Peter Roop

Simple rhyming text describes the behavior of whales and dolphins, including singing, diving, playing, and eating.

The big purchase that led to fundamental questions about what America would become In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million, extending the United States beyond the Mississippi River for the first time.   Now the United States had big questions to answer: How would Louisiana be governed? How would it be divided? Would it be comprised of free states or slave states? What would happen to the Native...

Describes the history and customs connected with Halloween and includes riddles, activities, and instructions for making some masks and costumes.

Learn about the incredible accomplishments of famous animals.

The story of the ten-year-old boy who becomes captain of a ship After his mother's death, young David Glasgow Farragut is forced to leave home to live with Captain Porter and his wife. During the War of 1812, Captain Porter is posted to the Essex, and he chooses to bring David with him to fight the British Navy. At ten years old, David is the youngest midshipman ever assigned to a warship in the US Navy. On board, Farragut must not only learn about...

Sacagawea, the Shoshoni woman who helped guide Lewis and Clark on their famed expedition, tells her life story When Sacagawea's son asks her about her life, she isn't sure where to begin. Does she start with her birth as a Shoshoni? Her kidnapping by an enemy tribe at age eleven? Or her role as the famous guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition? She's seen and experienced more in her young life than most people ever will.   Told from Sacagawea's...

A teenage girl questions her principles after her brother is captured during the Revolutionary War Fourteen-year-old Samantha Byrd is an excellent shot-she's even better than her brother at providing food for her family. Although the winds of war are blowing in Virginia, she knows that she could only ever use her skill for hunting-not for hurting another person.   When the Revolutionary War finally begins, her brother is captured, and Samantha sets...

This fun-to-read, informative book is loaded with fascinating facts about the history and customs of Valentine's Day and presents jokes, riddles, interesting projects, and simple recipes – everything you need to appreciate and celebrate Valentine's Day!

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People: The tale of the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark, condensed from their own eight-volume journals for young historians Lewis and Clark's famous 1804 expedition was told with great detail by the explorers themselves in an eight-volume account. Now young historians have the opportunity to learn the thrills, challenges, and adventures in a version accessible for them. Two years' worth of entries...

Christopher Columbus had a dream-to reach the fabled lands of the East, rich with spices, jewels, silver, and especially gold. Having studied the travels of other explorers, Columbus was convinced he could reach his destination by traveling west across the seas. After convincing Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to fund his expedition, he set sail in August of 1492. In this account, the voyage Columbus undertook is told in his own voice through his...