Nic Sheff was drunk for the first time at age eleven. In the years that followed, he would regularly smoke pot, do cocaine and ecstasy, and develop addictions to crystal meth and heroin. Even so, he felt like he would always be able to quit and put his life together whenever he needed to. It took a violent relapse one summer in California to convince him otherwise.
In writing that is raw and honest, Nic spares no detail in telling us the compelling, heartbreaking, and true story of his relapse and the road to recovery. As we watch Nic plunge the mental and physical depths of drug addiction, he paints a picture of a person at odds with his past, with his family, with his substances, and with himself.
.'This read-along shows how Ben Franklin, one of 17 children in a poor family in Colonial Massachusetts, became one of our greatest statesmen and inventors. This straightforward biography is embellished with soft background music and sound effects that are picked up from the details in the lively, quaint illustrations in the accompanying book.'-AudioFile
Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent nine years of her life in fourteen different foster homes. As her mother spirals out of control, Ashley is left clinging to an unpredictable, dissolving relationship, all the while getting pulled deeper and deeper into the foster-care system. In this inspiring, unforgettable memoir, Ashley finds the courage to succeed-and in doing so, discovers the power of her own voice.
"Ashley gives inspiration to troubled youths who feel as if their lives, actions, and ideas don't matter."-Dosomething.org
Historians still agree about the date of Columbus's voyage. But did this European adventurer discover America? We now know that certain explorers from other parts of the globe set foot on American shores long before 1492–and that others may have done so. And "discovery" takes on a different meaning when the new land already has people living in it.
As artifacts are unearthed and analyzed, the story of human presence in the Americas continues to unfold. Looking deeper and deeper into the past, acclaimed nonfiction writer Russell Freedman tells this evolving story, touching on such evidence as Viking runes, Chinese legends, Mayan stonework, and mysterious objects found in New England. Thoroughly researched and impeccably documented, Who Was First? is a compelling account of many discoverers of the Americas.
Kathleen Krull has received numerous accolades from publications such as Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal for her biographies for young readers. Here she profiles Sir Isaac Newton-the father of calculus and the man who pioneered studies of gravity. Krull details Newton's lonely childhood, his education, and his sometimes tumultuous relationship with contemporaries in this captivating and concise look at one of history's greatest geniuses.
Como era la vida diaria de ese niño, Mozart, que a los cinco años tocaba ante los reyes y componía sinfonías, es la base de esta dramatización.
The daily life of Mozart, who at the age of five was playing in front of kings and composing symphonies, is the subject of this dramatization.
Note: This is audiobook is in Spanish.
Carolyn Meyer's historical fiction, such as Marie, Dancing, is popular for its unique perspectives. Loving Will Shakespeare is the tale of Agnes Anne Hathaway. There are few details known about the girl who-though eight years his senior-would eventually become wife to the Bard. Meyer's imagining of her story will inspire listeners to learn more.
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Publishers Weekly Best Book, Chinese Cinderella is the story of author Adeline Yen Mah's childhood. Adeline is just three days old when her mother dies. She is blamed for the death and considered bad luck. For years, she tries to please her family, wanting only acceptance and love, but often facing rejection. Finally, after discovering literature, she is given the chance to succeed.
Before he was president, Teddy Roosevelt was a dynamic child who worked hard to improve his poor health. Growing up in the country, he always loved nature and believed in conserving natural resources. When he was eight years old, Teddy got to enjoy an exciting trip to New York City. There, he witnessed the city's social inequality and was deeply affected by the poor people he saw. He decided that when he grew up he would try to help them.
Geared for children ages eight and up, the Childhoods of Young Americans series is an ideal way to sweep today's young reader right into the past. The everyday details of family life, the time period in which they lived, and the challenges they faced in school create a window through which children can access history. The early evidence of character, responsibility, ability and courage are showcased in common situations to which every child can relate.
Young readers will thrill to "Billy" Harrison's dramatic rescue of his sister Sally and admire his courage when he captures a British soldier at the age of eight! Find out more about these and the rest of Billy's boyhood adventures.
"William Henry Harrison: Young Tippecanoe is a superb biography for young readers...a welcome, very highly recommended addition to school and community biography collections for children...."-Midwest Book Review
Harvesting Hope is an ALA Notable book. As a young boy, Cesar lived happily on his family's ranch in Arizona. But when a severe drought lost them the entire crop, his family also lost their home. With thousands of other unlucky families, the Chavez's moved to California where they lived in poverty and worked as migrant workers. It bothered Cesar greatly that the workers were treated like slaves by the landowners. So he organized the workers and marched to the state capital in protest.
