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Showing 1 - 20 of 154 items
From his impoverished childhood to his feat of becoming one of the most successful entertainers of all time, this fascinating…
biography presents a memorable portrait of magician and escape artist Harry Houdini. Guidelines for 21 fun magic tricks are also provided, including how to stick a needle into a balloon without popping it, how to step through a note card, and how to make a coin vanish. Illustrating the science and logic behind many of Houdini's most notable acts, the magic-based activities also explain his famous Milk Can Escape through an accessible water displacement experiment and demonstrate simple mathematics with his Odd Number Trick. Touching on his time as an actor, an aviator, and possibly even a spy for the U.S. government, this thoroughly entertaining biography also features a time line, curriculum links for educators, and books and websites for further exploration.By Anita Ganeri. 2014
Did you know that Shakespeare couldn't spell his own surname? Love him or hate him, everyone has heard of the…
world's most famous playwright. But did the Elizabethans think he was a genius or simply that he wrote great soap operas? Any book on Shakespeare will give you the boring facts THEY think you should know, but only this one will tell you what the bard and his mates were REALLY like ... Uncover a wealth of information about Shakespeare! Find out where he was born and look at his family tree, see a map of Shakespeare's Stratford and Shakespeare's London, find out what school was like in Shakespeare's time, what London life was like and what sort of people went to the theatre. See a cross-section illustration of the Globe and discover how special effects were created and what actors wore. Read biographies of famous actors of the era such as Edward Alleyn, Richard Burbage, Richard Tarlton and William Kempe as well as biographies of contemporary writers Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd and Christopher Marlowe. Read famous quotes and sayings and whizz your eye over a timeline of Shakespeare's plays and of his life. This book will tell you what Shakespeare's longest or shortest play is, or even which is the most miserable or goriest? It includes plots and information about ten of Shakespeare's plays: Richard III; Romeo and Juliet; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Merchant of Venice; Henry V; Twelfth Night; Hamlet; Othello; Macbeth and The Tempest. It highlights some of Shakespeare's funniest characters and some of those that were in love. It concludes looking at how Shakespeare died, and discusses whether Shakespeare was, in fact, Sir Francis Bacon, Edward De Vere, Roger Manners, William Stanley or Christopher Marlowe. Finally, test your knowledge of all you've read with a fun 20-question quiz.By Z. B. Hill. 2013
Since 1985, LL Cool J has been a major part of hip-hop. In the 1980s and '90s, LL sold millions…
of albums and had many hit songs. Today, many fans might know LL more for his acting, but music was LL's first love. LL Cool J tells the story of how LL made his name in rap when he was still just a teenager. Read about how LL became one of hip-hop's first superstars. Learn about how LL moved to making movies without giving up the music career he loved.By Grace Norwich. 2009
Jason Dolley always makes an impression! With his surfer- boy good looks and adorable smile, ability to take on a…
variety of different roles, and genuinely sweet personality, it's no wonder he has so many devoted fans! This super-cute actor has been one of Disney Channel's hottest stars, and we have his complete story!By C. F. Earl. 2013
Today, hip-hop is everywhere. In music, fashion, art, and entertainment, hip-hop has become a language that we all understand. But…
it hasn't been that way for very long. Hip-hop grew from the neighborhoods of New York City to become a major part of life around the world. Learn about how slavery and the civil rights movement helped lead to the birth of hip-hop. Read about how break dancing, graffiti, and DJs all added to hip-hop. Find out how hip-hop has changed over the years. Hip-Hop: A Short History tells the story of how hip-hop started and how it became popular all over the world.By Austin Mahone. 2014
The official Austin Mahone book! See how Austin went from being a kid from a small town in Texas singing…
and having fun on YouTube with his friends to headlining his own shows around the world. Complete with exclusive photos and stories from his childhood as well as lots of behind-the-scenes fun, Austin's first official book will give you the glimpse into his life you can't get by following him on Twitter. Mahomies, this book is for you!By Lexi Ryals. 2008
These brothers are already a tween sensation!Girls cant get enough of these adorable boys who have recorded two successful albums,…
guest starred on Disneys Hannah Montana, are special guests on Miley Cyruss Best of Both Worlds Tour, and have just filmed a pilot for a Disney Channel series. Weve got the inside scoop on these crooning cuties from their younger years to their current star statuscomplete with four pages of color photos!By Meg Belviso, Nancy Harrison, Pamela D. Pollack, Jonathan Moore. 2014
Known as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's unique vision in movies like Psycho and…
The Birds sent shivers down our spines and shockwaves through the film industry. His innovative camera techniques have been studied for decades and his gift for storytelling cemented his place in history. Many directors make great movies, but the genius of Hitchcock helped make movies great. Learn how a chubby boy from London became the "Master of Suspense."By Hugh Hudson. 2008
Two Brothers. Two back-to-back Super Bowl victories. Two back-to-back Super Bowl MVP awards. There were some who doubted them, but…
the Manning boys never let their critics get them down. They were always there for each other, no matter how hectic life became. And life for these two brothers from Louisiana was hectic indeed. (From the Introduction)By Jim Gigliotti. 2016
Discover more about Stevie Wonder, the music prodigy whose awards include 25 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.…
Stevie Wonder is one of the most successful singer-songwriter-musicians of our time. Signing his first record deal when he was only eleven, he had his first No.1 hit when he was thirteen. Since then he has had thirty US top ten hits, won a range of awards for his music and his civil rights work, and created such iconic songs as "Isn't She Lovely" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Stevie Wonder is a beloved entertainer who continues to tour and perform around the world.By Stephanie Sabol. 2016
