Showing results by author "James Collier" in All Categories

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 this compelling series aimed at young listeners. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through the 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.

This is American history at its most basic. Believing that students get "lost in a swamp of factual information", the Colliers survey the essential concepts of settling the Great Plains, without a great deal of detail. For example, in describing the sequence of events that led to the Grattan Massacre, there is no mention of date, location, or names of the people involved. Without prior knowledge, listeners would not know it was the Grattan Massacre. Topics addressed include Native American history prior to contact with whites and conflicts with settlers and the military, ranching and cowboys, railroads, and reform movements.

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.

Using a narrative format, Creating the Constitution details the events leading up to the writing of the US Constitution and what American leaders went through to create it. The authors describe the conflicts between the new states and the delegates each sent to the Constitutional Convention, as well as the work that was done to resolve the many issues at hand.

> 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 16th- and 17th-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.

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 storyline also sets the stage for the country’s next battle, which is between the Jim Crow laws and the 14th and 15th Amendments.

The American Revolution examines the people and events involved in the significant war by which the 13 original colonies broke away from England. The authors explain the many sources of conflict between the Americans and the British government, how each side approached the problems, and the results of the escalating violence.

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.

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.

Char, Weddy, and Nuell are excited over their discovery on the strange planet Pleisto but also terrified, for the leader of their expedition, Professor Joher, has disappeared. Nuell and Weddy, Joher’s children, are concerned for his safety, while Char, his research assistant, feels not only worried but responsible for all of them. He realizes that these prehistoric people may have carried off the professor - and may even have killed him.

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.

History is dramatic - and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young listeners. 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.

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 exposé 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?

At 14, Fergy is tired of his family’s lifestyle. He’s tired of living in a van. He’s sick of peddling 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 respects his father. 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.

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.

It’s 1895 in New York City. Hard times have hit, and life isn’t going to get noticeably better any time soon. Almost-13-year-old Chipper Carey is running with the Midnight Rats kid gang just to survive. Ma died of consumption when he was six. He knows Ma wouldn’t have approved. But what ultimately has to matter is reality, and without the Midnight Rats, Chipper would have nothing. He’d starve. Fortunately for Chipper, fate takes over and introduces him to the wealthy Miss Sibley.

Life at Deacon Smith’s Home for Waifs would be completely dreary if it weren’t for Possum’s best friend, Billy, who “thinks up lies faster than he can talk” and provides plenty of excitement for the other boys. When Billy hears that gold is hidden in the mountains - “Great big chunks of it, some of ’em big as your fist” - he plans to escape, taking Possum with him. The two runaways embark on a journey in search of their dream - the gold that will lead to a better life.

Sneaking into the majestic house on Park Row last night and unlocking the door for the well-dressed stranger had been exciting. Still, Roger knows that what he did for Circus was wrong, especially when he learns from the newspaper that one of the inhabitants was killed. But the fifty dollars he earned is a fortune! His mother never seems to have any change left over for dinner after she buys her daily supply of liquor. And his father is in the hospital, recovering from a gunshot wound. Now Circus is asking him to pull another job.