Stephen Marchesi

"In 1995, on a four-hour-delayed train from Manchester to London, J. K. Rowling conceived of the idea of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Upon arriving in London, she began immediately writing the first book in the saga. Rowling's true-life, rags-to-riches story is as compelling as the world of Hogwarts that she created. This biography details not only Rowling's life and her love of literature but the story behind the creation of a modern classic"--...

Highlights the life and work of the nineteenth-century French Impressionist painter.

Presents the life of the legendary boxer who began his career as Cassius Clay, discussing his prowess in the ring, his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, and his life after boxing.

"Starting in the 1960s, John Lewis began his activism alongside civil rights legend and good friend Martin Luther King Jr. He participated in many now-historic events, including the 1963 March on Washington, the Freedom Rides, and the Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. John continued his impactful career when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986. He went on to serve seventeen terms until his death in 2020....

Presents the life of the folk singer and social activist, and discusses his role in the union, anti-war, civil rights, and environmental movements and the opposition he sometimes aroused for his radical views.

"It seems entirely fitting that Maurice Sendak was born on the same day that Mickey Mouse first made his cartoon debut--June 10, 1928. Sendak was crazy about cartoons and comic books, and at twelve, after seeing Disney's Fantasia, he decided that he was going to become an illustrator. His love of childrens books began early: often sick and confined to bed, little Maurice read and read and read. Though many of his own stories were light and funny,...

Describes the history of the summer Olympics, from the ancient Greek competition to the modern worldwide games, and includes historical facts, trivia, and notable Olympic athletes.

"This fascinating addition to our best-selling Who Was...? series does not settle questions of theology. Instead, it presents young readers with a biography that covers what is known historically about Jesus and places in his life in the context of his world when Jerusalem was part of the Roman Empire. In an even-handed and easy-to-read narrative, this title--illustrated with eighty black-and-white drawings--also explains the early origins of Christianity...