Jhonny Peralta has had an amazing baseball career. He's played in playoff series and in the All-Star Game. He's won awards and made millions of dollars. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Peralta dreamed of playing under stadium lights wearing an MLB uniform. Today, Peralta has lived those dreams. Read about Peralta's path from the Dominican Republic to the Major Leagues. Discover how Peralta worked hard to reach his goals while staying true to himself.
Hanley Ramírez has become one of baseball's biggest stars. The young player has only been in the Majors since 2005, but he's already done many things other players only dream of doing. He was named Rookie of the Year, he's played in the All-Star Game three times, he has won awards, and he's made millions playing in the Major Leagues. Read about Ramírez's journey from the Dominican Republic to the MLB. Learn how Ramírez became the player fans love to watch today!
Today, José Valverde is one of baseball's best relief pitchers. Valverde has pitched in the All-Star game. He's won awards and made millions of dollars. Valverde even had a perfect regular season in 2011! Valverde's path to finding success in the MLB was a long one, though. He had to work hard to make it to where he is today. Read how Valverde started playing baseball thanks to his uncle, former MLB pitcher José Mercedes. Learn about Valverde's success in the minor leagues and find out how he became one of baseball's best pitchers.
Carlos González is a baseball star that crosses borders. He appears in games in Venezuela and in the United States, winning fans everywhere. "Cargo," as he's known to fans, has made an impression on the baseball world. Singles, doubles, homeruns--González keeps the other team on their toes. González is still at the beginning of his career, so who knows what he'll do next. His awards are adding up, and he's sure to win more awards and honors in the future.
Francisco Cordero--or "Coco", as his fans and teammates know him--is a top-notch pitcher. He strikes out batters with his fastballs and sliders. He's racked up a lot of saves over the years as a closing pitcher for teams like the Rangers, the Brewers, and the Reds. Although when Cordero was a child, his family struggled with poverty, Cordero now does his part to help others who are struggling. He's a Big League player with character!
Adrián Beltré has had an amazing career in baseball. Since starting in the Majors in 1998, he has become one of baseball's best players. He's won many awards for fielding and batting, he's played in the All-Star Game, and he even won the Babe Ruth Home Run Award. Beltré is an amazing baseball star! Find out how Beltré became the player fans know today. Discover the story of how Beltré became one of baseball's best players!
In the past ten years, Albert Pujols has become one of the brightest stars in the baseball world. He's broken records and won awards--and all the while he achieved his dreams, he held on tight to his faith and his family. He became the player he is today by working hard and always doing his best. Get a glimpse of Albert's life, from his childhood in the Dominican Republic all the way through his amazing career in Major League Baseball. Find out what it takes to be a superstar!
Ubaldo Jiménez has become one of the most popular pitchers in Major League Baseball. Many fans believe he could become one of the all-time great pitchers. Jiménez hasn't been in baseball long, but he's already had an amazing career. He's played in the All-Star Game, pitched in the playoffs, won awards, and even pitched a no-hitter. Learn about Jiménez's journey from the Dominican Republic to the Major Leagues. Find out how his family played a part in making Jiménez the man he is today.
Miguel Tejada is a Big League baseball player who has been part of teams like the Oakland As, the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros, the San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants. He grew up far away from these teams, however, in a poor nation in the Caribbean Sea. Today, he's a superstar in the baseball world, a fast and powerful player who never lets his teammates down. Find out how he traveled so far . . . from the Dominican Republic all the way to the Major Leagues!
Juan Uribe has come a long way from his roots in the Dominican Republic. He's played in two World Series, and he earns millions of dollars every year. But it's his roots that still make him strong. Uribe is proud of his homeland--and his homeland is proud of him! Read about Juan Uribe's life. Find out what it takes to be a baseball superstar!
Vladimir Guerrero has had a great career in baseball. He's played in the All-Star Game. He's won awards and made millions. He won the Home Run Derby--and he's even been on the cover of a video game! Learn about Guerrero's life growing up in the Dominican Republic, and then read about his path through the minor leagues to the Majors. Discover the story of how a Dominican boy went from dreaming about playing baseball . . . to playing in the Major Leagues.
Alfonso Soriano has had a great career in baseball. He has won two World Series and played in the All-Star Game seven times. He's even part of the 40-40 club for hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in one season. Not many baseball players can say they've done the things that Soriano has! Learn about Soriano's path from playing baseball in the Dominican Republic to making it in the Major Leagues. Explore the life story of one of baseball's most successful players!
Not many baseball players are as famous as Alex Rodriguez. All around the world, baseball fans know the name "A Rod." He has been playing baseball in the Major Leagues for more than fifteen years, and in that time, he's played in the All-Star Game fourteen times. He's been named Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times, and he's won a World Series. Rodriguez has done just about everything in baseball! Learn about one of baseball's biggest stars. Find out how A Rod became the player fans know today.
