Aung San Suu Kyi
Burmese Politician and Activist for Democracy
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
In 2016, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi became the state counselor of Myanmar. She wasn't always given a say in her country's political affairs. She spent more than fifteen years under house arrest as punishment for speaking out against human rights abuses and promoting democracy. She then became an international symbol of peaceful resistance to oppression. Readers will learn about Suu Kyi's extraordinary struggles and accomplishments. The compelling main text, a detailed timeline, and bonus online material help students contextualize Suu Kyi's life and her impact on history.
Malala Yousafzai
Pakistani Activist for Female Education
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
The remarkable Malala Yousafzai is one of the most widely admired young women living. This biography traces her story from her youth in Pakistan's Swat Valley through her current work advocating for the rights and education of young women with the Malala Fund. Readers will learn about her struggle to get an education while living under the control of the Taliban and admire her courage in speaking out even after an assassination attempt. While there are many worthy role models, Yousafzai's age and the fact that her heroism is both recent and ongoing make her especially relatable for young readers.
Thomas Paine
Author of Common Sense
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
These are the times that try men's souls. When Thomas Paine first published these words in 1776 in The American Crisis, he had no idea that they would not only inspire Americans in the fight for independence but also resonate in tumultuous times ahead. As a journalist in Philadelphia, Paine found the power of the printed word. His pamphlet Common Sense was an early call for American independence, advocating for equality among citizens and a government free of the British monarchy. This volume provides a detailed account of Paine's heroic efforts, supplemented with a timeline.
Sophie Scholl
Student Resister and Anti-Nazi Political Activist
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
Sophie Scholl, an ambitious student with hopes for a bright future, was found guilty of treason and executed during Adolf Hitler's reign in Germany. This captivating story of a young life cut short will draw the attention of even reluctant readers as they follow her story, including her involvement as a leader in a Hitler Youth organization, participation in a secret resistance group, and subsequent arrest. Additional digital material provides readers with insight into the tumultuous time of Nazi Germany during World War II and the courage that compelled Scholl, her brother, and their friends to resist the regime.
Nelson Mandela
South African President and Anti-Apartheid Activist
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
Nelson Mandela is a courageous figure who fought against the unjust regime of apartheid in his homeland of South Africa. Despite being imprisoned for his beliefs for twenty-seven years, Mandela worked tirelessly as an activist, philanthropist, and eventually as president of South Africa. Through accessible text and historic photographs, this book chronicles Mandela's incredible life and work while providing important background information on apartheid, the African National Congress, and nonviolent resistance. Mandela's struggles and ultimate triumph over adversity will resonate with readers as a heroic example of not giving up when all the odds are stacked against you.
Rosa Parks
Civil Rights Activist
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
Shy, gentle Rosa Parks has often been characterized as an unlikely hero, but here readers will learn that her combination of gentleness and fierce determination to resist injustice made her activism inevitable. This engrossing book explores Parks' childhood experiences with racism as well as her lifetime of work in the struggle for equality to present a fully realized portrait of a woman who was much more than a timid seamstress who had had enough. Accompanying digital material offers additional information, timelines, and related biographies. This fascinating story will inspire readers to resist the injustices they encounter in their own world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Champion of Indian Independence
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
Mahatma Gandhi is among the most beloved and respected figures worldwide. This info-packed biography introduces young readers to the Mahatma and his role in the Indian independence movement. Readers will learn how protests such as the Salt March and fasting helped bring about the end of British rule in India. Particular attention is paid to Gandhi's use of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience and how inspirational his methods became to freedom fighters around the world. Also explored is the concept of ahimsa, which has deep roots in Indian religions and played a major part in shaping Gandhi's nonviolent worldview.
Henry David Thoreau
Author of "Civil Disobedience"
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
Henry David Thoreau was known for living simply, but his views and convictions were anything but. This insightful text introduces the man who, though he lived alone in the woods for part of his life, stood up against slavery and war. Readers will learn how this reclusive figure assisted with the Underground Railroad and wrote provocative essays that inspired history's most famous writers and activists. Additional digital biographies, background, and vocabulary provide background for Thoreau's story, while showing readers the palpable power of passionate, well-crafted words.
Rachel Carson
Pioneering Environmental Activist
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
In 1957, more than six thousand products made with the chemical pesticide DDT were available. Farmers used DDT for pest control on their food crops. Consumers used wallpaper laced with the pesticide to keep bugs at bay. Scientists and the government all considered DDT safe, until a thoughtful and brave woman dared to question the indiscriminate and excess use of the synthetic chemical. Rachel Carson was a writer and marine biologist. The publication of Carson's Silent Spring sounded an alarm that initiated the modern environmental movement. Carson's biography of civic courage will inspire and motivate socially conscious readers.
The 14th Dalai Lama
Spiritual Leader of Tibet
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
As the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso has endured exile, censorship, and persecution. Yet through it all he has remained a champion of freedom for the people of Tibet, and, by extension, all humankind. The history of Tibet, China relations, and tenets of Buddhism serve as a backdrop for the story of how one man, acting on deeply held beliefs and principles, has become a hero worldwide. Supplemental digital materials, including timelines, biographies, and primary source documents and visuals, interspersed throughout the book's digital version add depth and context.
Raoul Wallenberg
Swedish Diplomat and Hero of the Holocaust
Part of the Spotlight On Civic Courage: Heroes of Conscience series
Many students are fascinated with war and war heroes. During World War II, Europe was engulfed in battle, and throughout the darkness and destruction many heroes surfaced. In this engaging story, readers follow Raoul Wallenberg through war-torn Hungary on a mission to save thousands of Hungarian Jews from the horrific grips of the Nazi war machine. The accompanying digital material deepens the understanding of a complex situation and of people in impossible circumstances, with expanded information on concepts and events, bibliographies, timelines, and more.