New Releases by Russell Freedman

Publisher Description

Follows the lives of the Wright brothers and describes how they developed the first airplane.

Examines the importance of the buffalo in the lore and day-to-day life of the Indian tribes of the Great Plains and describes hunting methods and the uses found for each part of the animal that could not be eaten.

"The author of a splendid, Newbery Award-winning Lincoln (1987) uses a similar approach to another monumental figure. The result is a carefully researched biography, extended by a wealth of well-chosen b&w photos presented with clarity and precision . . . easily the best biography of its subject available at this level".--Kirkus Reviews, pointer review. 125 archival photos and prints. NCTE Orbis Pictus Award; ALA Notable Children's Book; YASD Best Book for Young Adults; Booklist Editors' Choice; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; IRA Teachers' Choice; School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; Booklist Editors' Choice.

A narrative biography of six native leaders facing an historical moment of crisis, by award-winning historian Russell Freedman As pioneers began to head westward in the mid-1800s, they came in contact with the native inhabitants of those territories—a meeting that was often peaceful at first, until white settlers began to lay claim to the land and the United States government built forts to defend them. It was up to the leaders of these western tribes to decide how to react—whether to cooperate peacefully, agreeing to live on ever-shrinking reservations granted to them, or to fight back and defend their right to the lands they'd always lived on. Illustrated with numerous historical photographs and prints, Indian Chiefs tells the stories of six western chiefs who led their people through this turbulent time. The biography focuses on Red Cloud of the Oglala Sioux, Satanta of the Kiowas, Quanah Parker of the Comanches. Washakie of the Shoshoni, Joseph of the Nez Perce, and Sitting Bull of the Hunkpapa Sioux. Meticulously researched, this narrative account of the lives of these early leaders balances contemporary historical accounts with more recent reflections, focusing on the choices leaders made in these times of crisis and how these conflicts shaped our modern nation. ALA Notable Book ALA Best Book of the Year for Young Adults

A physical description of sharks and a discussion of their methods of hunting, details of birth, and their usefulness to humans.

Describes the characteristics, habits, and behavior of the rattlesnake, a type of pit viper found only in the Americas, but especially in the United States and Mexico.

Explains the recent discovery of the fossilized remains of duckbill dinosaur eggs and the young which hatched from them, and conjectures that some dinosaurs may have cared for their young.

Historical photographs with explanatory text present a picture of life in the American West between 1850 & 1890.

Discusses some interesting and unusual animal behavior such as hibernation, homing instincts, and elephants' "burial" of their dead.

Introduces some dangerous sea creatures and describes the ways they kill.

Describes the offspring of eleven familiar farm animals including a calf, piglet, and foal.

Text and photographs describe animal weapons, including sprays, quills, teeth, claws, horns, poisons, and stings.

Discusses defense tactics used by young animals and their parents including different types of shelters, signals, camouflage, and bluffs.

An introduction to bird flight which includes a discussion of bird anatomy, feathers, and air currents and a comparison with airplane flight.

A brief description of the various ways different animals transport their young.

Describes the games that different young animals play for fun and to help develop skills and strength needed for adulthood.

Describes the first days of life for a codfish, turtle, sea gull, robin, wolf, elephant, dolphin, and chimpanzee.

Discusses the history of brain research in the areas of memory, senses, thinking, behavior and sleep.

Describes the homes of insects, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Describes scientific investigations of innate behavior patterns to determine why animals respond as they do.

Discusses the difference between animal instinct and learning and describes the various methods by which the intelligence of different animals is studied.

The history of Scouting and the exciting biography of the founder of the Boy Scout movement are told in a fast-moving story.

Describes the life of the dramatist and author who, in the 19th century, wrote of jet planes, submarines, trips to the moon, and solar energy.