Judy Dodge Cummings

Skipping Stones 2022 Honors Award Winner A deep dive into the period after the Civil War, when the country struggled to both heal and find a way forward. An essential read for students ages 12 to 15 in today's cultural climate. After the Civil War, Americans struggled to repair the divided nation. How does a country rebuild the infrastructure, government, and economy of a huge region while taking steps to resolve the status of 4 million newly freed slaves? In Reconstruction: The Rebuilding of the United States After the Civil War, middle schoolers examine the era from 1865 to 1877, a time when the United States wrestled with questions that still plague the country today: Who should have access to citizenship and voting rights? How should the power of the federal government be balanced against the rights of the states? What is the proper government response to white supremacy? Readers use an inquiry-based approach to explore how political, economic, and social problems were handled during Reconstruction. Along the way, they design models for combating similar twenty-first-century problems, using critical and creative thinking skills. Graphic novel-style illustrations, amazing historical photography, and primary sources bring the past to life and illustrate how Reconstruction affected both blacks and whites. Title is available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

Skipping Stones 2022 Honors Award Winner A deep dive into the period after the Civil War, when the country struggled to both heal and find a way forward. An essential read for students ages 12 to 15 in today's cultural climate. After the Civil War, Americans struggled to repair the divided nation. How does a country rebuild the infrastructure, government, and economy of a huge region while taking steps to resolve the status of 4 million newly freed slaves? In Reconstruction: The Rebuilding of the United States After the Civil War, middle schoolers examine the era from 1865 to 1877, a time when the United States wrestled with questions that still plague the country today: Who should have access to citizenship and voting rights? How should the power of the federal government be balanced against the rights of the states? What is the proper government response to white supremacy? Readers use an inquiry-based approach to explore how political, economic, and social problems were handled during Reconstruction. Along the way, they design models for combating similar twenty-first-century problems, using critical and creative thinking skills. Graphic novel-style illustrations, amazing historical photography, and primary sources bring the past to life and illustrate how Reconstruction affected both blacks and whites. Title is available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

It's 1951, and workers at the Empire Zinc mine in Alba, New Mexico, have been striking for months. Among them is Ana Maria Garcia's father, who says they may need to sell her vihuela to pay rent. But her vihuela was a gift from her recently deceased mother, and her dream is to be a corridista, a singer of Mexican ballads. As Ana Maria is drawn to the picket line, she is inspired to write a corrido about her mother and the other women of the mining community. An upcoming talent show may be Ana Maria's chance to earn money for rent and save her vihuela--if she can give voice to the song of her heart. It's the storytellers that preserve a nation's history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events from people whose voices have been under represented, lost, or forgotten over time.

It's 1951, and workers at the Empire Zinc mine in Alba, New Mexico, have been striking for months. Among them is Ana Maria Garcia's father, who says they may need to sell her vihuela to pay rent. But her vihuela was a gift from her recently deceased mother, and her dream is to be a corridista, a singer of Mexican ballads. As Ana Maria is drawn to the picket line, she is inspired to write a corrido about her mother and the other women of the mining community. An upcoming talent show may be Ana Maria's chance to earn money for rent and save her vihuela--if she can give voice to the song of her heart. It's the storytellers that preserve a nation's history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events from people whose voices have been under represented, lost, or forgotten over time.

Take kids ages 8 to 12 on a journey through the events that shaped the 20th century World history is an amazing teacher when it comes to understanding why the world looks the way it does. This journey through world history for kids gives young learners a look at 30 of the most important moments in the 20th century and how they helped create the modern world. This book of world history for kids is split up into 5 different eras, covering the years from 1901 to 2000. As kids travel through each one, they'll explore the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Mexican Revolution, the rise of the Beatles, the creation of the Internet, and more. Go beyond other history books, with: An event-focused approach-Kids will stay engaged as history comes alive through the stories of people and events, not just a list of names and dates. Key callouts-Sidebars in every chapter call out additional fun facts and interesting people for kids to know about. Clear explanations-Written especially for ages 8 to 12, this book of world history for kids uses straightforward language that makes it easy to follow and understand. Inspire kids to take an interest in history with 20th Century World History for Kids.

It's 1906, and strict immigration laws have divided Han Liu's family. His mother and sister are in China, while he and his father live in San Francisco, California. Han resists his father's attempts to teach him traditional Chinese values. Han is an American, after all, and he'd rather read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer than study Chinese proverbs. But when a massive earthquake and fire destroy Chinatown and separate Han from his father, those proverbs are all he has left. Can Han use the wisdom of his family to survive the earthquake and fire, reunite with his father, and rebuild their life? It's the storytellers that preserve a nation's history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events from people whose voices have been under represented, lost, or forgotten over time.

