A year's worth of daily readings from the secular arena provides subject matter for intellectual growth and advancement, in a volume that features passages from the rich annals of American history, capturing pivotal events, biographical profiles, and words of wisdom from such important figures as Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. 250,000 first printing.

Paul Revere's daring midnight ride made him an instant celebrity, right? Wrong! At first, no one in Boston even wanted to mention it. Jeff Lantos pulls apart Longfellow's famous poem "Paul Revere's Ride" to unravel how and why he twisted historical facts. Do you know how historically inaccurate "Paul Revere's Ride" is? And do you know why? Author Jeff Lantos pulls apart Longfellow's poem, tells the real story about Paul Revere's historic ride, and sets the record right. Not only that, he lays out when and why Longfellow wrote his poem and explains how without it, many of us wouldn't know much about Revere at all. This is Steve Sheinkin for the younger set, complete with an American mystery and a look at two important moments in the history of our country. A 2022 ILA Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards Honor recipient

Written in a "this day in history," format, this collection of North American colonial history events includes 366 history stories. The historical collection of tales include many well-known as well as some little known events in the saga of the United States. The easy to follow "this day in history," format covers a wide range of the people, places and events of early American history. Diverse Historical Stories Learn about the establishment of the first public museum, the first magazine published in the colonies and the first protest against slavery. Readers will find tales about Benjamin Franklin, James Oglethorpe, Patrick Henry and Christopher Columbus. Little Known Historical Events Many little known events like Lord Berkley selling half of New Jersey to the Quakers, a slave revolt in New York and the 1689 Boston revolt. This Day in History The "this day in history," format includes 366 stories of United States history in every month of the year, allowing readers to read one interesting history tale a day for an entire year. It is a great introduction to history for children. This day in history, colonial history, history tales, historical collection, history events, history stories

A rollicking portrait of the paradoxical patriot, whose measured pragmatism helped make American independence a reality. Americans are surprisingly more familiar with his famous signature than with the man himself. In this spirited account of John Hancock’s life, Brooke Barbier depicts a patriot of fascinating contradictions—a child of enormous privilege who would nevertheless become a voice of the common folk; a pillar of society uncomfortable with radicalism who yet was crucial to independence. About two-fifths of the American population held neutral or ambivalent views about the Revolution, and Hancock spoke for them and to them, bringing them along. Orphaned young, Hancock was raised by his merchant uncle, whose business and vast wealth he inherited—including household slaves, whom Hancock later freed. By his early thirties, he was one of New England’s most prominent politicians, earning a place on Britain’s most-wanted list and the derisive nickname King Hancock. While he eventually joined the revolution against England, his ever moderate—and moderating—disposition would prove an asset after 1776. Barbier shows Hancock appealing to southerners and northerners, Federalists and Anti-Federalists. He was a famously steadying force as president of the fractious Second Continental Congress. He parlayed with French military officials, strengthening a key alliance with his hospitable diplomacy. As governor of Massachusetts, Hancock convinced its delegates to vote for the federal Constitution and calmed the fallout from the shocking Shays’s Rebellion. An insightful study of leadership in the revolutionary era, King Hancock traces a moment when passion was on the side of compromise and accommodation proved the basis of profound social and political change.

Folklore has been described as the unwritten literature of a culture: its songs, stories, sayings, games, rituals, beliefs, and ways of life. Encyclopedia of American Folklore helps readers explore topics, terms, themes, figures, and issues related to this popular subject. This comprehensive reference guide addresses the needs of multiple audiences, including high school, college, and public libraries, archive and museum collections, storytellers, and independent researchers. Its content and organization correspond to the ways educators integrate folklore within literacy and wider learning objectives for language arts and cultural studies at the secondary level. This well-rounded resource connects United States folk forms with their cultural origin, historical context, and social function. Appendixes include a bibliography, a category index, and a discussion of starting points for researching American folklore. References and bibliographic material throughout the text highlight recently published and commonly available materials for further study. Coverage includes: Folk heroes and legendary figures, including Paul Bunyan and Yankee Doodle Fables, fairy tales, and myths often featured in American folklore, including "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Princess and the Pea" American authors who have added to or modified folklore traditions, including Washington Irving Historical events that gave rise to folklore, including the civil rights movement and the Revolutionary War Terms in folklore studies, such as fieldwork and the folklife movement Holidays and observances, such as Christmas and Kwanzaa Topics related to folklore in everyday life, such as sports folklore and courtship/dating folklore Folklore related to cultural groups, such as Appalachian folklore and African-American folklore and more.