Böcker av Billie Holladay Skelley

Hypatia of Alexandria was one of the most brilliant women who lived in the ancient world. Born in Alexandria, Egypt in the fourth century CE, Hypatia lived in a time when few girls learned to read or write. Women were expected to marry, to run a household, and to raise children. Hypatia's father, Theon, however, educated her as if she were his son, not his daughter. Theon raised Hypatia in a stimulating environment of science, learning, and exploration. A curious and dedicated student, Hypatia became a gifted mathematician, a talented astronomer, and a brilliant philosopher. She also was an inspirational orator and teacher, and her students traveled from distant lands to hear her speak. Known for both her beauty and her intellect, Hypatia was an independent spirit who challenged the prevailing ideas of her time regarding what it was to be female. Alexandria, however, was a city that was increasingly being enveloped in a web of political and religious struggles. Hypatia eventually was caught in this web, and her life ended tragically, but she has become a symbol of courage, learning, and intellectual freedom.

Children's Biography--the life of Bass Reeves. Bass Reeves started life as a slave, but he grew up to be one of the most respected lawmen in the West. In 1875, Judge Isaac C. Parker hired Reeves as a deputy U.S. marshal because he knew Reeves was familiar with the terrain of Indian Territory, was on friendly terms with several Native American tribes, and could speak their languages-three factors that were extremely advantageous for tracking down criminals in such a lawless, sprawling region.

Children's Biography: As an aviation pioneer, Ruth Law was one of the most daring, courageous, and successful aviators of her time. She established several new flight records, and in 1916, she inspired the nation with a bold and historic flight. Ruth Law showed the world that women could be inspiring leaders and superb pilots.

Luella Agnes Owen was a female pioneer in the fields of speleology, geography, and geology. She viewed these three disciplines not as separate sciences, but as three branches of a scientific trinity-and she devoted much of her life to this trinity. Owen had to overcome many obstacles and defy some of the conventions of her time to become a scientist, but she became one of the world's leading authorities on caves at a time when such a career was unusual for a woman. She is believed to have explored more caves than any other woman, and more than most men, of her time.

Children's Biography: A remarkable engineer, inventor, and pilot, Hugh Armstrong Robinson performed many first-flight feats and was one of the most successful aviators of his time. His concept for quickly decelerating a plane by catching a cable was so successful it is still used today. Robinson devoted his life to advancing the field of aviation and to making the dream of human flight a reality.