Ruth Ashby

Summary: Discusses the history of the institution of slavery in the United States, abolitionism and other resistance movements, and the structure, as well as some outstanding people involved with, the Underground Railroad. The Civil War divided a nation and turned brother against brother. Lasting four long years, it resulted in the deaths of more than 600,000 soldiers. IBOOKS For Young Readers presents a six-volume series devoted to this war, a war fought for liberation as well as reunification. With historic photographs and engaging text, "Civil War Chronicles recreates key battles and paints living portraits of the heroes who made the war of the states unforgettable."

Fury on Horseback chronicles the saga of the Civil War cavalry-the dashing horsemen, Northern and Southern, whose daring exploits won them enduring fame. The Civil War divided a nation and turned brother against brother. Lasting four long years, it resulted in the deaths of more than 600,000 soldiers. IBOOKS For Young Readers presents a six-volume series devoted to this war, a war fought for liberation as well as reunification. With historic photographs and engaging text, "Civil War Chronicles recreates key battles and paints living portraits of the heroes who made the war of the states unforgettable."

The Civil War divided a nation and turned brother against brother. Lasting four long years, it resulted in the deaths of more than 600,000 soldiers. Lincoln chronicles the extraordinary life of the man who held the nation together during the most perilous years of its history-and who, like millions of his countrymen, eventually gave his life so that a "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." IBOOKS For Young Readers presents a six-volume series devoted to this war, a war fought for liberation as well as reunification. With historic photographs and engaging text, "Civil War Chronicles recreates key battles and paints living portraits of the heroes who made the war of the states unforgettable."

How do lions live their daily lives? What do they eat? How do they rear their young? This book offers a close-up look at the lion; at its senses, its life cycle and its habitat. Jane Goodall, one of the world's foremost naturalists, presents a series of books that explore the wonders of our planet's wildlife. Geared for young readers, each book adheres to Dr. Goodall's principles of learning about animails by observing the way they live. Written by Leslie MacGuire, author of Growing Up in Nature With an introduction by Jane Goodall Photographs by Leonard Lee Rue III and Ben Rue Jr.

Presidents and First Ladies An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. Franklin & Eleanor RooseveltIn 1902, on a train from New York City, Franklin Delano Roosevelt caught the eye of an elegant young lady. She was Eleanor Roosevelt, his distant cousin, who had just returned from school in Europe. From a shy, solemn girl, she had matured into a confident woman. Two years later, they were married. In 1932, at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin was elected president. Together, the couple worked tirelessly to improve social conditions and help the American people regain faith in themselves. Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt offers a behind-the-scenes look at this dynamic couple, from Franklin's struggle with polio and strong leadership during World War II to Eleanor's evolution from a reluctant first lady to "Eleanor Everywhere," a champion of the poor and disadvantaged.

Presidents and First Ladies An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. John & Jacqueline KennedyJack and Jackie Kennedy, the most glamorous president and first lady ever to live in the White House, were a charismatic couple and a superb political team. To many people in the 1960s, they seemed as dazzling as the prince and princess in a fairy tale. Revelations about the Kennedys' private life have since led us to realize that the fairy tale was an illusion, yet their imperfections highlight their very real virtues: courage, grace, intelligence, and a capacity to grow. Many decades later, Jack and Jackie Kennedy continue to fascinate us.

Presidents and First Ladies An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. Woodrow & Edith WilsonIn 1915, less than a year after his wife Ellen died, President Woodrow Wilson met a charming widow named Edith Bolling Galt. To their surprise, they felt a connection. By June of that same year, Woodrow had proposed, telling Edith, "In this place, time is not measured by weeks, or months, or years, but by deep human experiences..." Woodrow's statement would become true of both their life together and his tenure as president. Woodrow & Edith Wilson offers a behind-the-scenes look at this intriguing couple, from Woodrow's leadership during World War I and his struggle to enact peace treaties to his stroke in 1919. It also follows them through Woodrow's fight to recover-and Edith's controversial assumption of many of the routine duties and details of the presidency.

