It was a wild ride... and this book does it justice. Well-chosen thrills, spills, and conflicts are spliced into a narrative that highlights the danger underlying this scientific mission... Handsomely designed text... large, full-color impressionistic paintings convey the action.
--School Library Journal

No European had ever taken boats down the Colorado river and come out alive. In May 1869, ten men boarded four rowboats in Green River City, Wyoming. Three months and 1,000 miles later, two battered boats carrying six exhausted and starving men emerged from the depths of the Grand Canyon. The Last River tells their remarkable story.

The man who challenged the Colorado, Major John Wesley Powell, was a small, bookish geology professor from a Midwestern farm. Despite his size and the constant pain from the Civil War wound that had cost him his arm, Powell's twin passions--adventure and scientific exploration--drew him to the Colorado River.

For three months, he and nine crewmembers thrilled to riding the rapids and endured the backbreaking labor of transporting boats and cargo past rapids too dangerous to run. They discovered canyons of unsurpassed beauty and gave them names like Music Temple and Canyon of Lodore. They saved each other from drowning, and suffered together as their food supply dwindled to nearly nothing.

Excerpts from journals of crewmembers personalize the gripping text. Original paintings and a foldout map allow the reader to follow the expedition's route and its adventures.

The Last River is an inspiring and riveting true adventure written with drama and compassion that brings history to life.

This is the story of a people's struggle for absolute security in a violent and dangerous world. Needing defense against the Mongols whose empire encompassed most of the known world, the Chinese built the Great Wall of China over 200 years. Thousands of miles long, the Wall was guarded by over a million soldiers manning thousands of forts and towers.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

Mann conveys the story as adventure without ever resorting to melodrama and explores the history and architecture... in highly readable form.
--Booklist

Here's the story of the Great Pyramid and the people who built it. In the author's telling, the Old Kingdom comes alive: a nation of farmers living on the green edge of a harsh desert with a king who was a god in life and in death. Tens of thousands of farmers left home each year to chisel hard stone without iron tools and move 10-ton blocks up steep grades without the use of a wheel, all to the glory of the Pharaoh.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
-- Booklist

Where Goodman's book shines is the foldout maps and diagrams of the voyages and in the journal entries by Hudson and members of his crew ... When the next group of students with an assignment on explorers descends on the library, have this useful and attractive resource on hand.
--School Library Journal

Beyond the Sea of Ice: The Voyages of Henry Hudson takes readers into a land of impenetrable fog and crushing ice, a mysterious place where lie the dreams of kings, merchants and learned geographers--a passage to the Orient.

Sailing small wooden boats well above the Arctic Circle, guided by maps and charts that were based on rumor and hope as much as fact, and surrounded by crews that shared neither his belief nor his commitment, Henry Hudson searched again and again for what was not there. In 1611, his mutinous crew set him adrift on the freezing waters of the bay that would one day bear his name.

Beyond the Sea of Ice is the story of Henry Hudson's four harrowing voyages of discovery. Bringing the skills of an experienced novelist, Goodman creates an epic narrative of Henry Hudson's passionate quest. Fernando Rangel's paintings capture the icy beauty of the North Atlantic, the lushness of the new world and the cruelty and death that accompanied a doomed voyage of discovery.

Actual entries from the journals of each voyage bring the reader directly into life at sea in the 17th century, and Mikaya Press' exclusive gatefold Read-Along Map(TM) allows the reader to read about the explorer's travels while following them on a map at the same time.

A light-hearted tale of a boy who gains self-confidence with the help of some timely mentoring.

Albert is short -- very short -- and he hates it. His older brothers are tall like his father, but he takes after his petite mother. He wears too-large hand-me-down clothes from his bigger brothers. And worst of all, his very best friend moved away to Brooklyn during the school break. It was all so unfair.

Albert is beginning Middle School on Little Scrub, the small Caribbean Island where he lives. As he steps on the bus, and sees the older kids, he feels smaller than ever. They take one look at him and howl with laughter, chanting Little Man, Little Man, you so small, didn't hardly see you at all.

Things go downhill from there, and would've stayed down if it wasn't for an encounter with Peachy, the leader of a troupe of stiltwalkers. The stiltwalkers do a lot more than walk: they dance and leap across the sand on spindly eight-foot high wooden stilts, their brilliantly colored costumes shimmering in the moonlight.

Peachy invites Albert to join the high school students he teaches to stiltwalk. It's not an easy decision for Albert. Would they laugh at him even harder than the Middle School kids? And he is queasy about heights. The thought of wobbling around on those skinny wooden sticks makes him woozy with fear.

But Albert is won over by the thought that one day he might actually be up there, tall as a palm tree, dancing around without fear or hesitation. Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures and nobody was more desperate than Albert.

Slowly, as his stiltwalking improves, Albert finds his self-confidence grows. He becomes less of a target for teasing at school and he makes some new friends.

The story of an inspired building and an inspirational civilization.

