Tricia Martineau Wagner

The word cowboy conjures up vivid images of rugged men on saddled horses, men lassoing cattle, riding bulls, or brandishing guns in a shoot-out. White men, as Hollywood remembers them. What is woefully missing from these scenes is their counterparts: the black cowboys who made up one-fourth of the wranglers and rodeo riders. This book tells their story. When the Civil War ended, black men left the Old South in large numbers to seek a living in the...

From a riverboat worker who dressed as a woman to the abolitionist who died for his beliefs, It Happened on the Underground Railroad offers a gripping look at heroic individuals who became a part of the famous "road" to freedom. Read about Peter Still, a former slave who came to the Philadelphia Antislavery Society in search of his family, only to discover that the man sitting in front of him was his brother. Meet the individuals who may have inspired...

Describes real animals and their wacky quirks, whether incredible, funny, or just plain gross, from vultures vomiting roadkill at would-be attackers to naked mole rats who run just as fast backwards as they do forwards.

It Happened on the Oregon Trail [2nd ed.] takes readers on a rollicking, behind-the-scenes look at some of the characters and episodes from the Oregon Trail's storied past. Including both famous tales, and famous names--and little-known heroes, heroines, and happenings.