Las Animas - Bent County Library District

"Reconstruction--the period after the Civil War--was meant to give newly freed Black people the same rights as white people. And indeed there were monumental changes once slavery ended--thriving new Black communities, the first Black members in Congress, and a new sense of dignity for many Black Americans. But this time of hope didn't last long and instead, a deeply segregated United States continued on for another hundred years. Find out what went...

"Shaquille O'Neal discovered his love of basketball while spending time in an afterschool program called the Boys & Girls Club of America. Standing over six feet tall by the time he turned eleven years old, Shaq--as he is affectionately known--continued to practice the game and stunned the country with his phenomenal skills. From leading his high-school team to its first-ever state title to becoming the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and going on...

"Charles (otherwise known as Sparky) Schulz always loved drawing from the time he was a young child, and as he grew older, he turned this passion into a phenomenally successful career. His early doodles of a shy boy and of his mischievous dog inspired two of his most familiar and beloved characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Here's the story about the Peanuts gang and Charles's life that's sure to excite those who love the classic cartoon series"--...

"Michelangelo created some of the world's most recognizable art, from the statue of David to the intricate ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel. Beyond his well-known painting and sculpting, he was a gifted poet and architect. Young readers can learn about the entirety of Michelangelo's life, from his time as a young apprentice, and his relationships with several Catholic popes and the Medici family, to his unwillingness to stop working into his late...

"Learn about the life and career of Olympic gold medalist and legendary snowboarder Chloe Kim."--

"In the winter of 1846-47, a group of eighty-seven pioneers heading from the Midwest to California found themselves snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range with no way forward and no food or supplies. While forty- eight of the group members survived, the others perished due to extreme weather, starvation, and illness. To survive, the remaining people resorted to extreme measures ... including cannibalism. Learn about the many miscalculations,...

"The first international women's soccer match was in 1881, but the Women's World Cup didn't become official until 1991--110 years later! Read about the courageous, soccer-loving women who worked hard to have a World Cup of their own in this addition to the Who HQ series. Young readers will learn about the history of women's soccer, star players, and iconic wins! From Team USA's record-breaking four championships to Japan's inspiring win in 2011, this...

"From 1939 to 2021, actress Betty White was one of the most beloved performers in the entertainment industry. She starred in fan-favorite television shows like The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and also blockbuster movies like Toy Story 4 and The Proposal. Over her decades-long career, Betty White won Emmy awards, was named an honorary mayor of Hollywood, earned a star on the Walk of Fame, and set the Guinness World Record for woman...

"While most athletes excel in just one sport, Jim Thorpe was different. Born in Oklahoma in 1887, he played both professional football and baseball, and ran track and field. Jim was not only a sports icon but also a trailblazer. Raised as part of the Sac and Fox tribal nation, he was the first Native American person to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States. And although his personal life was not always as successful as his career, Jim remains...

"An unusually warm winter day resulted in 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooding the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The disaster killed 21 people and injured 150 others. Rescue missions were launched to save people from the sticky and deadly mess, led by the Red Cross, the army, the navy, and the Massachusetts Nautical School. With the help of hundreds of volunteers over the course of several weeks, the streets were cleaned up....