What Was? – serie

Discover more about Juneteenth, the important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union solder and listened as he read the most remarkable words they would ever hear. They were no longer enslaved: they were free. The inhumane practice of forced labor with no pay was now illegal in all of the United States. This news was cause for celebration, so the group of people jumped in excitement, danced, and wept tears of joy. They did not know it at the time, but their joyous celebration of freedom would become a holiday--Juneteenth--that is observed each year by more and more Americans.Author Kirsti Jewel shares stories from Juneteenth celebrations, both past and present, and chronicles the history that led to the creation of this joyous day.With 80 black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this latest addition to Who HQ!

In the early-morning hours of June 28, 1969, police arrived at the Stonewall Inn’s doors and yelled, “Police! We’re taking the place!” But the people in this New York City neighbourhood bar, members of the LGBTQ community, were tired of being harassed. They rebelled in the streets, turning one moment into a civil rights movement and launching the fight for equality among LGBTQ people in the United States.

Even though slavery had ended in the 1860s, African Americans were still suffering under the weight of segregation a hundred years later. They couldn’t go to the same schools, eat at the same restaurants, or even use the same bathrooms as white people. But by the 1950s, black people refused to remain second-class citizens and were willing to risk their lives to make a change.Author Sherri L. Smith brings to life momentous events through the words and stories of people who were on the frontlines of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.This book also features the fun black-and-white illustrations and engaging 16-page photo insert that readers have come love about the What Was? series!

A new series presented in the same format and designed for the same audience as the phenomenally successful Who Was...? series offers compelling, easy-to-read accounts of historical events that changed our world and includes 16 pages of photos and reproductions as well as illustrations. Simultaneous.

A new series presented in the same format and designed for the same audience as the phenomenally successful Who Was...? series offers compelling, easy-to-read accounts of historical events that changed our world and includes 16 pages of photos and reproductions as well as illustrations. Simultaneous.

A terrifying attack! On December 7, 1941, Japanese war planes appeared out of nowhere to bomb the American base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It was a highly secretive and devastating attack: four battleships sunk, more than two thousand servicemen died, and the United States was propelled into World War II. In a compelling, easy-to-read narrative, children will learn all about a pivotal moment in American history.

"Remember the Alamo!" is still a rallying cry more than 175 years after the siege in Texas, where a small band of men held off about two thousand soldiers of the Mexican Army for twelve days. The Alamo was a crucial turning point in the Texas Revolution, and led to the creation of the Republic of Texas. With 80 black-and-white illustrations throughout and a sixteen-page black-and-white photo insert, young readers will relive this famous moment in Texas history.

No one knows where the term Underground Railroad came from--there were no trains or tracks, only "conductors" who helped escaping slaves to freedom. Including real stories about "passengers" on the "Railroad," this book chronicles slaves' close calls with bounty hunters, exhausting struggles on the road, and what they sacrificed for freedom. With 80 black-and-white illustrations throughout and a sixteen-page black-and-white photo insert, the Underground Railroad comes alive!

When Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the "Corps of Discovery" left St. Louis, Missouri, on May 21, 1804, their mission was to explore the vast, unknown territory acquired a year earlier in the Louisiana Purchase. The travellers hoped to find a waterway that crossed the western half of the United States. They didn't. But their two-year journey finally brought them to the Pacific Ocean.

Something wicked was brewing in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It started when two girls, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, began having hysterical fits. Soon after, other local girls claimed they were being pricked with pins. With no scientific explanation available, the residents of Salem came to one conclusion: it was witchcraft! Over the next year and a half, nineteen people were convicted of witchcraft and hanged while more languished in prison as hysteria swept the colony. Author Joan Holub gives readers and inside look at this sinister chapter in history.

The morning of August 24, AD 79, seemed like any other in the Roman city of Pompeii. So no one was prepared when the nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted, spouting ash that buried the city and its inhabitants. The disaster left thousands dead, and Pompeii was no more than a memory for almost 1,700 years. In 1748, explorers rediscovered the port city with intact buildings and beautiful mosaics. This easy-to-read account is gripping and includes photos of the ruins.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Learn how the Statue of Liberty made her way to New York Harbor in this fascinating history for young readers, part of the beloved What Was? series. The perfect way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary!In 1876, France decided to give the United States a very big and very special present: the Statue of Liberty! Proposed by Edouard de Laboulaye and designed by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the gift was to commemorate the country’s 100th birthday. But how was America’s most prominent symbol of freedom built and moved into place? What gives the statue its iconic blue-green color today? How did the French transport our 111-foot-tall lady of liberty into New York Harbor all those years ago? Young historians will find the answers to these questions and more in this detailed, easy-to-comprehend biography of the creation and history of the Statue of Liberty.

