Best Selling Books by Diane Stanley

Sweetness, one of eight orphans living with a man who is an unconventional housekeeper, learns to read and writes an important letter to improve their situation.

A biography of the tsar who began the transformation of Russia into a modern state in the late seventeenth-early eighteenth centuries.

Strange things have been happening at Franny''s new school. First it was the Jelly Worm Fad. Then came the exploding headaches that kept students home for days. When the latest creepy phenomenon lands her sister in the hospital, Franny and her new friend, Beamer, try to get to the bottom of it. Following a hunch, Franny discovers the one link that all these kids share—they''re rabid fans of I. M. Fine, author of the mega-popular Chillers series. But I. M. Fine is nowhere to be found ... or is he) Admirers of Diane Stanley''s celebrated nonfiction picture-book biographies and her critically acclaimed novel, A Time Apart, are in for a treat as she shows her playful side in this quirky, fast-paced, and humorous mystery.

William Shakespeare was the son of a glovemaker, a small-town boy with a grammar school education. Yet he grew up to become the greatest English-speaking playwright in the world. Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare is both his story and that of a great art rediscovered in the modern world. Drama had been forgotten since the days of ancient Greece, but it reemerged in Elizabethan London with the building of the first modern theater. Its impact can still be imagined today. There were the theaters, open to the weather and featuring neither sets nor curtains, but equipped with dramatic special effects. There were the companies of actors--the leading men, the comedians, the boys who played women''s roles--and the playwrights who gave them all lines to say. Best of all, there was William Shakespeare, who rubbed shoulders with noblemen and royalty as well as with the rowdy crowds at the foot of the stage. He was suspected of involvement in a treasonous rebellion, and his last play literally brought down the house when cannon effects set fire to the famous Globe theater and it burned to the ground. Award-winning collaborators Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema have once again created a feast of words and pictures to celebrate the life of a remarkable person from the pages of history: William Shakespeare, a man for all time."

Bella has grown up thinking that she was just a simple peasant girl. But suddenly, Bella''s world collapses. First, her best friend, Julian, betrays her. Then she finds out that she is, in fact, Isabel, the daughter of a knight who abandoned her in infancy. And now he wants her back. Bella is torn from her beloved foster family and tries to accept her new life with her deranged father and his resentful wife. But when she finds out about a terrible plot that threatens the kingdom, she sets out on a journey that will lead her to a destiny far greater than she could have imagined.

Molly''s exciting story concludes in this final book of Diane Stanley''s acclaimed trilogy, which began with The Silver Bowl and The Cup and the Crown—a perfect series for fans of Megan Whalen Turner. With tensions rising between the kingdoms of Westria and Austlind, Molly and Tobias accompany King Alaric to Cortova, where he hopes to form an alliance with the powerful King Gonzalo—an alliance that would be sealed by Alaric''s marriage to Gonzalo''s daughter, the beautiful princess Elizabetta. But the devious Gonzalo has plans of his own. Upon arriving in Cortova, Alaric is shocked to find that there is already another suitor vying for Princess Elizabetta''s hand: his own cousin, Prince Rupert of Austlind. As the days pass, Alaric, Molly, and Tobias find themselves trapped in a suspenseful game of courtly intrigue that soon takes a dangerous turn. For once, Molly''s magical visions are little help—they reveal nothing beyond hazy threats. Everything turns around Princess Elizabetta, but is she truly a friend or simply another player in her father''s crafty game?

In this volume, Murray Stein and Diane Stanley explore, compare and contrast key features of the Buddhist view of Self liberation and the Jungian process of individuation. In Chapter One, they share experiences that opened a path to Self-knowledge in their own lives, including psychedelics, meditation, synchronicity, dreams and active imagination. The value of integrating transcendent experiences is explored in Chapter Two. In Chapter Three, they look at art work as soul-work, based on a series of twenty-four pictures from a Jungian analysis. What do such images, absent the specific dream content from which they arise, reveal about the direction of individuation? Chapter Four focuses on the tensions and difficulties of living in two worlds - the temporal and the timeless - as well as on the unconscious drive to bring them into synergy. Finally, the discussion concludes by circling back to the original question and asks: what are the limits and prospects of liberation of the Self?

