Helga and Erik could not believe their eyes. There were grasshoppers everywhere, and they were eating the crops! In the 1870s, when grasshoppers destroyed farms in Minnesota and other Midwestern states, many families gave up and moved away. This is the story of how two Swedish immigrant children help their parents save their home on the prairie.

Eight-year-old Andrew is starting his first day of work in a coal mine. With bloody knuckles and an aching back, Andrew quickly learns that life in the mines is dirty, dark, and difficult. Before his first day at the breaker is through, he will find out that it can be dangerous too.

Tells about a variety of polar plants, how they are used, why they are in danger, and how they are being protected.

It was September 14, 1814, and America and Great Britain were at war. Francis Scott Key watched from the deck of a British ship, where he was being held captive, as cannons exploded around them. After 25 hours, the fighting ceased and Key peered through the clearing smoke, looking for some sign as to the outcome of the battle. Was the American flag still flying? His wartime experience inspired Key to write a poem, which was later set to music and became America’s national anthem. This book tells the story of the inspiration behind our national anthem, which helped transform the flag into a major symbol of patriotism and identity.

Describes desert plants, how desert plants are used, and why these plants need to be protected.

True or False? Benjamin Banneker used a telescope and mathematics to predict a solar eclipse. True! In 1789, Banneker calculated when the moon would pass between the earth and sun. And he did it without any formal math or science training. As a young boy, he worked on the farm owned by his father, who was a freed slave in Maryland. He helped to survey and plot out the site for the U.S. capital city, Washington, D.C. He also published several almanacs that helped farmers, merchants, and sailors predict the weather and know the dates of holidays and festivals.

"Introduces the connection between force and motion and describes the effects of air resistance, mass, and gravity"--Provided by publisher.

Traces the life and accomplishments of the noted photjournalist who served as a foreign correspondent for "Life" magazine during World War II and the Korean War

Cyrus McCormick patented and manufactured the reaper, an important 19th century invention that dramatically improved the efficiency of wheat farming. While McCormick did not invent the reaper solely by himself, he did refine and popularize it. His company eventually became the International Harvester Company.

A biography of the man who, after escaping slavery, became an orator, writer, and leader in the abolitionist movement in the nineteenth century.