Not only was Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA," he has risen to become a twenty-time Grammy winner and American…
icon.Bruce Springsteen grew up in a blue-collar New Jersey town, where his parents struggled to make ends meet. Bruce didn't fit in at school but found solace in rock and roll and playing guitar. After the breakup of a local band he'd joined, Springsteen went out on his own and people began to take notice. He signed with Columbia Records and under pressure to come up with a hit, wrote "Born in the USA," which tells the story of America during the years of the Vietnam War. A multi-millionaire and twenty-time Grammy winner, the Boss has remained a working class hero whose music deals with the political and social changes in our country.By Z. B. Hill. 2013
Few people are as successful in business and music as Sean Combs. Today, Combs (also known as Diddy) makes music…
fans love and still has time to succeed in business. Combs has even won an Academy Award for producing a movie. It seems there's nothing he can't do! Sean "Diddy" Combs is the story of how one boy from the projects grew up to be one of the most powerful men in hip-hop. Read about how Combs became a star in the 1990s. Learn about how important Combs has been to the history of hip-hop and how he's stayed successful over the years by trying new things.By Anna Carew-Miller. 2014
A German composer born in the 1700s, Ludwig van Beethoven has given the world some of the most well-known and…
long-lasting music of all time. From his Für Elise to his 9th Symphony (in which a choir sings words from the poem "Ode to Joy"), Beethoven's music is still loved, almost 200 years after his death. Amazingly, Beethoven composed music while being unable to hear almost anything from the time he was 26, a feat which makes his brilliant compositions all the more wonderful. Few musicians have had the incredible impact on music that Beethoven had. Learn the story of one of the most important musical composers of all time in Ludwig van Beethoven: Great Composer.By Michaela Deprince, Elaine Deprince. 2014
Michaela DePrince was known as girl Number 27 at the orphanage, where she was abandoned at a young age and…
tormented as a "devil child" for a skin condition that makes her skin appear spotted. But it was at the orphanage that Michaela would find a picture of a beautiful ballerina en pointe that would help change the course of her life. At the age of four, Michaela was adopted by an American family, who encouraged her love of dancing and enrolled her in classes. She went on to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre and is now the youngest principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She has appeared in the ballet documentary First Position, as well as on Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, and Nightline. In this engaging, moving, and unforgettable memoir, Michaela shares her dramatic journey from an orphan in West Africa to becoming one of ballet's most exciting rising stars.By Stephanie Spinner, Daniel Mather. 2013
While other kids played sports, Steven Spielberg was writing scripts and figuring out camera angles. He went from entertaining his…
Boy Scout troop with home movies to amazing audiences around the world with epic blockbusters. He has directed four of the most successful films of all time and has won two Academy Awards for Best Director. From Jaws to Lincoln, young readers and aspiring filmmakers will be fascinated by the life of this famous director.By Nancy J. Hajeski. 2014
One of the most recognizable, enduring, and best-selling bands of all time, The Beatles’ influence spans time, genre, and geography.…
Originally popular in Liverpool and Hamburg, their fame soon spread worldwide, and they enjoyed immense popularity in the United States. Now The Beatles: Here, There, and Everywhere maps out the journey of this legendary rock sensation. Relive everything from the tentative debut of the Liverpool natives in Hamburg’s tawdry red light district to their innovative recordings at Abbey Road Studio. In this unique book, you will learn about the Beatles’ famous audition at Decca studios, the flat at 57 Green Street, their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, plus many other stops along their road to stardom. With full spreads devoted to each British album, additional notes on instrumentation and solo careers, plus tons of Fab Facts, this book will captivate fans of all ages. A unique way to explore the history of this legendary group, The Beatles: Here There, and Everywhere provides you with a ticket to ride on their journey.By True Kelley, Nancy Harrison, Stephen Marchesi. 2014
Born in a little cabin in Tennessee, Dolly Parton always dreamed big, and she was right to! She wrote her…
first song at age five and became a country music star by the time she was in her early twenties. Of course, her success didn't stop there. Dolly Parton is also an actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist whose Imagination Library reading initiative reaches children throughout the US, Canada, and the UK. There is simply no one like Dolly Parton!By Nancy Harrison, John Hinderliter, Jim Gigliotti. 2014
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American action film star, martial arts instructor, filmmaker, and philosopher. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced…
films elevated the traditional martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim. Through such films as Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon, Lee helped to change the way Asians were presented in American films and, in the process, he became an iconic figure known throughout the world. Although he died at the young age of 32, Bruce Lee is widely considered to be the one of the most influential martial artists of all time.By Whitney Stewart, Nancy Harrison. 2009
Walt Disney always loved to entertain people. Often it got him into trouble. Once he painted pictures with tar on…
the side of his family's white house. His family was poor, and the happiest time of his childhood was spent living on a farm in Missouri. His affection for small-town life is reflected in Disneyland Main Streets around the world. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this biography reveals the man behind the magic.This book is not authorized, licensed or endorsed by the Walt Disney Company or any affiliate.From the Trade Paperback edition.By Jim Weiss, Crystal Cregge. 2018