Search Results: 40 books from 1 publisher. Learn more

Hearst Castle

Ann Tatlock (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624691386

While America isn't ruled by a royal family, our country nevertheless has some homes worthy of the name "castle"! La Cuesta Encantada near San Simeon, California, is one of them. Better known as Hearst Castle, this once private dwelling resembles a Mediterranean town high up in the Santa Lucia Mountains. There, media mogul William Randolph Hearst originally planned to build a simple summer place for his family. But his three-decade partnership with architect Julia Morgan resulted in an enormous estate that includes multiple guesthouses, swimming pools, an airport and even a zoo! Today, the castle is open to the public. Come on inside and let's take a tour of one of America's most famous homes!

Versailles

Amie Jane Leavitt (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624691409

The Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited attractions in the world. But what is the importance of this place other than a beautiful dwelling? The history of Versailles - why the palace was built and who lived there over the centuries - is fully detailed in this book. You'll get a glimpse into the world of the French kings and aristocracy and discover what it was really like to live at this stunning abode. You'll also find out the fate of the last French royal family to dwell at Versailles and why they met an untimely demise. Flip open the pages - the fascinating, glamorous, and intriguing world of Versailles is waiting for you.

Gettysburg

Russell Roberts (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624691126

Gettysburg was the deciding battle of the American Civil War - three hot July days of Union and Confederate soldiers fighting and dying in and around a small Pennsylvania town that determined the fate of the United States. When it was over, after the final climactic fury of Pickett's Charge, the Confederate Army under Robert E. Lee would never again have the strength to mount an invasion of the North. Gettysburg marked the beginning of the end for the Southern cause.Many feel that Gettysburg produced something else - something that makes objects unexplainably fall, phantom images to appear, and strange noises to be heard. That something is haunted Gettysburg.

Little Big Horn

Earl Rice Jr. (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624691188

Few things stir the imagination more than ghosts and ghostly sightings. The prospect of experiencing spectral encounters with visitors from another plane or dimension draws some 400,000 tourists to the windswept ridges of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument every year. As most ghost hunters know, there is arguably no better place to ply their trade than the scene of violent action and the irreversible loss of life - the very definition of a battlefield. And the greasy-grass knolls of the Little Bighorn killing fields stand high on the list of haunted battlegrounds.Supernatural tales o spectral sightings from visitors and park employees alike lend an irresistible mystique to the Custer legend and to the battlefield itself. Such tales go back a long way. The Crow people are thought to be the first to experience paranormal happenings. They once called the park superintendent the "ghost herder," because they believed the ghosts of the fallen arose from their graves at sundown and walked among the living until daybreak. If the stone grave markers at the Little Bighorn could talk, they would have many tales to tell. Are you ready to listen?

Verdun

Earl Rice Jr. (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624691164

The Battle of Verdun claims the dubious distinction of being the longest battle of World War I. The fighting began in February 1916 and raged on for ten months, finally ending in December. Its combined casualty count of French and German soldiers numbered more than 700,000, of which 262,308 were either dead or missing. The battle left a keen sense of national pride in the hearts of the French people. It also left a deep emotional scar in their collective psyche.A hundred years after the last guns fell silent along the River Meuse, the mere mention of the name Verdun still evokes ghastly and ghostly remembrances of the unspeakable horror of 1916. Nine villages that once stood on the surroundings in Verdun, vibrant and gay, disappeared in the deathly rain of artillery and mortar shells. They exist today only as names on maps and perhaps in the whispers of the spectral sentinels that patrol the verdant countryside and watch over a nation's dead.

Mount Olympus

Claire O'Neal (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690099

Mount Olympus may be the highest mountain in Greece, but at only 9,568 feet (2,917 meters) tall, it is downright puny compared to the world's tallest peaks. You can even hike to the top without any special climbing equipment. But do not let its size fool you. Mount Olympus looms larger than life in our world culture. For nearly three thousand years, it has been famous as the home of the Greek gods. Its beautiful peaks, now a world heritage preserve, have inspired everything Greek - from epic poetry to foods, and even the modern Greek government. Mount Olympus towers over the heart of Greece, yet lies just within reach. Come and explore the throne room of Zeus!

The Constitution: Defender of Freedom

Amie Jane Leavitt (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690068

After the Revolutionary War established the independent United States of America, a different kind of revolution took place. Between Shays' Rebellion and the final flourish of a quill pen on the Constitution, the country's greatest leaders faced a challenge that would either keep the states together or tear them apart. From the roads of Boston to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, delegates battled out the particulars of how the new country would be governed. In this inspiring story of leadership, discover how diplomacy and compromise created a document that would defend the nation's freedom at once and for the future.