The Parthenon is more than a magnificent building. Every marble statue, every graceful column, is an expression of a civilization whose three great values still speak to us today:

• Democracy. At a time of godlike rulers, ordinary citizens voted to build the Parthenon.
• Humanism. The Parthenon's art honored Athens' water carriers as well as its gods.
• Balance. The Parthenon's aesthetic brought lightness and grace to height and mass.

The Parthenon tells of the rise of Athens -- from the religion that nurtured it, through the wars that tested it, to the democracy that ennobled it -culminating in the construction of the great temple on the Acropolis. The book not only captures the human stories, but also vividly illustrates the technical details behind the construction, from quarrying of the marbles to carving of the exquisite frieze. To look at the Parthenon is to see Athens. To see Athens, is to see ourselves.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

A classic in children's non-fiction -- now in paper.

John Roebling had a dream.

He would build the world's longest bridge and he would build it in a new way. But his way was too new. It took 15 years to convince people it would work. And then, just as construction was to begin, John Roebling was killed in a freak accident.

That should have been the end of the story of The Brooklyn Bridge. Instead, it was the beginning. For John wasn't the only Roebling who could dream.

The Brooklyn Bridge is about a legendary feat of engineering and an extraordinary family. Through rare, historical photographs, informative diagrams, and powerful illustrations, we learn exactly how this magnificent bridge was designed and constructed. From the Roeblings, we learn of loyalty, courage, sacrifice, and commitment.

The Brooklyn Bridge is the story of a bridge across a great river and a bridge across generations, a bridge of stone and steel and one of the human spirit.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

To say that Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was determined is like saying the sun is warm. La Salle made his way from Eastern Canada to the Great Lakes. Then he traveled by canoe down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. This vast territory was dense unexplored wilderness, controlled by the fierce and powerful Iroquois. To make the merely daunting nearly impossible, La Salle was on his own. His King, Louis X1V, would provide neither protection, men nor money.

Through one setback after another, La Salle kept on going. His men deserted him; he walked a thousand miles, in the middle of the brutal Canadian winter, back to Montreal and organized a new expedition. The Iroquois threatened; he brought together rival tribes, and speaking in their own language, united them into an alliance against the Iroquois. La Salle's ship sunk with a fortune in furs meant to finance his expedition. Again, he walked back to Montreal and found new financial support.

Part adventure, part biography, Despite All Obstacles is the fascinating story of this obstinate and courageous man who had dreams as large as the continent and a will to match those dreams.

The true story of America's most beloved symbol -- a tale of art and idealism.

With her right hand she lifts a torch, the light of liberty. In her left hand she holds a book whose cover reads JULY IV MDCCLXXVI, the date of the signing of the United States' Declaration of Independence. Under her left foot is a broken chain, a symbol of the end of slavery.

The Statue of Liberty pays homage to what is best about the United States, yet it originated in France. Living under the repressive rule of a self-proclaimed emperor, sculptors Édouard de Laboulaye and Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi wanted to show their countrymen that tyranny is not inevitable and that there is a place in the world where all citizens have unalienable rights that no government can take from them.

After two decades of planning, cajoling, fundraising, designing and building, these artists brought their dream of Liberty across the ocean. Now, 125 years after she was placed on her pedestal in New York Harbor, she continues to inspire people all over the world.

So does her story.

From start to finish, Mann tracks the wonders of architecture, engineering, and construction that went into the creation of the tallest building in the world for the time. Fascinating profiles describe the individuals who dreamed of and built this architectural marvel. Archival photographs recreate the heady world of the steelworkers out on the girders, high above the city streets.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

The first voyage around the globe was a daring, high-stakes gamble that changed the world forever.

Portugal dominated the wildly lucrative spice trade, and Spain was desperate for a piece of the action. Spain had everything to gain. Portuguese officer Ferdinand Magellan had nothing to lose. His decades fighting for Portugal had left him with a crippled knee and his king's withering scorn.

And so Magellan left Portugal to lead an expedition for his country's bitter rival, Spain. He knew it would be an exceedingly dangerous voyage, but the reality proved much worse. Killer storms, mutinies, deadly battles, murders, deprivation and disease dogged the four-year journey. Magellan was driven to ever-greater extremes of brilliance, courage, brutality and madness as he sailed around the world.

Magellan's World is the story of a harrowing adventure, an inspiring and flawed hero, and an epic event in the history of the world.

They called the river the Red Bull. Desert silt gave the Colorado its distinctive color, but it was its power and unpredictability that made its fierce reputation. Speeding down from the high Rockies, the Colorado would flood without warning, wiping out any farmer foolish enough to settle near its banks.

But what if the Red Bull could be tamed? Farmlands irrigated by the Colorado's waters could bloom in the desert. Cities electrified by the Colorado's power could grow and prosper. The Hoover Dam grew from this dream and with it much of the modern American west.

