Peter Roop

In the winter of 1856, a storm delays the lighthouse keeper's return to an island off the coast of Maine, and his daughter Abbie must keep the lights burning by herself.

The big purchase that led to fundamental questions about what America would become In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million, extending the United States beyond the Mississippi River for the first time.   Now the United States had big questions to answer: How would Louisiana be governed? How would it be divided? Would it be comprised of free states or slave states? What would happen to the Native...

Ahyoka helps her father Sequoyah in his quest to create a system of writing for his people.

A young reader's history of the famous document that set America on the course to freedom Many kids have heard of the Declaration of Independence, but few know the story behind the people and events that helped forge it. They may know about Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, but do they know the roles that Patrick Henry and Thomas Gage played in setting fire to a revolution? This is the story of how the men and women of thirteen British colonies...

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a C. S. Lewis Noteworthy book: A rich history of the pilgrim experience, as recorded in real diaries Nearly four hundred years after the pilgrims left England in search of a better life, their stories still resonate with Americans today. In this account, the pilgrims' own writings of their adventures and hardships are brought to life for young readers.   This touching account shows the pilgrims'...

Can the advice of an eleven-year-old girl help get Abraham Lincoln elected president? As the election of 1860 nears, eleven-year-old Grace and her family are working hard to help Abraham Lincoln win. After seeing his image on a poster, Grace decides to write to him and suggest that growing a beard might win him more votes. Much to her surprise, Lincoln answers her letter, and she becomes a neighborhood celebrity.   When the president-elect's victory...

The story of the ten-year-old boy who becomes captain of a ship After his mother's death, young David Glasgow Farragut is forced to leave home to live with Captain Porter and his wife. During the War of 1812, Captain Porter is posted to the Essex, and he chooses to bring David with him to fight the British Navy. At ten years old, David is the youngest midshipman ever assigned to a warship in the US Navy. On board, Farragut must not only learn about...

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People: A firsthand account of Christopher Columbus's famous voyage to the East, taken directly from his journal entries Christopher Columbus had a dream-to reach the fabled lands of the East, rich with spices, jewels, silver, and especially gold. Having studied the travels of other explorers, Columbus was convinced he could reach his destination by traveling west across the seas. After convincing Queen...

Fourteen-year-old Samantha Byrd is an excellent shot-she's even better than her brother at providing food for her family. Although the winds of war are blowing in Virginia, she knows that she could only ever use her skill for hunting-not for hurting another person. When the Revolutionary War finally begins, her brother is captured, and Samantha sets off to rescue him. But when she comes face to face with the enemy, will she still stand by her principles,...

This quality production will...allow early primary readers to enjoy the story while confirming their own reading ability. - School Library Journal