New Releases by James Lincoln Collier

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. The volumes in this collection explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. This collection features six books in the Drama of American History series, covering American history from prehistoric Native American life and culture through the Federalist era of the late eighteenth century: Pilgrims and Puritans: 1620–1676 The French and Indian War: 1660–1763 The Paradox of Jamestown: 1585–1700 Clash of Cultures: Prehistory–1638 The American Revolution: 1763–1783 Building a New Nation: The Federalist Era, 1789–1801

At fourteen, Fergy is tired of his family''s life style. He''s tired of living in a van with his parents, J. P. and Gussie, and his younger sister, Ooma. He''s sick of peddling honey and pamphlets of his father''s writings. And most of all he hates stealing things, even though J. P. says it''s all right to "reclaim" necessities from society. Fergy listens to J. P. talk about the evils of "the system," and gradually Fergy realizes that he no longer believes or respects his father. In fact, Fergy longs more than anything to be a part of that system! One day, when Fergy''s father steals a motor home from an elderly couple who have befriended them, Fergy knows the time has come to act. He''s fed up, and he has to escape. Early one morning, with Ooma in tow, Fergy runs away. Gussie''s wealthy parents live in Boston, and Fergy hopes that if he can find them, he and Ooma can have the "regular and normal" life he longs for. How Fergy comes to grips with his relationship with his parents and his own expectations makes a provocative, at times painful, but always absorbing story about a boy''s determination to make a better life for himself.

Life for indentured servants in pioneer Virginia is hard. It is doubly hard for Richard Ayre, a London orphan who had been scooped off the streets as a child and sent to the Jamestown Colony. But a chance encounter with an Indian boy his own age gives him a friend, the first real friend he has had in years—until his master''s plan to raid an Indian village for corn turns Richard''s world upside down. Soon their friendship and loyalties will be put to the test.

To Tim Anderson, playing the guitar is as natural—and just about as important—as breathing. He''s already decided he''s going to be a musician. But his father has other career plans for him—all involving college. And now, because Tim is on the verge of flunking math, he''s been forbidden even to touch his guitar. It couldn''t have happened at a worse time. A top record company has just announced a nationwide contest for teenage rock groups—with a recording contract as first prize. Tim is sure his group, The Silver Sunshine, has a good chance of winning. Tim''s best friend, Charlie Hoving, urges him to ignore his father''s orders. But Tim just can''t do it. In spite of their disagreements, he basically likes and respects his father. So he obeys the ban (more or less)—until a crisis arises on the night of the contest ... Tim realizes his only chance to make it is to leave home and go to New York City. His decision leads to some unpleasant experience with a man named Crazy, some rude shocks from the record company executive who had given him encouragement back home, and some surprising, and confusing, discoveries while playing with a new group, The Sound System. Tim''s stubborn pursuit of his dream, and his initiation into the high-voltage world of rock music, make an exciting and absorbing story.

Back before the stock market crash, Jack’s dad had been working steadily, and their family had had plenty of money. But now, in the middle of the 1930s Depression, there isn’t much work for a trombone player—just a gig down in New York City once in a while. So fourteen-year-old Jack is doing his best to help out. He’s lucky enough to get a weekend job at the town boat club where the “rich folks” hang out, but Jack wishes his dad would at least try to get a regular job. Sometimes there isn’t even enough money to buy decent food and clothes for Jack, his sister Sally, and their young brother Henry. It’s bad enough that their mother has had a nervous breakdown and gone to live in a “home.” Now Jack and Sally are beginning to wonder how long the rest of the family will be able to stay together, with so little money coming in. Jack’s father keeps telling them to look on the bright side—his favorite song is “Happy Days Are Here Again.” But Jack isn’t sure there can be a bright side when you don’t have enough money to live decently. Then, at the boat club, Jack sees an opportunity to steal a lot of money—enough to pay the family’s back rent and keep them all together. For the first time in his life Jack is seriously tempted to steal—especially now that he realizes that his dad can’t really be depended upon, that it’s up to him to take care of the family.

Everyone in Timber Falls knows that his family is trash, and sometimes Harry White thinks he''ll always be trash. But he can''t help getting angry. After all, what had he and his sister, Helen, ever done to anybody? When he discovers the local carpet factory is polluting the river, he comes up with a bold expos├® that, if he is successful, will make people sit up and show him respect. He wants to do it alone even though he knows he''s asking for trouble. As trash, Harry''s got nothing to lose. Or does he? Gripping, disturbing, and exhilarating, When the Stars Begin to Fall reveals the hidden forces that conspire against well-meaning innocents. Harry''s desire to change himself and society is so powerful, his voice so direct and real, that listeners won''t forget his struggle for dignity. In this striking departure from the historical novels he is so well known for, James Lincoln Collier has written a powerful—even shocking—novel that challenges and defies the rhetoric of contemporary America.