It's 1906, and strict immigration laws have divided Han Liu's family. His mother and sister are in China, while he and his father live in San Francisco, California. Han resists his father's attempts to teach him traditional Chinese values. Han is an American, after all, and he'd rather read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer than study Chinese proverbs. But when a massive earthquake and fire destroy Chinatown and separate Han from his father, those proverbs are all he has left. Can Han use the wisdom of his family to survive the earthquake and fire, reunite with his father, and rebuild their life? It's the storytellers that preserve a nation's history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events from people whose voices have been under represented, lost, or forgotten over time.

A deep dive into the politics of the Civil Rights Era, including the passing of new laws and the presidential responses to protest. A terrific way for kids ages 12 to 15 to learn about the Civil Rights Movement, especially as the Black Lives Matter movement grows across the United States. "We shall overcome" was the refrain of the Civil Rights Movement, but overcoming centuries of discrimination was not easy. When the activism of civil rights protestors exposed the rampant racism embedded in America's politics for the world to see, political leaders in the federal government were forced to act. In Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era, students ages 12 to 15 explore the key legislative and judicial victories of the era that spanned from 1954 to the early 1970s. The successes of Brown v. the Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 were the results of African American activism and a growing awareness of social justice and injustice. Marches, demonstrations, boycotts, and lawsuits prodded local and state governments to reveal the bigotry of their laws and the brutality of their oppression of black citizens. As racial tensions ripped the country apart, presidents from Eisenhower through Nixon worked to uphold the U. S. Constitution, sometimes willingly and sometimes reluctantly. As members of Congress debated and negotiated, change came slowly. Schools, restaurants, and polling stations all opened their doors to African Americans. But victory was incomplete and came at a price. And today, we're seeing that the job is still unfinished, as protestors take to the streets and make their voices heard in a call for anti-racism at all levels of society. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Erais part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and '60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era; Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era;and Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era.

Apple takes a look at the world's largest tech company, examining its many ups and downs in the decades since it was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Features include a glossary, references, websites, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

The energy released when volcanoes erupt, engines combust, or bombs explode both thrills and fascinates people. But this power also kills. Eruptions and Explosions: Real Tales of Violent Outbursts recounts the history of five blowups that continued to rattle the world long after the smoke had cleared and embers cooled. For example, in 1815, a mountain in Indonesia called Tambora erupted. This volcano unleashed a monstrous cloud of ash and gas into the upper atmosphere. For three years, the cloud played with the global environment, causing never-ending winters and famine that killed thousands. Some of the world's most devastating explosions cannot be blamed on nature, but on human failings. In 1865, the steamship Sultana exploded while transporting thousands of federal soldiers just freed from Confederate prisoner of war camps. The greatest maritime disaster in United States history was caused as much by greed as a faulty boiler. A discussion about explosions wouldn't be complete without mention of nuclear bombs. A desire to end the bloodshed of World War II led the United States to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. The bomb hastened the end of war, but also killed hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians and launched the nuclear age. This nuclear age brought a catastrophic explosion at a power plant in the former USSR in 1986. When a reactor blew at a facility in Chernobyl, radioactive fallout spread throughout Europe, creating a contamination zone unfit for human life for centuries. Powerful forces lie within the Earth and people who try to extract that power pay a high price. In 2010, a series of errors led the Macondo oil well to rupture. For three months, millions of barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico, destroying plant and animal life and devastating the economy of the region. This is the eighth book in a series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids' appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records-mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true-almost! The Mystery and Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping-off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. The five true tales told within Eruptions and Explosions are paired with maps, photographs, and timelines that lend authenticity and narrative texture to the stories. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to. Nomad Press books in the Mystery & Mayhem series introduce readers to historical concepts and events by engaging them in an extremely popular genre-real-life adventure and mystery. Readers ages 9 to 12 are fascinated with the strange-but-true tales that populate history, and books in this series offer compelling narrative nonfiction paired with concise language that appeals to both voracious and reluctant readers. Nomad's unique approach to the study of history uses tantalizing tales based in factual knowledge that encourage a lifelong curiosity in the historical events that shape our world. Titles in the series include: Pirates and Shipwrecks; Survival; Weird Disappearances; Daring Heists; Rebels & Revolutions; Great Escapes; Tomb Raiders; Eruptions and Explosions; Epidemics and Pandemics; and Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain.

