Hameray biography series

Known as the Great Escape Artist, Harry Houdini made a name for himself for his daring magical acts. This biography traces Houdini's life from his birth in Hungary through his amazing escape acts when he became a famous performer.

"By introducing assembly lines and paying his workers fair wages, Henry Ford changed how America worked and how they got to work. But his greatest achievement was building a car almost everyone could own. "--from the publisher.

Introduces Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball. His courage, skill and determination helped change not just baseball, but also America.

Jacques Cousteau spent his life exploring the mysteries of the ocean, and sharing all that he knew with the world. Cousteau was also a pioneer in raising awareness of pollution in the ocean. This book follows Cousteau from his childhood on the coast of France, through his work with the French resistance movement during WWII, to his films and television programs, for which he was best-known.

Edmund Hillary was part of the two-man team that was the first to stand atop Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. The exciting life of the New Zealand explorer and humanitarian is captured in this biography as students follow his conquests from the highest peak to the South and North Poles.

A brief biography about Benjamin Franklin's life as an inventor, a scientist, and an American patriot.

Bill Gates made his name in the field of personal computers. With a great business sense and remarkable new ideas for technology, he built the world's largest software business, Microsoft. Through his hard work in the computer field, he became a billionaire.

A brief biography of Cesar Chavez, the Mexican American union leader who fought to get migrant farm workers better wages.

"Eleanor Roosevelt ... supported her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he was stricken with polio. She supported Americans through the hard times of the Great Depression. She worked to uphold the rights of all people, but especially the rights of women and African-Americans. It was her compassion for people all over the world that changed the role of First Lady forever."--from the publisher.

Introduces Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery. Using the Underground Railroad, she ran away to the North, where slavery was illegal. But then she risked her life by going back and helping hundreds of other slaves escape. Later, she went on to fight for voting rights for women.