california

As one of America's most notorious prisons, Alcatraz has been a significant part of California's history for over 155 years. The small, lonely rock, known in sea charts by its Spanish name "Isla de los Alcatraces," or "Island of Pelicans," lay essentially dormant until the 1850s, when the military converted the island into a fortress to protect the booming San Francisco region. Alcatraz served as a pivotal military position until the early 20th century and in 1934 was converted into a federal penitentiary to house some of America's most incorrigible prisoners. The penitentiary closed in 1963, and Alcatraz joined the National Park Service system in 1972. Since then, it has remained a popular attraction as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The last remaining orange tree on a Southern California street brings together neighbors of all ages as they face their problems and anxieties, including the possibility that a mysterious stranger is a threat to their tree.

Sixth-grader Annabelle spends autumn coping with competing groups of friends at school, her mother's pre-wedding stress, learning to get along with a cute stepbrother-to-be, and such momentous events as wearing her first bra and learning to shave her legs.

Twelve-year-old Amelia Forrester arrives in San Francisco with her family in 1851 and dresses like a boy in the mostly-male town, cutting her hair and wearing a cap to work as a newsboy in order to sell Eastern newspapers and participate in the biggest stories of the day.

In 1881, the scrappy, rough-and-tumble baseball team in a California mining town enlists the help of a quick-witted twelve-year-old orphan and the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid to win a big game against the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings.

An account of Levi Strauss' creation of blue jeans in the mid-1800s in response to the demand from gold miners in California for sturdy pants. Presented in graphic format.

In 1949, thirteen-year-old Francine goes to Catholic school in Los Angeles where she becomes best friends with a girl who questions authority and is frequently punished by the nuns, causing Francine to question her own values.

While spending the summer in California with her movie-star grandmother, fifteen-year-old Kat reluctantly agrees to impersonate the aging actress in the hopes of helping her land an important movie role.

Presents a photographic chronicle of the 1930s, focusing on Depression and the dust storms that crippled the Great Plains, and looks at the effects of the twin disasters on American society and domestic policy.

Follows the adventures of a dog who is part wolf as he eventually makes his peace with man in the wilderness of northern Canada. Includes illustrations, maps, photographs, and diagrams as well as explanations of history, geography, popular culture, social customs, and other aspects of life during the nineteenth century.