Would you ever run off to join the army, leaving your family behind? That's what nine-year-old John Lincoln Clem does in 1861. Determined to fight for his country, Johnny sneaks onto a train filled with men from the 3rd Ohio Union Regiment. Taken in by the older soldiers, Johnny becomes a drummer boy, and later, takes up his own musket. As the war rages on, Johnny experiences the brutalities of battle as well as the rampant illness and gnawing hunger in between. But the most dangerous part of Johnny’s journey is yet to come. Based on a True Story books are exciting historical fiction about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History. This title has Common Core connections.

A fictional retelling of the legend of John Clem, who ran away from his Ohio home to become a drummer boy during the Civil War, and became famous when he was captured in 1863 and was exchanged after a short stay in Andersonville prison.

What would you do if your country was counting on you to deliver a message? That's sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington’s urgent mission. In 1777, Sybil and her family believe the American colonies should be free from British control. Sybil’s father leads a regiment of New York militiamen, and everyone in the family is dedicated to the Patriot cause. Using spy tactics and codes, the Ludingtons gather intelligence, hoping to stay one step ahead of their enemies. When British troops raid nearby Danbury, Connecticut, Sybil gallops through the night to call out her father's men. But the journey is dangerous for a girl who’s all alone. With obstacles at every turn, will she make it in time to stop the British? Based on a True Story books are exciting historical fiction about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History. This title has Common Core connections.

This book exposes the role of children in war, describing where, why, and how children are deployed, the attempts made by international organizations to protect children, and the underlying political and cultural issues that make this such a thorny issue. In conflict-torn countries such as Myanmar and Uganda, the use of child soldiers in military and paramilitary operations continues to occur despite widespread condemnation and the efforts of organizations such as the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. This book will allow readers to grasp the impact of this issue for both individuals and nations worldwide. Child Soldiers: A Reference Handbook traces the evolution of child soldiers from approximately 1940 onwards, covering important historical to modern conflicts. The subject is discussed from a global perspective, with particular attention given to areas where the use of child soldiers is most prevalent. The book covers the complex underlying reasons for the continued use of child soldiers in the modern world, examines the political and psychological consequences of using children—both male and female—in military and paramilitary organizations, and describes how this subject has been addressed by international law and various human rights organizations.

Can you imagine being placed in an orphanage while your parents are still alive? That’s what happens to Nettie and Nellie Crook, who are only five years old in 1910 when they are removed from their home in New York. No one tells Nettie and Nellie why their parents can no longer care for them, and later, no one explains why the orphans are put on a train headed west. The girls soon find themselves put on display in various small towns, where prospective parents examine and select children for adoption. Nettie and Nellie are taken by Mr. and Mrs. Chapin—will this be a happy ending for the twins? Based on a True Story books are exciting historical fiction about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History. This title has Common Core connections.

A hilarious new series for younger readers, following the misadventures of an ordinary boy at an extraordinary school for young spies...

This beautifully illustrated children’s book explores how Walt Whitman was affected by the Civil War and inspired by President Lincoln. O Captain, My Captain tells the story of one of America’s greatest poets and how he was inspired by one of America’s greatest presidents. Whitman and Lincoln shared the national stage in Washington, DC, during the Civil War. Though the two men never met, Whitman would often see Lincoln’s carriage on the road. The president was never far from the poet’s mind, and Lincoln’s “grace under pressure” was something Whitman returned to again and again in his poetry. Whitman witnessed Lincoln’s second inauguration and mourned along with America as Lincoln’s funeral train wound its way across the landscape to his final resting place. The book includes the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” and an excerpt from “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” as well as brief bios of Lincoln and Whitman, a timeline of Civil War events, endnotes, and a bibliography.