1. The World is Not a Rectangle
This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman’s passion, vision, and determination inspired great change.
Temple Grandin
When Temple was diagnosed with autism as a child, no one expected her to talk. Little did they know that she would become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Temple's visual thinking enabled her to improve the quality of life for animals all over the world.
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5. Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum
Bubble gum was invented in 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes. Use this book to learn the history of one of their favorite treats!
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Benjamin Banneker was born a free man in Maryland at a time when most African Americans were enslaved. At the age of 22 he taught himself how to build a clock. This amazing book does a wonderful job giving a timeline for how long an invention can take and the amount of perseverance required to succeed.
The true and inspiring story of Albert Einstein and his struggles as a young student.
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As a boy, Jadav Payeng was worried about the destruction of the forest and the erosion of the land around him so he began planting trees. What began as a small patch of bamboo, grew over the years into 1,300 acre forest filled with native plants and animals.
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Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the super soaker water gun.
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Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg learned to argue and defend people at a very young age.
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Today, Troy Andrews is a Grammy-nominated musician who tours the world with his band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. He inspires hope for the next generation in New Orleans and for music lovers everywhere.
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Chris loves rockets and planets and pretending he's a brave astronaut exploring the universe. Only one problem: At night Chris doesn't feel so brave. He's afraid of the dark.
But when he watches the groundbreaking moon landing on TV, he realizes that space is the darkest dark there is - and the dark is beautiful and exciting, especially when you have big dreams to keep you company.
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12. Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor
With the help of his wife, Betty, Richard James took this ordinary spring and turned it into a plaything. But it wasn’t just any old trinket—it was a Slinky, and it would become one of the most popular toys in American history.
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In 1775 in the dead of winter, a bookseller named Henry Knox dragged 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston - 225 miles of lakes, forest, mountains, and few roads. It was a remarkable journey and lesson of determination.
16. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.
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Isatou Ceesay teaches women how to take trash and make something useful out of it. Through her ingenious idea Isatou has employed many women who may not have had opportunities otherwise.
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As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way due to a deformed leg. He rode an astonishing 400 miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability.
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Ever since she was a little girl, Jane Addams hoped to help people in need. In 1889, she bought a house in a run-down Chicago neighborhood and turned it into a settlement home, adding on playgrounds, kindergartens, and a public bath. By 1907, Hull House included thirteen buildings. And by the early 1920s, more than 9,000 people visited Jane's home each week.
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22. When Marian Sang
This book follows Marian Anderson from childhood to concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, which drew a crowd of 75,000 people.
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In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.
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Michael Jordan wasn't always a basketball legend. When he was a kid on the playground, he was the boy that people didn't want on their team. Michael works hard, grows a couple inches, and grabs the opportunity to show the boys at the playground his skills!
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Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.