Presidents and First LadiesAn intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln are one of the most memorable and, in some ways, controversial couples in American history. Mary Todd, though, has been judged more harshly. Though pitied as the wife of a slain president, she has also been criticized as a nagging wife, an extravagant first lady, and even, at the end of her life, a crazy widow. Yet Mary was not as flawed, and Lincoln was not as saintly, as legend would have it seem. They were both imperfect human beings challenged by extraordinary circumstances: the death of children, the disintegration of their country, and the threat of assassination. Through it all, they remained in love and committed to each other.

Presidents and First LadiesAn intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. When John Adams met Abigail Smith, he found her intelligent, but "not fond, not frank, not candid." Abigail was equally unimpressed. All of that changed, however, and they married on October 25, 1764. Through the long years of John's service as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as a foreign diplomat, the couple was often apart and kept in touch by letter. For her part, Abigail struggled to run their farm and raise their four children alone. Yet, John and Abigail's relationship remained strong. John & Abigail Adams offers a behind-the-scenes look at this remarkable couple, from the turmoil of the American Revolution, through John's terms as vice president and president, to John's death on the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826.

Presidents and First Ladies An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. Today we revere George Washington as a hero who, by virtue of singular courage, determination, and integrity, oversaw the difficult birth of the United States of America. We tend to forget that, like most famous people, George owed his reputation to a combination of character and good luck. Martha was part of that good luck. Toward the end of Washington's life, a testy old veteran of the Revolutionary War decided to take the famous ex-president down a peg. "What would you have been," he snapped at Washington, "if you hadn't married the Widow Custis?" It is possible that without Martha's support, George Washington would never have had the opportunity to become the "father of his country."

Presidents and First Ladies An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. Throughout their married life, Ronald Reagan wrote tender love letters to his wife, Nancy. This playful anniversary note was written in March 1981, soon after Reagan was sworn in as president of the United States. During the fifty-two years of their marriage, Ronald and Nancy shared an extremely close, loving relationship. Even in the Oval Office, Reagan was dependent on his wife for support and counsel. "I miss her if she just walks out of the room," he wrote. She, in turn, adored her "hero." As president and first lady, Ronald and Nancy Reagan lived through eight tumultuous years in the world's spotlight. Through good times and bad, their love story continued.

In 1831, young adventurer and nature enthusiast Charles Darwin set sail on a remarkable five-year voyage that changed the study of biology forever. Award-winning author Ruth Ashby shares the story of Darwin's famous journey aboard the British navy ship, the Beagle, which led to the development of his theories of evolution and natural selection. This lively account follows the naturalist's exciting trip around the world--through seasickness, a life-threatening illness, and even an earthquake--as he explores South America, the Cape Verde Islands, Tahiti, and the Galapagos Islands. During his travels, Darwin meets Indigenous peoples and carefully collects and catalogs plants, fossils, birds, mammals, and insects. Darwin's observations of the distribution and diversity of plant and animal life ultimately leads to the development of his theories on evolution. Readers will be inspired by Darwin's transformation from talented but mediocre schoolboy into a remarkable scientist as they read about the revolutionary voyage that forever changed the world of biology.

The essential primer on the most influential American documents between 1831 and 1900 The Great American Documents series, written by the graphic-book author Ruth Ashby and illustrated by the renowned Ernie Col n, tells the history of America through the major speeches, laws, proclamations, court decisions, and essays that shaped it. The second volume begins where the first left off. Uncle Sam returns to take us through numerous major documents, ranging from the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico in 1836 to Jacob Riis's seminal expos of slum life in New York City, How the Other Half Lives, published in 1900. Each document gets its own chapter, in which Uncle Sam explains not only its key passages but its origins, how it came to be written, and its impact. In the chapter "The Compromise of 1850" we learn how westward expansion forced the federal government to confront the expansion of slavery. "The Emancipation Proclamation" places Abraham Lincoln's famous decree within the context of the ongoing Civil War. And "The Chinese Exclusion Act" depicts the unique discrimination faced by Chinese immigrants and shows how that 1882 law presaged the restrictive policies and quotas established in the early twentieth century. As Ashby shows, the growth and expansion of the United States through the nineteenth century forced the nation to reckon with and confront many of its original injustices, plunging the country into the Civil War and emerging into new challenges as it rose to become a world power. A handy and elegantly concise guide, this masterfully illustrated volume is the perfect book for students of American history, young and old.

