From Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben to the Jolly Green Giant and Ronald McDonald, corporate icons sell billions of dollars’ worth of products. But only one of them was ever a real person—Colonel Sanders of
Sun Ra said he came from Saturn. Known on earth for his inventive music and extravagant stage shows, he pioneered free-form improvisation in an ensemble setting with the devoted band he called the “Ar
A son of poor Jamaican immigrants who grew up in Depression-era Harlem, Harry Belafonte became the first black performer to gain artistic control over the representation of African Americans in commer
For nearly a hundred years, young women have competed for the title of Miss America—although what it means to wear the crown and be our “ideal” has changed dramatically over time. The Miss America Pag
In December 1974, a front-page story in the New York Times revealed the explosive details of illegal domestic spying by the Central Intelligence Agency. This included political surveillance, eavesdrop
Christianity takes an astonishing variety of forms in America, from churches that cherish traditional modes of worship to evangelical churches and fellowships, Pentecostal churches, social-action chur
Starting in the 1950s, Americans eagerly built the planet’s largest public work: the 42,795-mile National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. Before the concrete was dry on the new roads, howev
Recent movements such as the Tea Party and anti-tax “constitutional conservatism” lay claim to the finance and taxation ideas of America’s founders, but how much do we really know about the dramatic c
Ever since the Warren Commission concluded that a lone gunman assassinated President John F. Kennedy, people who doubt that finding have been widely dismissed as conspiracy theorists, despite credible
From his celebrated appearance, hatchet in hand, in Parson Mason Locke Weems’s Life of Washington to Booth Tarkington’s Penrod, the all-American boy was an iconic figure in American literature for wel
The world runs on the U.S. dollar. From Washington to Beijing, governments, businesses, and individuals rely on the dollar to conduct commerce and invest profitably and safely--even after the global f
From the arrival of English settlers in the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, American society was rooted in British Puritanism. Although whispers of that earlier Puritanical society remain, to
Get ready to discover the wonderful world of reptiles with this tactile handbook.How long can turtles live? Is a Komodo Dragon really a dragon? From iguanas to cobras and everything in between, this b
Discover the fascinating world of snakes with this tactile handbook packed with scientific facts and incredible images of the world’s most sssensational reptile.How big is a boa constricto
Experience the wonder of the moon landing with Discovering Planets and Moons: The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Edition!Experience the wonder of the moon landing with Discovering Planets a
Packed with stunning illustrations and cool facts, the Discovering Great White Sharks Handbook allows you to dive deep alongside everyone’s favorite predator.Make a splash this summer with the D
Featuring massive mazes, spider-ific stickers, and fun foldouts, this book is the bee’s knees.Exterminate boredom with the massive mazes, spider-ific stickers, and fun foldouts in the Discoverin
Explore the farthest reaches of the universe from the comfort of your living room with the Discovering Moons Handbook.Ever wondered how many moons Jupiter has? Want to know how big our moon is? Then t
Get ready to visit the surface of Earth’s next-door neighbor with the Discovering Mars Handbook.Get ready to visit the surface of Earth’s next-door neighbor with the Discovering Mars Handb
“The Land of Lincoln,” Illinois is a state of firsts: the first to ratify the 13th amendment, the first to install electric street lighting throughout an entire city, and the first to build a skyscrap
New York may conjure up images of impossibly tall rising metal skyscrapers, but the state is so much more than that. North of the heavy metropolitan sprawl lies a lush, mountainous region famous for i
Flattened by glaciers, its landscape is a grand plateau. There are over 1,000 lakes dotting the flat plains and low rolling hills. Here is where you will find America's amber waves of grain: Indiana.
An innocuous peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod became a landmark for early American exploration. When the Pilgrims landed, they transformed a quiet sandy shore into the birthplac
At last! Everyone's favorite no-nonsense powerhouse, America Chavez, gets her own series! Critically acclaimed young-adult novelist Gabby Rivera and all-star artist Joe Quinones unite to shine a solo
