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The great fire
By Jim Murphy. 1995
An account of the conflagration that levelled much of Chicago in 1871. Chronicles events from the fire's outbreak and rapid…
spread to its extinguishment by rain, as reported by survivors and in documents of the period. Examines the origins, circumstances, and official failures that contributed to the disaster. Grades 5-8. A 1996 Newbery Honor Book. c1995.The Hindenburg disaster (A true book)
By Peter Benoit. 2011
Have you ever heard of the famous Hindenburg blimp that crashed and burned in New Jersey on May 6, 1937?…
Learn about the history of airships (also called zeppelins after the man who invented them, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin), and the Hindenburg, and about what happened the day of the crash - how sixty-two people managed to survive, and that it’s still not known why the crash took place. Also includes facts about the blimps of today, statistics, and a timeline. Grades 3-6. 2011.The greatest: Muhammad Ali
By Walter Dean Myers. 2001
Account of Muhammad Ali's life and career, focusing on his professional accomplishments, principles, and fight against racial injustice. Describes his…
Olympic triumph, his transformation from the young Cassius Clay into Muhammad Ali, and his rise to fame as world heavyweight champion. Examines boxing's damaging effects. Grades 5-8 and older readers. Some descriptions of violence. 2001.The bite of the mango
By Mariatu Kamara, Susan McClelland. 2008
Sierra Leone. At the age of 12, Mariatu Kamara was raped by a family friend, then captured by rebels who…
cut off her hands. Despite her wounds, Kamara walked out of the bush and sought help, ending up in an amputee camp, where she gave birth to a son who died of malnutrition. When foreign journalists interviewed Kamara in the camp, her story garnered international interest and assistance, which eventually brought her to Toronto. Her autobiography testifies to Kamara's horrific trauma, but with the aim of fostering hope and reconciliation. Winner of the 2011 Red Maple Non-Fiction Award. For junior high and older readers. Some strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some descriptions of violence. c2008.The big red horse: the story of Secretariat and the loyal groom who loved him
By Lawrence Scanlan. 2007
On March 30, 1970, a wobbly foal named Secretariat was born on a farm in Virginia - but he was…
no ordinary horse. He was bigger and more muscled than racehorses his age, and after a slow start and lots of training, he went on to compete for the biggest prize in racing - the Triple Crown. This is also the story of the one person who helped Secretariat the most - feeding him grain, bathing him, and chatting with him at dawn each day - his groom, Edward "Shorty" Sweat. Grades 5-8. 2007.Survivors: into the wilderness (Mission impossible)
By Jim Pipe. 2011
Highlights some extreme survival stories of adventurers who met with disaster, from being adrift on the ocean to getting lost…
in the Sahara Dessert. Explains the split-second decisions that make the difference between living and dying. And find out what to do if you’re lost in the jungle, the mountains, or in the middle of the ocean. Grades 3-6. 2011.Survivors!: true death-defying escapes
By Larry Verstraete. 2003
Think about your worst fears - being attacked by a wild animal, swept away by a killer storm, trapped in…
a wrecked car or a burning building. Here are 29 stories of real people who survived life-threatening situations. Each section includes Survival Tips that give readers essential information about what to do in dangerous circumstances. Some descriptions of violence. Winner of the 2004 Silver Birch Award. Grades 4-7. Bestseller 2005. 2003.Jean Lumb, a recipient of the Order of Canada, shares the story of her immigration to Canada, her contribution to…
the changing of Canada's immigration laws, and her efforts in saving Chinatown communities across Canada. Grades 5-8. 1997.Rosa
By Nikki Giovanni. 2005
Account of Rosa Parks's decision to stay in her bus seat in 1955 Alabama, in defiance of segregation laws. Explains…
the resulting bus boycott by civil rights activists that led to the Supreme Court ruling ending racial segregation on buses. Grades 3-6. Coretta Scott King Award, Caldecott Honor. 2005.Biography of musical genius Ray Charles, who was left sightless by glaucoma as a child. While a student at the…
Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, Charles learned to read and write music in braille. Describes his personal and professional struggles, including drug addiction, as well as triumphs. For Junior and Senior High readers. c1994.On board the Titanic: what it was like when the great liner sank (I was there book)
By Shelley Tanaka, Ken Marschall. 1996
The story of the Titanic, once the world's largest ocean liner, as told through the experiences of two of its…
survivors. Detailed explanations about the ship, passengers, and crew are interwoven with an account of its tragic sinking in 1912. Grades 4-7. Winner of the 1997 Silver Birch Award. c1996.Letters to a young sister: define your destiny (Griot audio)
By Hill Harper. 2008
A Brown University and Harvard Law School alum, Harper is also a passionate public servant. In this book he offers…
comforting advice for today's youth through his own wisdom as well as that of such luminaries as Michelle Obama and Angela Bassett. For Senior High and older readers. 2008.Jungle islands: my South Sea adventure (Adventure Travel Books)
By Maria Coffey, Debora Pearson. 2000
Join Maria on her kayaking trip though the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. She paddles to remote villages…
which haven't seem outsiders in years, visits the Skull Island burial ground, confronts a ferocious crocodile, sleeps in a leaf hut, and explores the jungle. Learn what it's like to visit a coral reef 'garden', where the bathrooms are in the jungle, and what kids love about life in the Solomons. Grades 3-6. 2000.Into the ice: the story of Arctic exploration
By Lynn Curlee. 1998
Describes the history of human exploration of the ice cap surrounding the North Pole. At first the Inuit people were…
the only people in this Arctic region. Then, over the centuries, various explorers came to kill animals and to try to locate the exact North Pole. Grades 3-6. 1998.I survived true stories: nature attacks! (I survived. #2)
By Lauren Tarshis. 2015
True stories of real kids up against terrible forces of nature. From the 14-year-old lone survivor of the shark attacks…
of 1916, to the 9-year-old who survived the Peshtigo Fire of 1871, here are four unforgettable survivors who managed to beat the odds. Grades 3-6. 2015.Ice wreck
By Lucille Recht Penner. 2001
Describes the true story of British explorer Shackleton's attempted 1914 expedition to Antarctica. When the ship was caught in the…
frozen sea, he and his crew experienced an eighteen-month ordeal, during which they camped on ice floes and lived on an island. Grades 2-4. 2001.Hurricane!
By Celia Godkin. 2008
Along Florida's coast, people board up their homes and the animals head inland - a hurricane is coming. When it…
reaches land, howling winds uproot trees and homes with equal ease, and storm surges devastate the town. Then, after the eerie quiet of the hurricane's eye, the winds howl again, toppling structures that had survived the first onslaught and washing away the remains. But even as the last of the storm dies down, the process of renewal gradually begins. Grades 2-4. 2008.Don't touch that toad & other strange things adults tell you
By Catherine Rondina. 2010
Have your parents ever told you that you shouldn't swallow a watermelon seed because a watermelon will grow in your…
stomach? Or not to cross your eyes, because they'll stay stuck like that? Takes a look at many of the old sayings you've heard, examines them and their history, and gives you the truth about them. You'll find out if holding your breath will cure the hiccups, and if eating sugar will really make you hyper. Winner of the 2012 Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award. Grades 3-6. 2010.Ghostliners: exploring the world's greatest lost ships
By Robert D Ballard. 1998
Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the Titanic, explores other famous lost ships. The Titanic's sister ship the Britannic…
is now the largest wreck on the ocean floor, while the Lusitania, sunk by a German torpedo during World War I, is shrouded in mystery. Grades 3-6. 1998.Chinese New Year: a celebration for everyone (Orca origins.)
By Jen Sookfong Lee. 2017
From its beginnings as a farming celebration marking the end of winter to its current role as a global party…
featuring good food, lots of gifts and public parades, 'Chinese New Year' is a snapshot of Chinese culture. Award-winning author and broadcaster Jen Sookfong Lee recalls her childhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, and weaves family stories into the history, traditions and evolution of Chinese New Year. Grades 3-6. 2017.