Hanley Ramírez se ha convertido en una de las más grandes estrellas del béisbol. El joven jugador solo ha pertenecido a las Mayores desde el 2005, pero ya ha hecho muchas cosas que otros jugadores sueñan con hacer. Ramírez fue nombrado el Novato del Año, ha jugado en el Juego de las Estrellas tres veces, ha recibido premios, y ha ganado millones. Lea sobre la travesía de Ramírez desde la República Dominicana hasta llegar a las Ligas Mayores. Conozca cómo Ramírez se convirtió en el jugador que a los fans les encanta ver jugar hoy por hoy. Aprenda la historia de como un chico dominicano se convirtió en una de las nuevas estrellas del béisbol.
Plácido Polanco has worked hard to reach his dreams in baseball. He's played in the World Series and in the All-Star Game. He's known for his amazing glove and great defense. Learn about Polanco's journey from playing baseball in the Dominican Republic to making it in the Major Leagues. Discover the life story of one of baseball's hardest-working players!
Robinson Canó has had an amazing life in baseball. He's won the World Series. He's played in All-Star Games, won awards, and made millions of dollars. He's played for one of baseball's most popular teams, the New York Yankees. He's even won the Home Run Derby. Read how Canó learned to love baseball from his father, José. Follow Canó's journey from playing baseball in a Dominican high school to playing in the Major Leagues. Explore the life of one of baseball's biggest stars--and find out how he went from big dreams to the big leagues.
Baseball fans around the world know "Big Papi." David Ortiz is one of the greatest baseball players in the world. He's broken records and won awards, and his face is seen in magazines and on television. At the same time, he's built both a family and a charitable foundation. David is living out the dreams he had when he was growing up in the Dominican Republic. Read David's story--and find out how he traveled from the Dominican Republic all the way to the Big Leagues. Discover how he came to be the Big Papi that fans adore!
You may turn on the CD player or the radio when you want to hear music, but once, in the days before modern technology, music was enjoyed whenever groups of people got together. You probably know some folk songs, a song that was passed along from person to person. Learn about: types of folk songs; folk instruments; folk music's European and African roots; Cajun music; the music of Appalachia; Hispanic music; and today's folk music. Modern music - Rock, Country, R&B, and more - is rooted deep in North Americas musical folklore. And folk music is still alive and well today.
Did you know that if you drop a spoon, someone will kiss you soon? Did you ever hear that three spiders crawling on the wall are a sign you will soon hear of a death? Or did you know that if rabbits play in a dusty road, rain is on its way? These beliefs are folk customs found in North America. Discover more, including: ways to predict the future; weather lore; and good luck superstitions. Folklore is shared through customs and traditions. These are patterns that shape our lives. Even in today's world, we still depend on these old ways to make sense out of life.
Do you know who started the first volunteer fire company in the United States? Do you know who the first woman firefighter was? Or did you know that firefighters trace their heritage back to the knights of the Crusades? Sirens and Smoke is full of stories of bravery and tradition. You'll read about: the brave guards who fought fire in ancient Greek and Roman communities; the long-ago firefighters who battled the great fires that swept through Europe's big cities; the community spirit that grew in the New World. the African Americans; the women who added their strengths to fighting fires; and September 11, 2001, when firefighters demonstrated their heroism. Fire can be an enemy - but down through the ages, firefighters have risked their lives to protect others against it. Their folklore reveals a long tradition of courage.
A patchwork quilt . . . a handmade mandolin . . . a rag doll . . . a wooden chair - all these things are examples of folk arts and crafts. They are useful objects that are also beautiful. Learn about various kinds of folk art, including: furniture; toys; religious objects; musical instruments; and quilts, clothes, and other fabric arts. In folk traditions, art is a part of everyday life. And people still enjoy folk art today.
Special days are times for fun and togetherness. They also link us to the Earth's seasons, and they help us keep track of how time passes. Most of all, they are deeply rooted in folk tradition. Learn more about: the winter holidays, like Christmas and Hanukkah; spring celebrations like Easter and Asian New Year; fall festivals, like Halloween and the Day of the Dead; and summer celebrations, like the Fourth of July. Holidays and festivals draw us together. They remind us of who we are, where we come from, and what we believe. As we travel through the year, folk festivals give us strength. And they make life more fun!
Have you ever played cards on a rainy afternoon? Do you and your friends play jump rope, play hide-and-go-seek, or play Red Rover? If you did, then you were enjoying a folk game. Learn more about these games, including the long history behind: face cards; tag; hide-and-go-seek; some board games; and baseball. Games help us deal with life. They give us physical exercise. They challenge our minds . . . and most of all they fill our lives with fun.
Have you heard these common proverbs? Let sleeping dogs lie. Where there's smoke, there's fire. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Or what about these riddles? What is black and white and red (read) all over? Why did the chicken cross the road? Why is 6 afraid of 7? Proverbs and riddles are tiny, bite-size pieces of folklore. They make us think. They tease our brains. They may make us laugh. But most of all, they tell us something about who we are and how we see the world.
Have you heard of Anansi, the mischief-making spider from Africa? Do you know about the Blackfoot woman who married a star? Or have you heard stories about Jack, the hero who always wins both the treasure and the princess's heart? Discover stories from North America's folklore, including tales about: why the world is the way it is; heroes and fools; ghosts and horrors; and death and the world to come. Stories have power. They share the wisdom of other generations. They stir our imagination. They give us hope and courage. And sometimes they just make us laugh!
