History

You may have heard about “human computers” like Katherine Johnson who were essential to NASA’s space program. But there were other women who also played key roles in the space race—like Cherokee engineer Mary Golda Ross who became...

You may have heard about Muhammad Ali. But long before Ali entered the ring, Black boxer Jack Johnson was winning bouts and challenging ideas about race. With key biographical information and related historical events, this Capstone Captivate book...

You may have heard about Dred Scott’s case to gain his freedom from enslavement. But just a year before the Supreme Court decision in Scott’s case, Bridget “Biddy” Mason won her freedom in a California court—and then went on...

You may have heard about labor organizers like Cesar Chavez, who helped organize farmworkers in California. But decades earlier, A. Philip Randolph started a union for Black porters who worked on Pullman railcars. It was the first predominately Black...

It’s one of the most important items in any bathroom. But toilet paper often goes overlooked—until you need it! So who invented this household staple? How is it made? And how does it end up in homes—and bathrooms—around the world?...

How did soccer become the world’s most popular sport with billions of fans and millions of players? From its earliest beginnings to the most recent World Cup winners, readers will find out unforgettable facts about their favorite sport!

Trainers. Runners. Kicks. No matter what you call them, sneakers are a great way to show off your style. But who invented this famous footwear? How are sneakers made? And how do they end up in stores and closets around the world? Find out in this...

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! No matter what flavor you choose, ice cream is a delicious dessert. But what goes into this sweet treat? Who discovered it? And how does it end up in stores, restaurants, and homes around the world? Find...

Red, blue, purple, green—crayons come in a rainbow of colors! And anyone with an imagination can enjoy these easy-to-use art supplies. But when were crayons first discovered? How have they changed throughout time? And how are they made today? Learn...

By the end of 1914, World War I raged along hundreds of miles of trenches in Europe. But on Christmas Eve, soldiers on both sides began laying down their arms. In the days that followed, most of the fighting stopped and bitter enemies treated each other...

In August 1961, a wall was built through the heart of Berlin to keep East Germans from crossing over to West Germany. For the next 28 years, East German border guards had orders to fire on anyone attempting to escape over the wall. But on November 9,...

YOU are a Buffalo Soldier. You’ve joined the United States Army and will soon serve the country you love with the rest of your all-Black regiment. But Buffalo soldiers faced many dangerous enemies—bloody warfare, sneaky bandits, wild animals,...

YOU have been struggling for months. America is in a deep recession. Unemployment is high. There is a shortage of gold. Even banks are running out of money. And then one day, a story in the newspaper catches your eye. Prospectors have discovered gold...

The year is 2011, and an earthquake has just hit Tohoku, Japan. Twelve-year-old Rei is sitting in class, thinking about the argument she just had with her best friend, when the quake strikes. After six long minutes of rumbling, the class can finally...

The year is 1692 and Salem, Massachusetts, is filled with dangerous tales of witchcraft. Twelve-year-old Prudence is shocked when she and her cousin Elizabeth visit neighbor girls who claim to be bewitched. By the next morning, Elizabeth appears to be...

On April 9, 1939, Black contralto Marian Anderson stood on a stage before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Facing a crowd of 75,000 people on the National Mall, she began to sing “America, My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” From the very...

As the only child of the famous Irish chieftain Owen “Black Oak” O'Malley, piracy was in young Grace O’Malley's blood. She grew up on Ireland’s west coast and loved the land and seas her family had controlled for generations. They...

Born poor in rural China, Ching Shih's early life was full of challenges. But she would grow to become one of the most powerful pirates the world had ever seen. She made a name for herself using her intelligence and cunningness. Learn how Ching Shih...

The year is 1937, and the Hindenburg airship is about to land. Twelve-year-old Bonnie has enjoyed her journey across the Atlantic Ocean on the airship. She’s marveled by the sight of New York City when she hears a big THUD! In the moments that...

Little is known about Edward Teach’s life before he became known as the fearsome pirate Blackbeard. But during the Golden Age of Piracy, he ruled the seas along the coast of the North American colonies and beyond. Learn more about...

