Between his time playing for Spain’s FC Barcelona team and his role on the Argentine national team, it’s surprising Lionel Messi has a life off the pitch. Yet, the most popular soccer legend of our time keeps a busy schedule that far exceeds his notable accomplishments on the field. Readers will find all the details of Messi’s life, including his early struggles with a growth hormone deficiency, his intense years of training as a teenager, and his launch into superstardom as a World Cup st...

It would be difficult to decide if the ancient Greeks are best known for their literature or mythology, for their philosophy or their government. On all fronts, ancient Greece paved the way for civilizations to come, making momentous contributions to humanity unmatched by other societies. This authoritative, upper elementary volume covers all aspects of Greek society, including daily life, deities and legends, and the political systems of Greek city-states. Important writers and thinkers r...

The world of mummies, pharaohs, and pyramids leaps off the pages of this upper elementary guide to ancient Egyptian civilization. Readers will discover the history and culture of ancient Egypt, from the earliest settlers of the Nile to the final dynasty of Antony and Cleopatra. Egypt’s most famous inventions—including papyrus, hieroglyphs, and the 365-day calendar—are presented along with facts about its pantheon of deities and highly organized class system. A final discussion of how moder...

The Louisiana Purchase stands out in American history for a number of reasons. It was the largest acquisition of land in United States' history. It was also the first time a president obtained new territory by purchase. But, perhaps most important, it fueled the American drive for westward expansion-a powerful force in U.S. culture and politics for the remainder of the 19th century. This authoritative title presents that history in depth, contextualizing the Louisiana Purchase and examinin...

In this lower elementarylevel guide to meteorology, both the science and basic premises of weather forecasting are explained in dynamic, full-color spreads. Readers are invited to examine the role of cause and effect in weather patterns and predict the possible consequences of specific weather events. Compare and Contrast boxes invite readers to relate different means of predicting weather phenomena, while Think About It boxes excite readers to return to the text and engage in critical thi...

Immediately following World War II, former allies the United States and the Soviet Union began an open yet restricted rivalry that became known as the Cold War and played out around the world until the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Many conflicts, such as the Chinese Civil War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Arab-Israeli wars, acted as proxy wars for the U.S.-Soviet competition. Other major issues explored in this examination of the Cold War include Europe’s Iron Curtain, the ...

Lingering resentments from the First World War, economic unease, and the sweeping racist agenda of Germany’s Nazi Party are just some of the many factors that shaped the trajectory of the Second World War. This far-reaching volume examines the major battles, events, and agreements of World War II, the Final Solution, and the legacy of the war from political and diplomatic angles. Readers will learn how European imperialism, American isolationism, the German policy of Anschluss, and much mo...

Earth science is an umbrella term for a series of interlocking, dynamic scientific areas of study that aim to explain how the planet Earth works as a system. Combining studies of all the elements around us and how they interact, this book provides a history of this complex field, while highlighting core principles and concepts. This title's informative graphics and images, along with its use of scientific equations to illustrate key points in the text, complement and flesh out a fascinatin...

The Bill of Rights is one of the most cited texts in political debates today. Indeed, courts and lawmakers are deeply involved in interpreting and understanding the text of the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, making it perhaps the most important primary source with which readers should be familiar. This vibrantly illustrated lower elementary title helps readers understand the text of the Bill of Rights and its importance to political discourse today. Compare and Contrast boxes...

In the year 1215, the way governments and citizens interact was forever changed by the signing of a document known as the Magna Carta. While students are often familiar with the importance of this charter, this title explores the text itself by narrating the history of the charter’s development and pairing excerpts of text with straightforward explanations at a lower elementary reading level. Vocabulary boxes highlight advanced terms and provide simple definitions, while Think About It and...

Everybody has seen it in movies and on television: A hypnotist swings a pocket watch and, like that, an audience member falls into a deep trance. But is hypnosis real? Does it work? This skeptical approach explores the history of hypnotic practices and trance-like states, differentiating between real therapeutic techniques and hypnosis as entertainment. The facts are presented, without eschewing an appreciation for the role myths have played in solidifying hypnosis's place in popular cultu...

This comprehensive title presents the history and practices of medical science, covering developments in the field from antiquity through the Middle Ages and into cutting-edge 21st-century techniques. The major branches of medicine are covered, as are more in-depth looks at clinical practice, disease and epidemiology, surgery, and pharmacology. As such, this text gives middle school to high school aged readers a systematic approach to understanding an essential branch of science that they ...