Everyone knows Benjamin Franklin was an important statesman, inventor, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. But did you know he started the first public library in America? Ben Franklin was always a "bookish" boy. The first book he read was the Bible at age five, and then he read every printed word in his father's small home library. Ben wanted to read more, but books were expensive. He wanted to go to school and learn, but his family needed him to work. Despite this, Ben Franklin had lots of ideas about how to turn his love of reading and learning into something more. First, he worked as a printer's apprentice, then he set up his own printing business. Later, he became the first bookseller in Philadelphia, started a newspaper, published Poor Richard's Almanac, and in 1731, with the help of his friends, organized the first subscription lending library, the Library Company. Ruth Ashby's fast-paced biography takes young readers through Franklin's life from his spirited, rebellious youth through his successful career as an inventor and politician and finally to the last years of his life, surrounded by his personal collection of books.

On February 20, 1962, as millions of Americans waited anxiously, astronaut John Glenn blasted off in his rocket ship, Friendship 7, and became the first American to orbit the Earth. Although the risks of such a mission for Friendship 7 were well known, no one including Glenn knew the peril he was about to encounter in space. John Glenn was one of the Mercury 7 astronauts, the early pioneers of manned space flight. His historic flight followed years of intensive physical training and a devotion to a career in the exciting but risk-filled world of aviation. Ruth Ashby's dramatic story of John Glenn's near-disastrous mission in Friendship 7 also takes young readers through his small-town Ohio childhood, his extraordinary experiences as a fighter pilot in two wars, and his life as an astronaut in the prestigious and dangerous Mercury 7 program. The book concludes with Glenn's successful career as a US senator and his triumphant return to space in 1998 at the age of 77.

Presidents and First Ladies An intimate glimpse into the lives of the first families of the United States, Presidents and First Ladies is an exciting and insightful new series that highlights the personal histories of select presidents and first ladies as well as the historical events that shaped their terms in office. Documentary photography, illustrations, and maps combine with compelling text and excerpts from letters and other primary sources to reveal how key personal, political, and historical events affected each leader and their spouse, and consequently the climate of the entire nation. In 1971, when Hillary Rodham met Bill Clinton at Yale University, she had her eyes on a big-time law career and had already been named one of Life magazine's new young leaders. Bill was a down-home boy who hoped to return to Arkansas after law school and run for governor. Despite their different backgrounds, they soon were inseparable. After their marriage in 1975, they worked toward and achieved Bill's lifelong political dreams-becoming governor of Arkansas in 1978 and president in 1992. Bill & Hillary Rodham Clinton offers a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating couple, from their early career successes and the controversies of the Clinton presidency to Hillary's election to the U. S. Senate and the recent publishing of Bill's best-selling autobiography.

IT IS THE YEAR 490. You have traveled back to Britain during the Dark Ages. You are escaping from enemy Picts when you become lost in a snowstorm. You spot red eyes glowing nearby-and suddenly a savage wolf leaps at you out of the wilderness Should you fight the ferocious beast or try to run for your life in the blinding swirls of snow? Your decision can lead you to safety or leave you stranded in time ARE YOU READY TO FACE THE DANGER? The Time Machine series challenges young readers to use their imagination and decision-making skills to write their own story. Options in the text allow readers to choose any path they like within the plot. Readers must draw on background information about the period to make the right choices. This makes the series a great educational device for youngsters to learn about history and all the different cultures, events, and periods that shaped it.