The Amendments to the Constitution

Tamra Orr (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690709

Reading the 27 amendments built into America's constitution may not seem exciting at first. Look beyond the old-fashioned phrasing and the government terms, however, and you will find remarkable details. You will meet political leaders and representatives struggling to make the wisest choices, American citizens fighting for basic rights, and a country that is constantly adjusting to the changes it faces with every passing year. The story behind each amendment is important to understand-and fascinating to learn.

The Revolutionary War: The War for Freedom

Russell Roberts (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690686

The British Army-the best in the world-expected to easily win the war against the American colonies. It was a war that should have been a short footnote in the history of the British Empire. The Continental Army-made up of farmers, merchants, and craftsmen-scarcely fought with gunpowder, let alone guns. They could not possibly succeed in their quest to form a new nation. On the way to victory, the British met American Commander-in-Chief George Washington, a man with an indomitable will. He led an army that refused to lose, no matter how great the odds or how many times it was discounted. In the end, it was the British who were desperate for peace. This is the story of the Revolutionary War and how it produced a country forged on freedom.

Roots of the Revolution

Tammy Gagne (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690662

Most people have heard Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Many also know that this famous ride took place the night before the American Revolution began. But do you know about the events that led up to this important war in our nation's history? The British colonies fought for their independence from England for a number of reasons-including taxation without representation in England's Parliament. Within this book, you will learn exactly what drove the colonists to wage war against their mother country-and also what helped them gain important advantages even before war broke out.

Renaissance Italy

Wayne Wilson (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690501

An awakening, a rebirth called the Renaissance, changed Europe and the world from the 14th to the 16th century. The movement influenced all parts of society-art, science, architecture, literature, religion, politics, economics, and philosophy. Florence, Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance, thrived in its dynamic climate. Like most of the poor, this movement did not affect Antonia. She still roamed the streets barefoot with other kids begging for bread. However, things changed when she became a servant in the palace of the Medici, the most powerful family in the region. Let's travel back to 15th-century Florence and visit Antonia who is anxious to tell about her life and Renaissance Italy.

Ming Dynasty China

Bonnie Hinman (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690464

Liu Chi is ten years old and lives in China. It is the year 1585, and the era of the Ming Dynasty, which was one of the most exciting times to live in China. Liu Chi has to go to school, do chores, and get along with his brothers and sisters just like kids do today. He lives in Peking, which is now called Bejiing. Come along with Liu as he leads you through the narrow streets of the city to see the sights. There is a grand procession headed by Emperor Wanli to watch and a visit to the sweets shop. You will also make a stop in a park to see a puppet show and climb a tree to peer over the wall around the mysterious Forbidden City. Join Liu Chi for a trip back in time.

The Spanish Empire: The Inquisition

Tamra Orr (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690488

Life in Spain was peaceful and simple for Rifka and her family, until Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand made a new decision for the country. Eager to bring the kingdoms closer, the royals felt everyone should share the same religion. Jews and Muslims were forced to convert-or leave. Explore Rifka's world as she, her brother, and her parents, decide to leave their homeland behind and head into the unknown. Along the way, you will meet the cloaked familiars, cruel men determined to get confessions no matter what they have to do, on the orders of the teenaged king and queen. Spain, in all its beauty, will never be the same after this, and Rifka's family will bring you along on the journey.

Ancient Egypt

Amy Tiehel (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624691263

Come visit Ancient Egypt, the land of sand and soil! What was it like to be a kid in this long ago land? Did you go to school? What games would you play? What was family life like? Pharaohs, pyramids, hieroglyphs, mummies, and more wait to be discovered by you, so let's take a trip to Ancient Egypt!

Medieval England

Ann Tatlock (author)

Publisher: Purple Toad Publishing ISBN: 9781624690006

Imagine living in the days of castles and knights, lords and ladies, minstrels and troubadours! Medieval life was full of the stuff of legends, but at the same time, the people of the Middle Ages often endured plagues, famine, war, and other hardships. Even during times of peace and prosperity, their days were long and their work was hard. Let's travel back in time to Medieval England where ten-year-old William will show us what daily life was like in a fourteenth-century English city. This Core Curriculum aligned, library bound book is by award winning author Ann Tatlock.