Fourteen-year-old Chris Winchester is torn between two worlds. By birth, he''s part of the indomitable Winchester clan, owners of the enormous electronics factory that employs nearly everyone in town. Yet Chris''s father gave up his stake in the business to work for the Peace Corp. When he died, Chris, his mother, and his twin sisters moved into a tiny gatehouse on the Winchester estate—poor relations living on family goodwill. While his cousin Ernest is groomed to take over the family fortune, Chris attends public school and makes friends with the kids in town. He can''t understand why a crisis at his uncle''s factory makes people suddenly hate him, but a wage cut and a threatened strike have everyone''s nerves on edge. In the eyes of the townspeople, Chris is guilty by association, for he bears the Winchester name. When things turn ugly, Chris discovers that his family can get very tough. Power is like a muscle, his uncle explains, and it must be flexed to keep it strong. Chris senses that power can be used to destroy, as well. In spite of himself, Chris is drawn into the inner circle of the Winchester clan. Suddenly he realizes that part of the Winchester wealth might be his one day. Being rich sounds exciting, but his uncle''s protection is not without its price, and Chris''s conscience is uneasy. As he journeys toward adulthood he is faced with some difficult questions: Where does he belong, and whose side is he on?

When the Depression strikes America, throwing millions out of work, Petey Williamson’s family seems safe. Hadn’t the boss promised Petey’s father that he’d always have a job? But during the Depression, promises cannot always be kept, and Petey finds his family sliding rapidly into poverty. And when Petey’s much-admired cousin Steve starts working as a union organizer in the battle to improve conditions for workers, poverty turns into tragedy.

Paulie Horvath is never going to be a good student like his brother, John, never going to follow his hardworking father into the plumbing trade, never going to ease his mother''s mind by passing tests or cleaning up his room. But once he hears jazz by accident from the basement of a speakeasy, he knows exactly what he will do: learn that music and make it his life. Jazz is all around in gangland Chicago, but not so easy for a twelve-year-old to find, especially when his father disapproves of it. Paulie has to lie, beg, and steal just to get time for lessons, time to practice, time to slip across town to see stars like King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. Lies last only so long until they are found out, and a confrontation is coming. Will he choose home and family or sleazy dives with that wonderful music? To decide, Paulie has to face an even tougher question. What is jazz, after all? Author James Lincoln Collier has played and studied jazz throughout his life. Here is a novel that shows us a great moment in the history of jazz, and points at issues that still trouble us today.

Christopher Quincy was an American boy whose father admired everything British. As a result of this trait, Chris found himself trapped at St. Basket''s, an ancient London school founded—and built—in the time of Henry VIII and, Chris thought, it looked it. The corridors were dim and drafty, and the rooms of the boarding pupils, of whom Chris was one of four, were gloomy and unpretentious. Still, Chris had good company in his two roommates, Leslie Plainfield, who was English, and David Choudhry, a Pakistani. The three were close friends, which made it all the more horrifying when Chris and Leslie saw Mr. Jaggers, the games master, deliberately, so it seemed, break David''s leg with a hockey stick. Unaccountably, Mr. and Miss Grime, the school heads, refused to have a doctor for David. In the midst of apparent security and traditional British calm, a truly macabre and dangerous situation was building up. How Chris schemed desperately to get help from outside is told in the exciting and often hilarious story of a modern American boy''s courage and ingenuity.

