Thomas Paine believed that American liberty was not only possible but worth dying for. He was dissatisfied with his quiet life until he traveled to the American colonies. There, the cause of American freedom from English rule lit a fire within him. To inspire colonists to support and fight the war, he wrote Common Sense and The American Crisis. He was the first person to use the term the United States of America in print. He helped transform an entire...

The 3-D Shapes illustrated nonfiction books provide the first lessons on three-dimensional shapes. In Cubes, rhyming text and creative illustrations draw attention to cubes that are found in the world around us.

See what the pileated woodpecker has in common with the wood thrush. Learn what sets it apart from the American flamingo. Readers will compare key traits of pileated woodpeckers-their appearance, behavior, habitat, and life cycle-to traits of other birds. Charts and sidebars support key ideas and provide details. Through gathering information about similarities and differences, readers will make connections and draw conclusions about what makes this...

Did you realize that swimming suits used to weigh 22 pounds (about 10 kilograms)? Or that the first people to wear high heels were French royalty (even the king!) in the 1500s? Get ready to learn the amazing stories behind inventions you use every day. From the society woman who invented bras to the Swiss inventor who came up with the idea for Velcro, you'll find out how we got some of our favorite fashion inventions.

"This book covers information (life cycle, appearance, habitat) about the ostrich. Each chapter discusses an aspect of the ostrich's life, comparing the bird to a similar bird and to a very different bird."--

Construction workers use many types of tools to build roads and buildings. Young readers will learn about those tools through carefully leveled text, vibrant photos, and critical-thinking questions.

Carefully leveled text and vibrant photos engage young readers in learning about the tools police officers use to serve their community. Age-appropriate critical thinking questions and a photo glossary help build nonfiction learning skills.

What tools do nurses use to help keep people healthy? With carefully leveled text, colorful photos, and critical-thinking questions, this title will prepare emergent readers for their next trip to see a nurse.

In December 1620, a group of English settlers stepped out of their boats and climbed up the shore to a point overlooking a small harbor. Known as the Pilgrims, they had traveled far on the Mayflower. Behind them was the vast Atlantic Ocean. Before them was the wilderness of North America. They called their new home the Plymouth Colony. But who were the Pilgrims? Why had they left England? And what lay ahead for them over the long winter in Plymouth?...

A photo-illustrated book for elementary readers about Olympic snowboarding. Includes descriptions of each of the men's and women's slopestyle, halfpipe, snowboard cross, and parallel slalom events, along with the new big air event. Readers will get a primer to some rules and athletes that may participate in the 2018 PeyongChang, South Korea Winter Olympic Games. Includes Q&A feature, table of contents, glossary, further resources, and index.