Jim Whiting

Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany, to a family that lived in extreme poverty. Yet by the time of his death he had become one of the most financially successful classical music composers who ever lived. It wasn't easy. His family had to move several times while Hannes (as he was nicknamed) was still a boy. He had to go to work when he was just 13, playing the piano in rough waterfront taverns in Hamburg. Often he wouldn't come home until...

In this gripping biography of Michelangelo, learn what influenced his art and his actions, and find out why he is still important today.

More than 3,500 years ago, people on the Greek island of Calliste had a very good life. They enjoyed lots of sunshine, had plenty of food, and lived in large homes. They even had running water and flush toilets. There was only one problem: Calliste was actually a volcano. Around 1650 BCE, the volcano erupted, blowing out the center of the island and creating a large bay. What was left of Calliste was buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash. Though...

For more than 100 years, the name of Johann Sebastian Bach has been considered among the most highly regarded of all composers. The holy cantor church musician has been written about in many books. So, it might be difficult for some of us to imagine, but for several generations after his death, Bach had been forgotten. What remained of his vast number of works gathered dust in private collections or distant archives. Many of his works were discarded;...

Moses is probably the most important figure in the Old Testament of the Bible. Born into a Hebrew family, he was rescued from a cruel death and raised in the court of the Pharaoh. But after killing an Egyptian, he fled into the desert. Many years later, God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush. He ordered Moses to go back to Egypt and lead the Hebrews out of bondage and into the Promised Land. It wasn't easy. The Hebrews spent many years...

Tells the story of the American Revolution in narrative form using primary source documents from this time period.

Bloodsucking vampires. Hungry, howling werewolves. Brain-eating zombies. Are you scared yet? Get ready for some spine-tingling excitement as you read all about these Scary Monsters.

Retells the story of Hercules and his twelve labors, with for your information pages that explain the history and characters involved in the myth.