Justin Conkey was too young to fight in the Revolution of 1776, but now it is 1787 and he is fourteen. Justin is ready to fight, even if he has only his father''s old sword to protect him. But once on the battlefield, war is not what he expected. It is dangerous and frightening and nothing makes sense. Throughout a particularly bitter winter the young man is desperate to prove that he too can be a hero—not realizing that many times heroes turn out to be just ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events, who do what comes naturally to save others regardless of risk to themselves. Insisting on joining General Daniel Shays'' group of Regulators, he lies about his age and marches with the group throughout New England. But war puts friendships and political convictions to the test.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Progressivism, the Great Depression, and the New Deal emphasizes economic trends and the role of the government in regard to the economy from the beginning of the twentieth century to America''s entry into World War II. The authors discuss the boom of the 1920s, the crash of 1929, the ensuing Depression, and the country''s response. Franklin D. Roosevelt''s "hundred days" and programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) are examined in detail. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes in the Drama of American History series explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Civil War: 1860–1865 examines the people and events involved in the bloody war that pitted the Northern states against those that seceded to form the Confederacy.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Rise of the Cities discusses the factors leading to the settlement and growth of cities in the United States and examines some of the social problems that are part of city life. The authors explore the role of technological advances, governing strategies, and social welfare.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. In Slavery and the Coming of the Civil War, the authors explain the occurrences in America during the thirty years between 1831 and 1861. This book discusses the attitudes and events that led up to and caused the Civil War in America, particularly the institution of slavery, the abolitionist movement, and the rise of Abraham Lincoln.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. Indians, Cowboys, and Farmers discusses the settling of the area between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains and the conflicting interests of the different groups involved—the Indians, cowboys, farmers, sheepherders, and railroad barons. The authors discuss the effect of the American policy of westward expansion on the Indian population, the rise and fall of the “Cattle Kingdom,” and the importance of cross-country transportation.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The United States Enters the World Stage covers the years 1867 through 1919. This book gives detailed accounts of America''s emergence as a world power from the Alaska Purchase through World War I.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. A Century of Immigration reviews the century of 1820 through 1920, in which there were two waves of immigration to the United States. This book discusses the varied motivations and nationalities of these new Americans, as well as the effects of mass immigration on the country as a whole, and the rise of antiforeign sentiments among more recent immigrants.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The United States in World War II provides background on American sentiments prior to US involvement in the war. The authors contend that it may have played out differently if some countries, including the US, had been prepared and/or willing to become involved sooner. Fascist ideology is defined.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling book aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, this volume explores far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Changing Face of American Society chronicles societal changes in the United States during the second half of the twentieth century, including the women''s movement, civil rights gains, technological innovations, and advances in medicine. This book summarizes the important themes that took place between the years 1945 and 2000 and what they mean to us now.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Reconstruction and Rise of Jim Crow describes the fallout of the Civil War, whose aftermath left the United States South angry and poor. This book details the struggles to decide how to deal with the newly freed slaves, through the years of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, sharecropping, and segregation. The story line also sets the stage for the country''s next battle, which is between the Jim Crow laws and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The United States in the Cold War examines the history of the United States from 1945 to 1989. Beginning with the effects of World War II, the narrative follows the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the rise and fall of Communism.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. In The Middle Road, the terms democrat, republican, liberal, and conservative are defined. Readers learn how these philosophies dominated and shifted during the years covered in this volume.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. Andrew Jackson''s America examines the events and personalities, particularly President Andrew Jackson, that shaped the development of the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century. Learn about the influence that Andrew Jackson had on the way America developed, the industrial revolution and the beginning of the two-party system.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Jeffersonian Republicans examines various events between 1800 and 1823 that helped to shape the United States. The Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, and important Supreme Court decisions are among the discussed events.

Hispanic America, Texas, and the Mexican War examines the history of the southwestern area of the United States. Topics covered include the settlement of the area that became the southwestern portion of the United States, detailing how it evolved from land settled by Native Americans, to Spanish territory, to states that were pawns between the North and South prior to the Civil War.

Building a New Nation chronicles the development of the new government following the signing of the Constitution. It explores the political views of the young nation''s leaders as they struggled to form a strong nation, despite the foreign and domestic dilemmas that they faced. The authors describe the beginnings of the two-party system, the administrations of the first three presidents, and key decisions by each branch of the government that shaped the future of the country.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. In Pilgrims and Puritans, the authors begin in the year 1620 in England and end in New England in the year 1676. The book recounts the religious, political, and social history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and its influence on our lives today. The narrative follows various groups of settlers from their departure from England through arrival in the New World and their often violent conflicts with the native peoples of the Americas. The authors examine a number of issues that arose in the new society that was founded and the rise and fall of the "city on a hill."

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Paradox of Jamestown discusses the circumstances surrounding English colonization of Virginia and the evolution of slavery in that colony. Beginning with an examination of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century life in England, the authors explain many of the reasons—social, political, religious, and economic—people chose to leave the Old World for a new life in the Americas. They describe the early interactions between the settlers and the Indians, the difficulties those groups had in establishing cooperative relationships, and the many difficulties the settlers had in adjusting to life in the New World. Read about the effects of the growing market for tobacco back in England, the gradual changes in how the new colony was governed, and the growing dependence on the slave trade.

History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The French and Indian War: 1660-1763 covers much more than the few years during which the English and French fought over the division of the North American continent in one of the most neglected periods of American history. In this volume in The Drama of American History series, authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier trace how England''s other rivals for control of America were eliminated over this period until the only source of conflict left would be between the British and their own colonists. This series offers a fairly unique approach to American history by focusing on core content rather than a blizzard of names and dates, giving listeners a good sense of not only what happened, but why, as England eliminated its competition.