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The First Dinosaur

Dinosaurs existed. That’s a fact that we accept today. But not so long ago, the concept that these giant creatures could have roamed Earth millions of years before humans even existed was unfathomable. People believed that what we now know…
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The Fabled Life of Aesop

We all know the fables “The Tortoise and the Hare,” The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” and “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” But what do we know about Aesop himself? His fables have been told and retold around the world for over 2,500 years;…
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Heroism in the Face of Tragedy

One war, three continents, and a quartet of necessary voices in conversation. Seventh-graders Quinn Boyd-Roberts and Tej Wong interview bestselling authors Lois Lowry and Jan Terlouw in a fascinating look at war, heroism, and humanity that transcends…
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The Kids Are Alright: History Lights the Way Forward

They say history is written by the winners. But when important stories and facts are suppressed, disguised, or forgotten, the worst patterns of history are doomed to repeat themselves--and no one wins. Kate Schatz and illustrator Miriam Stahl's…
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The Business of Brutality: Slavery and the Foundations of Capitalism

Look around. How much of our infrastructure—from roads and bridges to factories and food supplies—was built on the backs of American slaves? Three writer-researchers examine how the brutal history of slavery laid the foundation of American…
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A Tale of True Love

She was the blonde in the diaphanous gown who was set by King Kong atop the Empire State Building. He was the longtime collaborator with Frank Capra and the Academy Award-winning screenwriter who wrote ornery, resilient women. It happened one…
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From Captivity to Power: A Remarkable Story of Women Rising Up

In her third book, journalist Julia Flynn Siler shows that women have always fought for each other, even a century before #MeToo. In “The White Devil’s Daughters: The Women Who Fought Slavery in San Francisco’s Chinatown” Siler profiles…
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Prophet of Freedom: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was arguably the most important African American of the nineteenth century, an escaped slave who became the greatest orator of his day and one of the leading abolitionists and writers of the era. Come hear from David Blight,…
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Daring to Dream of a More Just World: Conversation with Adam Hochschild

Bestselling author Adam Hochschild's new collection of essays explores, as he writes, “people who took a stand against despotism, who spoke out against unjust wars, or who saw the evils of institutions like slavery or colonialism when, all…
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The Browns of California

In "The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty that Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation," journalist Miriam Pawel tells the story of this extraordinary family, which saw both Pat Brown and Jerry Brown as influential governors. She is joined…