Houghton Mifflin Online Leveled Books

Confucius was a philosopher in ancient China who championed family loyalty and treating others with respect. This teacher struggled to bring about reforms, such as basing a politician?s right to govern upon ability not privilege?a revolutionary idea 2,500 years ago.

Law would have been the obvious career choice for Attorney Grimm?s sons Jacob and Wilhelm. However, the brothers found their true calling in writing stories?folktales recorded exactly as common people recounted them. Devoted to family and the tales they hoped would restore German pride, the brothers? literary legacy lives today.

Regarded as one of the founders of both modern science and modern astronomy, Galileo Galilei lived over 400 years ago. At that time, the Church strictly controlled how people thought about the universe. Galileo used scientific thinking to challenge the Church?s ideas about science and the universe. This caused him great trouble, but today many of Galileo?s theories are accepted as scientific fact.

The country of Burma, also known as Myanmar, is led by a strict military government. Inspired by her father, the founder of modern Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi uses peaceful means to promote political and social change. Her peaceful resistance led to house arrest. Still, Suu Kyi continues to symbolize hope to people around the world.

India?s monsoons?friend or enemy? Depending on their direction, the warm winds bring flood or drought, rich farmland or barren desert. Monsoons play an integral part in the India of yesterday and today, and some worry that the southwest monsoon may be drying up.

Space exploration has become a global, cooperative venture with the ISS, International Space Station. Initiated in 1998, this station is run with funds and crews from many nations. The physical challenges of living in space require cooperation, as crew members strive to unlock the mysteries of space.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott began when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus. Others joined the effort to protest the segregation law, and the boycott lasted 381 days and resulted in an important victory for civil rights.

Who would have guessed that Louise Arner Boyd, early twentieth century heiress, would choose arctic exploration over parties? Deeply moved by her first sight of the Arctic Ocean, a determined Boyd trained for months for her first expedition. Boyd completed nearly thirty years of exploration?a true pioneer who defied social conventions to live a rich, full life.

After the 1974 famine in Bangladesh, Professor Muhammad Yunus created the Grameen Bank. It unprecedentedly granted small loans to poverty-stricken business people there. Since then, the unusual lending policies of Yunus and Grameen Bank have helped people around the world.

The Aztec empire existed in Mexico between 1325 and 1521. Montezuma was the 9th emperor of the empire. Corte?s came to Mexico and conquered the Aztecs in 1521. There are still examples of the Aztec culture in Mexico today.