The dead do not always rest easy. Armed with shovels and crowbars, thieves throughout history have unearthed graves for greed, hunger, and knowledge. Tomb Raiders: Real Tales of Grave Robberies recounts little-known stories of body snatchers and crooks of the crypt. For example, when colonists in Jamestown, Virginia, dug up the dead in 1609, they were after food. During this "Starving Time," settlers ate horses, dogs, cats, and rats. When that food ran out, people resorted to cannibalism to survive. Another reason to rob graves? Science! To learn human anatomy, medical students in New York City in 1788 dissected corpses snatched from nearby graveyards. And then there was President Abraham Lincoln, who was entombed in a vault in Springfield, Illinois. In 1876, a gang of counterfeiters schemed to steal Lincoln's corpse and hold it for ransom. Another good place to do some grave robbing was the Valley of the Kings in 1881. Thousands of years earlier, priests had hidden the monarchs here to protect them from grave robbers of ancient times. A little closer to our own time, poverty again lured tomb robbers to the dirt hill outside Sip n, Peru. Poor sugarcane farmers had been digging holes in this mud brick pyramid for decades, occasionally finding a piece of cloth or pottery shard. But one night in 1987, a tunnel collapsed on a grave robber, burying him in treasure. In these five tales of historic grave robberies, readers will encounter adventure, intrigue, and suspense with a grain of the grisly! This is the seventh book in a series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids' appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records--mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true--almost! The Mystery and Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping-off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. The five true tales told within Tomb Raiders are paired with maps, photographs, and timelines that lend authenticity and narrative texture to the stories. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to. Nomad Press books in the Mystery & Mayhem series introduce readers to historical concepts and events by engaging them in an extremely popular genre--real-life adventure and mystery. Readers ages 9 to 12 are fascinated with the strange-but-true tales that populate history, and books in this series offer compelling narrative nonfiction paired with concise language that appeals to both voracious and reluctant readers. Nomad's unique approach to the study of history uses tantalizing tales based in factual knowledge that encourage a lifelong curiosity in the historical events that shape our world. Titles in the series include: Pirates and Shipwrecks; Survival; Weird Disappearances; Daring Heists; Rebels & Revolutions; Great Escapes; Tomb Raiders; Eruptions and Explosions; Epidemics and Pandemics; and Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain.

Feel a tickle in your throat? Do you still have that headache? Could you be falling victim to a deadly virus? From history's earliest days, bacteria and viruses have stalked humans. Stowing on wagons, ships, and airplanes, these diseases traversed the globe, infecting people in city streets and isolated hamlets. Epidemics and Pandemics: Real Tales of Deadly Diseases tells the tale of five of history's most critical contagions. In 1347, infected fleas hitched a ride from the steppes of Mongolia to the streets of Medieval Europe, bringing with them the Black Death. Five years later, one-third of Europe's population was dead. When Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico in 1518, he carried a secret weapon-the smallpox virus helped Cortes defeat the mighty Aztec Empire and paved the way for European conquest of the New World as the disease destroyed the Native American population. A few years after the United States won independence from Great Britain, the capital city of Philadelphia faced an ordeal that threatened the nation's survival-an epidemic of Yellow Fever. After the First World War, the Spanish Flu of 1918 killed 50 million people around the world in just months. Later in that century, in the 1980s, a mysterious virus struck down gay men in the United States. AIDS quickly became a pandemic, infecting people from all walks of life. These five tales reveal the revolutionary power of disease to change history. In each story, readers learn about tragedy caused by ignorance and missed opportunity, but they will also discover heroic caregivers, civic leaders, and scientists determined to save their world. This is the eighth book in a series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids' appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records-mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true-almost! The Mystery and Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping-off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. The five true tales told within Epidemics and Pandemics are paired with maps, photographs, and timelines that lend authenticity and narrative texture to the stories. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to. Nomad Press books in the Mystery & Mayhem series introduce readers to historical concepts and events by engaging them in an extremely popular genre-real-life adventure and mystery. Readers ages 9 to 12 are fascinated with the strange-but-true tales that populate history, and books in this series offer compelling narrative nonfiction paired with concise language that appeals to both voracious and reluctant readers. Nomad's unique approach to the study of history uses tantalizing tales based in factual knowledge that encourage a lifelong curiosity in the historical events that shape our world. Titles in the series include: Pirates and Shipwrecks; Survival; Weird Disappearances; Daring Heists; Rebels & Revolutions; Great Escapes; Tomb Raiders; Eruptions and Explosions; Epidemics and Pandemics; and Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain.

