New Releases by Rhoda Blumberg

In 1853, few Japanese people knew that a country called America even existed. For centuries, Japan had isolated itself from the outside world by refusing to trade with other countries and even refusing to help shipwrecked sailors, foreign or Japanese. The country's people still lived under a feudal system like that of Europe in the Middle Ages. But everything began to change when American Commodore Perry and his troops sailed to the Land of the Rising Sun, bringing with them new science and technology, and a new way of life.

Publisher Description

Any person who leaves the country to go to another and later returns will be put to death. This was the law in Japan in the early 1800s. When fourteen-year-old Manjiro, working on a fishing boat to help support his family, was shipwrecked three hundred miles away from his homeland, he was heartbroken to think that he would never again be able to go home. So when an American whaling boat rescued him, Manjiro decided to do what no other Japanese person had ever done: He went to America, where he received an education and took part in events that eventually made him a hero in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Discusses the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and the political maneuverings of Napoleon and Jefferson that made it possible.

Influenced both by the Gold Rush and the Civil War, America came to realize that a link to the far West was vital. In the mid-1800s, the Union Pacific railroad company, along with their rival, the Central Pacific company, raced to cover the most ground before meeting at Promontory Summit, Utah in 1869. Blumberg vividly evokes the people, places, danger and perseverance surrounding an American milestone. Over 70 period illus. Young Adult.

Describes the expedition led by Lewis and Clark to explore the unknown western regions of America at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

How bloomers helped to spread the word about women's rights.

Jumbo, with his friend and trainer Matthew Scott, the giant African elephant leaves his home at the London Zoo and becomes part of the P.T. Barnum Circus.

An account of the historic adventures and achievements of the great British explorer and discoverer of Australia, Hawaii, and other Pacific Ocean lands and peoples.

Describes the emigration of people from the East Coast of the United States and from foreign countries to California to pursue the dream of discovering gold.

A detailed travel guide outlining travel arrangements, moon history, places of interest, and other pertinent information for lunar visitors.

A humorous dictionary of real and imaginary monsters of the world throughout history.

Clears up common misconceptions about animals, plants, history, inventions, health, food, sports, weather, and the human body.

Describes an imaginary voyage of the submarine Sea Dragon to the ocean bottom, where many strange sea creatures are observed in their natural environment.

Recounts the origins and history of devils and demons and their dealings with mankind, including sorcery, witchcraft, exorcism, and devil worship.

An assortment of unusual miscellanea, compiled under the headings Pets, Habits, Inventions, Color, Laws, Fads and Fashion, Money, and Hoaxes.

Explores the history, economy, social structure, and future prospects of these five southern African countries.

UFO sightings are traced from earliest times to the present with explanations presented in terms of natural phenomena or military and scientific activities.

Introduces the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of different varieties of sharks.

Compares real animals commonly found in backyards with imagined monsters of long ago.

Describes witches and witchcraft in history and in fiction from ancient times up to the modern resurgence of the "witch business."

Discusses famine, its causes, how new technology can be applied to food production, and how people throughout the world can cooperate to alleviate starvation.

Brief biographies of the women who have been First Ladies of the United States.

Discusses fire fighting techniques and equipment and explains some different kinds of fires.