Discover the man behind the magic and see how Houdini pulled off his most daring escapes Before Harry Houdini (1874-1926) became the greatest magician in the world, he was just little Ehrich Weisz, a Hungarian-born immigrant who moved to America with his family and performed stage tricks for a little extra cash. He started off with card tricks and then eventually began performing the escape acts that would make him famous. Known for his daring and...

"Before he led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, Ferdinand Magellan [1480-1521] was a Portuguese noble who dreamed of adventure. After years of sailing, he was chosen to lead a crew to circle the globe--a trip that no other ship had ever completed. Though Magellan died in combat in the Philippines before he could finish the voyage, his ship made it around the world, and he is still known as one of the greatest explorers."--Back cover....

A biography of the international superstar and feminist icon covers Beyoncé's Texas childhood, achievements as a member of Destiny's Child, meteoric solo career, and influence as an equal-rights activist.

Meet the woman who changed music forever and showed that girls can run the world! Before she was an international superstar and feminist icon, Beyoncé was a girl from Texas who loved to sing and dance. As a member of Destiny's Child, she climbed the charts and became a member of one of the most famous girl groups in history. This launched Beyoncé into her solo career, and since then, she's become an unstoppable force in music and pop culture. Beyond...

"Before he was the first Black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was a boy with a traditional Thembu upbringing. He went on to study law and become involved with African nationalist politics. The government had established an apartheid (a system of segregation that privileged white people), and Mandela worked to overthrow this system. He was arrested, accused of treason, and thrown in jail. When he was released, Mandela negotiated an end to...