Built in the middle of The Great Depression, the Hoover Dam was set in an unforgiving landscape whose climate defied habitation much less intense, backbreaking physical labor. Yet, during those hard times and in that desolate place, there rose an extraordinarily sophisticated feat of modern engineering.

The Hoover Dam is the dramatic story of the danger, suffering, courage and genius that went into the building of one of America's most famous landmarks.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

Panama was less than 50 miles wide, yet difficult to bridge by canal -- its swamps were disease-ridden, its mountainous rain forest challenged the most brilliant engineers, and its oppressive heat exhausted the hardiest workers. Engineers found ways to cut through the forest, medical visionaries conquered the diseases, and workers endured the jungle. Yet there were also broken treaties, political tyranny, and the tragedy of thousands of West Indian workers forced to live in awful, segregated conditions.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

Geology comes alive as Michael Collier flies over North America's coasts.

Geology usually takes its time -- about a few million years, generally. Yet there is one place where the geological processes often occur right before our eyes: along the coastline of a great body of water.

The latest book in this acclaimed series takes the reader on aerial tours over the coastlines of the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, Great Lakes and Alaska. Along these coasts the earth is in perpetual motion, for example:

• Barrier islands are constantly torn apart and reshaped by violent storms
• Powerful waves jackhammer rocks into smithereens, carving coastal cliffs
• Deltas, marshes, beaches, dunes, bays, lagoons, estuaries and fjords are created and recreated by the action of water against land.

Over the Coasts combines beautiful images with natural history and makes geological science readily accessible to the general reader. Science that is most apparent in these spectacular aerial portraits of our restless coasts.

Ruth Jacobsen spent her first childhood in Germany. It ended one night when she was six years old and hiding in terror as she watched people being thrown from windows. It was Kristallnacht, the Night of Breaking Glass.

Her family fled and found haven in the idyllic Dutch village of Oud Zuylen. There Ruth became a child again.

When she was eight, the Germans invaded Holland. When she was nine, her grandmother was put on a train and never seen again. Soon she was wearing a Jewish star on her coat. When she was 10, she was separated from her parents. Frightened and alone, she went from house to house, hiding from the Nazis in the homes of strangers. Ruth Jacobsen's childhood was over forever. For the rest of her life she tried to forget her loss.

One day, forty years after the war, she opened an album of family photographs that had lain in a box at the bottom of a closet, untouched.

My fear had always been that I would break down or become hysterical, she writes. Instead, she transformed the images into art, creating a series of vivid collages that pieced together her shattered childhood. As she worked, long suppressed memories came to the surface. She wrote them down.

The result is a unique document of a life and a time. Rescued Images combines Ruth's collages and her moving memoir of the wrenching events of a half century ago. Young Ruth Jacobsen is brought back to life on these pages: frightened and bewildered, buffeted by forces she cannot understand or control, bending but never breaking.

So begins Eileen Cameron's poetic rendering of a canyon's creation. Cameron captures millions of years of geology in 38 thrilling lines as she follows the water's journey down from the mountaintop, gaining power and strength with each mile. Drops that trickle through crannies, become a stream that cascades through the rocks and then a river that crashes through boulders ... digging the river bed, steepening the cliffs. And the canyon is born.

Michael Collier's stunning photographs of the creeks, streams, waterfalls, rivers, grottos and canyons of the Colorado evoke the lyrical beauty and raw power of the canyon and the forces that create it.

Through their art, Cameron and Collier have conveyed to the young reader a feeling of awe and wonder for one of nature's most spectacular creations.

The illustrated true story of the world's most famous skyscraper.

In 1929 the race was on to construct the tallest building in the world. Less than two years later, the race was won and the age of skyscrapers had its exclamation point.

In Empire State Building, author Elizabeth Mann tells the story of an American icon. From start to finishing touches, she tracks the wonders of architecture, engineering, and construction that went into its creation. Her fascinating profiles of the millionaires and laborers capture the essence of the individuals who dreamed of and built this architectural marvel.

Alan Witschonke's paintings are bold and luminous, and his diagrams dazzlingly clear. Photographs by early 20th century master Lewis Hine take the reader up high into the heady, dangerous world of the steelworker out on the edge of girders way above the city streets. Empire State Building is a timely book about the enduring achievement of a great city.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist

It seemed so simple. Panama was less than fifty miles wide. How difficult could it be to build a canal across it?

Tragically difficult. Panama was a disease-ridden death trap. Its mountainous rain forest was a challenge to the most brilliant engineers. Its oppressive heat exhausted the hardiest workers.

Somehow the Panama Canal was built. Engineers found ways to cut through the rain forest. Medical visionaries conquered the diseases. Workers endured the jungle.

Yet side by side with genius and selfless heroism were broken treaties, the domination of a small nation by a large one, and tens of thousands of black West Indian workers forced to live in second-rate, segregated conditions. This, too, is the story of the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal captures the spirit of an age when no task was thought impossible, and no price too high to pay.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.
- Booklist