In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, an armada of 7,000 ships carrying 160,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. Up until then the Allied forces had suffered serious defeats, yet D -Day, as the invasion was called, spelled the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany and the Third Reich. Author Patricia Brennan takes readers into the heart of the action and gives an hour-by-hour breakdown of one of the greatest amphibious landings ever. With 80 black-and-white illustrations as well as a 16-page insert of period photos, this is the exciting story of a pivotal moment in WWll history.

On October 29, 1929, life in the United States took a turn for the worst. The stock market – the system that controls money in America – plunged to a record low. But this event was only the beginning of many bad years to come. By the early 1930s, one out of three people was not working. People lost their jobs, their houses, or both and ended up in shantytowns called “Hoovervilles” named for the president at the time of the crash. By 1933, many banks had gone under. Though the U.S. has seen other times of struggle, the Great Depression remains one of the hardest and most widespread tragedies in American history. Now it is represented clearly and with 80 illustrations in our What Was…? series.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Step back in time to the creation of America’s founding document with this fascinating history for young readers, part of the beloved What Was? series. The perfect way to celebrate the U.S.A.’s 250th anniversary!On a hot summer day near Philadelphia in 1776, Thomas Jefferson sat at his desk and wrote furiously well into the night. He was drafting the Declaration of Independence, a document that would sever ties with Britain and announce the establishment of a new nation: the United States of America. Colonists were willing to risk their lives for their freedom, and the Declaration of Independence made that official. Discover the true story of one of the most radical and uplifting documents in history and follow the action that fueled the Revolutionary War in this easy-to-understand narrative for young readers hoping to learn all about the foundation of America.

A series presented in the same format and designed for the same audience as the phenomenally successful Who Was...? series offers compelling, easy-to-read accounts of historical events that changed our world and includes 16 pages of photos and reproductions as well as illustrations. Simultaneous and eBook.

Back in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honor and respect to their homelands.The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold.

The Age of Dinosaurs began about 250 million years ago. In the beginning they were quite small but over time they evolved into the varied and fascinating creatures that captivate our imaginations today. What we know about dinosaurs is evolving, too! We've learned that some dinosaurs were good parents, that dinosaurs could grow new teeth when old ones fell out and that most dinosaurs walked on two legs. We've even discovered that birds are modern relatives of dinosaurs!

The Holocaust was a genocide on a scale never before seen, with as many as twelve million people killed in Nazi death camps - six million of them Jews. Gail Herman traces the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, whose rabid anti-Semitism led first to humiliating anti-Jewish laws, then to ghettos all over Eastern Europe, and ultimately to the Final Solution. She presents just enough information for an elementary-school audience in a readable, well-researched book that covers one of the most horrible times in history.

At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, the largest passenger steamship of this time, met its catastrophic end after crashing into an iceberg. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew onboard, only 705 survived. More than 100 years later, today’s readers will be intrigued by the mystery that surrounds this ship that was originally labeled “unsinkable.”

Every four years, thirty two of the best men’s soccer teams from across the globe compete for the title of FIFA World Cup winner. Over one billion people tuned in worldwide to watch the final game of the 2014 competition, making the World Cup the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Summer Olympics! This book takes a look back at what has changed since the first tournament in 1930 and what lies ahead for the most popular sport in the world.

The LEGO toy company was founded in 1934 by a Danish carpenter who loved making wooden pull toys. From its humble beginnings, the company has lived up to its name - which comes from the Danish phrase meaning to always “play well” - encouraging children to use their imagination and build whatever they can dream up.In this book, author Jim O’Connor describes how a simple concept - small plastic bricks that snap together - morphed into a cultural phenomenon.

Grab your skis, ice skates, and snowboard and learn how the Winter Olympic Games became a worldwide phenomenal event watched by millions. Although fans the world over have been fascinated by the modern Summer Olympics since 1896, the Winter Olympics didn't officially begin until 1924. The event celebrates cold-weather sports, displaying the talents of skiers, ice skaters, hockey players, and, most recently, snowboarding. Like its summer counterpart, the Winter Games are dedicated to bringing together the world's top athletes to honor their talents and see who gets to stand on the medal podium. Gail Herman covers it all in a wonderful read--the highs, such as the 1980 US hockey team's unexpected gold medal grab, as well as the lows, including the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan figure-skating scandal in 1994. Includes 80 black-and-white illustrations and a 16-page photo insert.