controlled arms. His Muppets became world-renowned celebrities and formed the backbone of a media empire. Illustrations.
A fast-paced biography of Thomas Edison, the scientist whoperfected the light bulb and propelled America into the twentiethcentury.
Take a close-up look at Alexander Graham Bell, an inventor andteacher of the deaf. Interviews with experts and lively writingdeliver the accurate reporting you expect from "TIME For Kids".Historical and contemporary photographs capture the life of thiscompassionate man and show how his innovative inventions still helpus today.
Just how did Roald Dahl get into writing? Where did he get his ideas from? What ingredients in his life turned him into the kind of writer he was? Michael Rosen - poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate, comes up with some of the answers to these key questions in his lively biography of the world's No.1 storyteller. Full of stories and funny anecdotes from Roald Dahl's school days and family life, Michael Rosen's fascinating observations creates a vivid picture of one of the most famous writers of all time.
Roald Dahl is one of the most famous children's book authors ever. Now in this Who Was . . . ? biography, children will learn of his real-life adventures. A flying ace for the British Air Force, he was married to an Academy Award-winning actress. He also wrote books and screenplays for adults. Entertaining and readable, this biography has 80 black-and-white illustrations.
Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks are mind-boggling evidence of a fifteenth-century scientific genius standing at the edge of the modern world, basing his ideas on observation and experimentation. This book will change children's ideas of who Leonardo was and what it means to be a scientist.
One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people live ever after. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison’s inventions, which include the phonograph and the kinetoscope, an early precursor to the movie camera. As a boy, observing a robin catch a worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to see if she could fly! Here’s an accessible, appealing biography with 100 black-and-white illustrations.
For a long time, the main role of First Ladies was to act as hostesses of the White House...until Eleanor Roosevelt. Born in 1884, Eleanor was not satisfied to just be a glorified hostess for her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eleanor had a voice, and she used it to speak up against poverty and racism. She had experience and knowledge of many issues, and fought for laws to help the less fortunate. She had passion, energy, and a way of speaking that made people listen, and she used these gifts to campaign for her husband and get him elected presidentfour times! A fascinating historical figure in her own right, Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady forever.
In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. He has been called the father of our country for leading America through its early years. Washington also served in two major wars during his lifetime: the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. With over 100 black-and-white illustrations, Washington's fascinating story comes to life - revealing the real man, not just the face on the dollar bill!
In her amazing diary, Anne Frank revealed the challenges anddreams common for any young girl. But Hitler brought her childhoodto an end and forced her and her family into hiding. Who Was AnneFrank? looks closely at Anne's life before the secret annex, whatlife was like in hiding, and the legacy of her diary.Black-and-white illustrations including maps and diagrams providehistorical and visual reference in an easy-to-read biographywritten in a way that is appropriate and accessible for youngerreaders. 无论这些内容多么重要,如果安妮不是天才的作家,我们将无从得知曾发生过的这一切。 安妮丽丝·玛丽·弗兰克是一个普通的犹太少女,她有漂亮的黑色卷发和一双很蓝很亮 的眼睛,她喜欢写作,喜欢把自己的心情记录在一本被她称为凯蒂的日记本上。或许她 会像每个普通的少女一样长大,恋爱,结婚,或许她会成为一个很好的作家或者记者… 然而在希特勒推行的种族灭绝政策
As a teenage slave, Harriet Tubman stood up to an overseer whowas trying to harm another slave. From that time forward, Tubman(above left) fought against unfairness and for what she believedwas right. She helped hundreds of African Americans escape on theUnderground Railroad. TIME For Kids Biographies help make a connection between thelives of past heroes and the events of today. Harriet Tubman'scourage and ideals have inspired generations of Americans to fightfor equal rights and to stand up for their convictions.
Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World Meet EleanorRoosevelt, one of America's most powerful first ladies. Learn abouther youth and her career helping those less fortunate than she.
When 14-year-old Sophie encounters a mysterious mentor whointroduces her to philosophy, mysteries deepen in her own life. Whydoes she keep getting postcards addressed to another girl? Who isthe other girl? And who, for that matter, is Sophie herself? Tosolve the riddle, she uses her new knowledge of philosophy, but thetruth is far stranger than she could have imagined. A phenomenal worldwide bestseller, SOPHIE'S WORLD sets out to drawteenagers into the world of Socrates, Descartes, Spinoza, Hegel andall the great philosophers. A brilliantly original and fascinatingstory with many twists and turns, it raises profound questionsabout the meaning of life and the origin of theuniverse.
Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit! He turned long-held notions about the universe topsy turvy with his support of a sun-centric solar system. Patricia Brennan Demuth offers a sympathetic portrait of a brilliant man who lived in a time when speaking scientific truth to those in power was still a dangerous proposition.
