Discover how a few brave patriots battled a great empire. Be an eyewitness to the thrilling American war for independence: the battles and leaders, soldiers and heroes, scoundrels and patriots. It's all here in this ultimate visual guide that show you how it really was. See a continental solder's musket, a spy's hollow "silver bullet", Washington's sword, a bullet-riddled battle flag, the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence. Learn why Washington was commander-in-chief, how the Declaration of Independence was written, how Benedict Arnold was at first a patriot hero, how solders were drilled, who the Loyalists were, how France helped win American liberty. Discover how Betsy Ross sewed the Stars and Stripes, the secrets of spies and traitors, why it was Breed's not Bunker Hill, why King George admired Washington, why Yorktown was not the end of the Revolution, and much, much more.

Before MP3 players, DVDs, and video games, before even TV and radio, American children entertained themselves by reading. Often what they read were popular magazines aimed at the whole family; a weekly newspaper such as The Youth’s Companion or a monthly magazine like St. Nicholas were about all a turn-of-the-century family could afford. But what these publications afforded was invaluable, and it is this education in imagination and American life that Adventures in the West revisits.

A lifelong love of art is one of the greatest gifts an adult can bestow on a child—and no period of art is better loved or more available to children than Impressionism. Monet and the Impressionists for Kids invites children to delight in Cassatt’s mothers and children, Renoir’s dancing couples, and Gaugin’s island scenes; 21 activities explore Monet’s quick shimmering brush strokes, Cezanne’s brilliant rectangles of color, Seurat’s pointillism, and Degas’ sculpture-like circles of dancers. Kids will learn how the artists’ friendships sustained them through repeated rejection by the Parisian art world, and how they lived, painted, and thrilled to the vibrant life of Paris at the approach of the 20th century. A resource section guides readers to important museums and Web sites around the world.

Africa is brought to life in this imaginative look at the plants, animals, and people that make it such a fascinating continent. Studies of both traditional tribes and modern African cities showcase Africa's diversity, and authentic activities allow kids to dive into the rich culture by making a Maasai bivouac shelter, writing a fable in the African style, working as a field biologist, making a ritual elephant mask, and learning to tie an African Kanga dress.

This cross-cultural study also shows kids what challenges Africa faces today while giving them a look at what it is like to live on this interesting continent.