Feel a tickle in your throat? Do you still have that headache? Could you be falling victim to a deadly virus? From history's earliest days, bacteria and viruses have stalked humans. Stowing on wagons, ships, and airplanes, these diseases traversed the globe, infecting people in city streets and isolated hamlets. Epidemics and Pandemics: Real Tales of Deadly Diseases tells the tale of five of history's most critical contagions. In 1347, infected fleas hitched a ride from the steppes of Mongolia to the streets of Medieval Europe, bringing with them the Black Death. Five years later, one-third of Europe's population was dead. When Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico in 1518, he carried a secret weapon-the smallpox virus helped Cortes defeat the mighty Aztec Empire and paved the way for European conquest of the New World as the disease destroyed the Native American population. A few years after the United States won independence from Great Britain, the capital city of Philadelphia faced an ordeal that threatened the nation's survival-an epidemic of Yellow Fever. After the First World War, the Spanish Flu of 1918 killed 50 million people around the world in just months. Later in that century, in the 1980s, a mysterious virus struck down gay men in the United States. AIDS quickly became a pandemic, infecting people from all walks of life. These five tales reveal the revolutionary power of disease to change history. In each story, readers learn about tragedy caused by ignorance and missed opportunity, but they will also discover heroic caregivers, civic leaders, and scientists determined to save their world. This is the eighth book in a series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids' appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records-mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true-almost! The Mystery and Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping-off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. The five true tales told within Epidemics and Pandemics are paired with maps, photographs, and timelines that lend authenticity and narrative texture to the stories. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to. Nomad Press books in the Mystery & Mayhem series introduce readers to historical concepts and events by engaging them in an extremely popular genre-real-life adventure and mystery. Readers ages 9 to 12 are fascinated with the strange-but-true tales that populate history, and books in this series offer compelling narrative nonfiction paired with concise language that appeals to both voracious and reluctant readers. Nomad's unique approach to the study of history uses tantalizing tales based in factual knowledge that encourage a lifelong curiosity in the historical events that shape our world. Titles in the series include: Pirates and Shipwrecks; Survival; Weird Disappearances; Daring Heists; Rebels & Revolutions; Great Escapes; Tomb Raiders; Eruptions and Explosions; Epidemics and Pandemics; and Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain.

Sometimes, an intolerable situation calls for a drastic measure-fleeing for freedom. Whether you're a slave seeking freedom in the North or a convict swimming for your life in a shark-infested canal, the urge to be free drives your every move. In Great Escapes: Real Tales of Harrowing Getaways, readers ages 9 to 12 meet five ingenious fugitives and freedom seekers who all shared one common goal: escape. The human spirit craves freedom, and when liberty is taken away, people go to great lengths to get it back. Great Escapes: Real Tales of Harrowing Getaways tells the histories of five ingenious departures, including the one perpetuated by William and Ellen Craft, who donned disguises and made a 1,000-mile run for freedom. Another man, Douglas Mawson, battled a power greater than any human villain, when in 1913, Mother Nature trapped Mawson in her icy Antarctic jaws. Alone and dangling over a bottomless crevasse by a fraying rope, the only escape tools Mawson had were his strength and determination. In 1943, Nazi guards packed hundreds of Belgian Jews into train cars and headed for the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Twelve-year-old Simon Gronowski was among these deportees, and he was determined to find a way off the moving train before it reached its ghastly destination. Alcatraz was a rocky fortress designed to hold federal prisoners until the end of their sentence or death, whichever came first. Prison officials claimed the Rock was inescapable. But in 1962, three inmates vanished, never to be seen again. No less amazing is the escape of 57 East Germans from communist-controlled East Germany during the Cold War, through a tunnel under the Berlin Wall. History is ripe with examples of people desperate to escape the traps in which they are snared. Get an up-close look at the guts, skill, determination, and luck of remarkable escape artists in Great Escapes: Real Stories of Harrowing Getaways. This is the sixth book in a series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids' appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records-mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true-almost! The Mystery and Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. Each of the five true tales told within Great Escapes are paired with further fun facts about the setting, industry, and time period. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to.

About 200,000 years ago, humans arose as a species on the continent of Africa. How did they get to the rest of the world? When did they leave, why, and what did they use for transportation? Whether by bamboo raft or Boeing 747, whether to escape political persecution or because of climate change, migration is a recurring pattern throughout the human history of the world. In Human Migration: Investigate the Global Journey of Humankind, readers ages 12 to 15 retrace the paths taken by our ancestors, starting with the very first steps away from African soil. Understanding who has migrated, from where, when, and why helps us understand the shared history of humans across the world and the future that links us together. Kids discover how archaeologists, paleoanthropologists, linguists, and geneticists piece together different parts of the puzzle of ancient migration. Open-ended, inquiry-based activities and links to primary sources help readers draw inferences and analyze how these human journeys have changed where and how people live. Human Migration takes readers on a journey from our common ancestry to our shared future on an increasingly fragile planet.