Catherine A. Welch – författare

Helga and Erik could not believe their eyes. There were grasshoppers everywhere, and they were eating the crops! In the 1870s, when grasshoppers destroyed farms in Minnesota and other Midwestern states, many families gave up and moved away. This is the story of how two Swedish immigrant children help their parents save their home on the prairie.

Eight-year-old Andrew is starting his first day of work in a coal mine. With bloody knuckles and an aching back, Andrew quickly learns that life in the mines is dirty, dark, and difficult. Before his first day at the breaker is through, he will find out that it can be dangerous too.

As a young girl, Margaret Bourke-White dreamed of having great adventures—the kind only a brave and fearless woman would have. As she grew up, she found that the camera was her ticket to adventure. Her portraits of people in terrible circumstances—from the desperate farmers of the Dust Bowl to the victims of World War II''s horrors—made her famous worldwide. With her camera always at the ready, Margaret faced many challenges, including floods, bombings, and eventually her own battle with illness. In Margaret Bourke-White, award-winning author Catherine A. Welch creates a powerful portrait of a remarkable, gifted woman. Jennifer Hagerman''s illustrations capture Margaret''s own liveliness and strength.

It was September 14, 1814, and America and Great Britain were at war. Frances Scott Key watched from the deck of a British ship, where he was being held captive, as cannons exploded around them. After 25 hours, the fighting ceased and Key peered through the clearing smoke, looking for some sign as to the outcome of the battle. Was the American flag still flying? His wartime experience inspired Key to write a poem, which was later set to music and became America’s national anthem. This book tells the story of the inspiration behind our national anthem, which helped transform the flag into a major symbol of patriotism and identity.

Cyrus McCormick patented and manufactured the reaper, an important 19th century invention that dramatically improved the efficiency of wheat farming. While McCormick did not invent the reaper solely by himself, he did refine and popularize it. His company eventually became the International Harvester Company.