Throughout his three years as a pirate, Bartholomew Roberts—aka Black Bart—ruled the Atlantic Ocean. He plundered more than 400 ships in three years, making him one of the most successful captains of piracy's golden age. Learn how Roberts...

Twelve-year-old Anya has a good life with her family in the town of Pripyat, not far from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. But then, one night, an explosion lights up the night sky—and something about the flames doesn’t look right...

The year is 1912 and the famed ocean liner, the Titanic has just hit an iceberg. Twelve-year-old Annie has left her home in Ireland to begin a new life in America with her widowed mother. The peaceful journey across the sea comes to an end when...

Today, we can talk to someone across town or even across the country right away. We just pick up the phone and call them. But it took a lot longer to get in touch with folks before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. With historical images and...

How can medicine that tastes like bubble gum make you feel better so quickly? It has penicillin in it—an antibiotic that helps treat bacterial infections. But we wouldn’t have the drug without the work of Alexander Fleming. With historical...

In 2019, the remains of the Clotilda were discovered in the Mobile River. The discovery of the last slave ship helped document the history of Africatown—a community built by Africans who had been illegally brought to Mobile, Alabama, on...

Travel back in time and witness both everyday life and great moments in history in this fascinating compilation of diaries through the ages.Bringing together historical and literary diaries, artists' sketchbooks, explorers' journals, and scientists'...

In the early 1940s, during World War II, Germany's Nazi regime expanded into neighboring European countries. In France, groups of anti-Nazi citizens, known as the French Resistance, fought to stop Germany's reign of terror. A brave woman named Nancy Wake...

Every four years, the world celebrates one of the most exciting contributions of the Ancient Greeks: the Olympic Games. That, of course, is not all this great civilization left behind. From theater to democracy, discover how the Greeks' ancient...

The Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pyramids and mummies, but how do these ancient items impact your life today? From hieroglyphs evolving into emojis and kohl around the eyes evolving into eye liner and mascara, the inventions and discoveries of...

From pasta to paper, the inventions of the Ancient Chinese remain part of everyday life in our modern world. Learn how items like wheelbarrows, the first toothbrushes, and early earthquake detectors have evolved into devices we know today and discover...

In July 1969, astronauts on the Apollo 11 spacecraft became the first people to land on the moon. Since then, people have told stories about the historic event. Did an unmanned Soviet spacecraft crash into the moon while the Apollo astronauts were on it?...

The 1922 discovery of King Tut's tomb is one of the most important ancient Egyptian finds in history. People have told stories about it ever since. Are there rooms in King Tut's tomb yet to be discovered? Did clues point to King Tut being murdered? Read...

In 1811, while exploring the cliffs near Lyme Regis, England, 12-year-old Mary Anning made the find of a lifetime. There in the rocks was the skeleton of a strange creature. Mary's find was later named Ichthyosaurus, a reptile that lived more than 250...

In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany. The Nazis terribly persecuted Jews and other groups of people. They murdered millions of Jews across Europe during World War II. A preteen girl named Anne Frank and her family managed to...

Zhanna and Frina Arshanskaya were two talented child musicians when Nazis invaded their city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, during World War II. Along with their parents, the Jewish sisters were forced into a death march. They eventually escaped individually and...

The homes we live in today look a lot different than they did in the past. From caves to castles to the invention of indoor bathrooms, the history of homes is surprising, unusual, and amazing. Learn more about how people used these innovations to survive...

How we cook and eat today looks a lot different than it did in the past. From prehistoric kitchens to food preservation and the invention of the refrigerator, the history of food is surprising, unusual, and amazing. Learn more about how people used these...

Surviving Ancient Droughts, Plagues, and Natural Disasters will capture readers’ attention with historical tales of human triumph and tribulation in the midst of ancient illness and forces of nature. Written with reluctant readers in mind,...

Social Media in the Age of Socrates will capture readers’ attention with the historical ways ideas spread and gained popularity long before the age of social media. Written with reluctant readers in mind, considerate text, engaging stories, and...