Queen of Egypt at the age of eighteen, Cleopatra''s passion was to untie the world under Egyptian rule. Legendary leaders risked their kingdoms to win her heart, and her epic life has inspired countless tales throughout history. A timeless story of love, war, and ambition, their pictorial biography is sure to entertain and educate.

A biography of the nineteenth-century military genius and Zulu chief.

"This biography of Queen Elizabeth I does an excellent job of describing the context of her life so that reasons for many of her actions become clear . . . The resulting depth . . . will give the book a wide audience".--Booklist, starred review. Bibliography included. 1990 Notable Children''s Book in the Field of Social Studies.

Against the fascinating tapestry of Frances history during the Hundred Years'' War, Diane Stanley unfolds the story of the simple thirteen-year-old village girl who in Just a few years would lead France to independence from English rule, and thus become a symbol of France''s national pride. It is a story of vision and bravery, fierce determination, and tragic martyrdom. Diane Stanley''s extraordinary gift to present historical information in an accessible and child-friendly format has never been more impressive, nor her skillful, beautifully realized illustrations (here imitating medieval illuminated manuscripts) more exquisite.

Wouldn''t it be great to be part of that famous Thanksgiving feast at Plymouth Plantation back in 1621? Then join the Time-Traveling Twins as they sit down to an enormous FOUR-DAY feast, complete with puddings, pompions, pottages, and, of course, turkeys. Meet Squanto and the other Native Americans. Help with the harvest. Find out what it was like to be a Pilgrim. Once again, historian Diane Stanley''s fun and impeccably researched text is brought to life by Holly Berry''s accessible illustrations. Word balloons, engaging characters, and all sorts of wonderful details about the beginning of this American tradition await the lucky adventurer who journeys back with the Time-Traveling Twins.

A biography of the Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, well known for his work on the Sistine Chapel in Rome''s St. Peter''s Cathedral.

From the team behind the acclaimed Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science comes a delicious and “lively” (Booklist, starred review) nonfiction picture book biography about pioneering chef Alice Waters who kickstarted the organic food movement. Whenever young Alice Waters tasted something delicious, like the sun-warmed berries from her family’s garden or a crisp, ripe apple picked straight from the tree, she would remember it for the rest of her life. Later, as she tasted many more wonderful foods, she realized what made them so good—they were fresh and ripe, grown or made the old-fashioned way. When Alice grew up, she opened a restaurant called Chez Panisse. As part of her quest to make delicious food, Alice sought out small, local farmers to provide the meat, dairy, and produce. The restaurant made her famous, but it did much more than that—it started a food revolution. Today, home cooks and chefs alike are all discovering the simple secret to the Best! Food! Ever! This book is a celebration of food, cooking, and the woman whose curiosity and devotion to flavor kickstarted America’s interest in buying local, organic food.

ALA NOTABLE BOOK AMELIA BLOOMER TOP TEN BOOK “Stanley has been delighting and informing readers with her biographies for years, and here, her considerable talents are once again on display…Hartland’s charmingly busy art, reminiscent of Maira Kalman’s work, is full of wit.” —Booklist (starred review) From nonfiction stars Diane Stanley and Jessie Hartland comes a beautifully illustrated biography of Ada Lovelace, who is known as the first computer programmer. Two hundred years ago, a daughter was born to the famous poet, Lord Byron, and his mathematical wife, Annabella. Like her father, Ada had a vivid imagination and a creative gift for connecting ideas in original ways. Like her mother, she had a passion for science, math, and machines. It was a very good combination. Ada hoped that one day she could do something important with her creative and nimble mind. A hundred years before the dawn of the digital age, Ada Lovelace envisioned the computer-driven world we know today. And in demonstrating how the machine would be coded, she wrote the first computer program. She would go down in history as Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer. Diane Stanley’s lyrical writing and Jessie Hartland’s vibrant illustrations capture the spirit of Ada Lovelace and bring her fascinating story vividly to life.

The sheriff of a dusty western town rescues Sweetness, an unusually resourceful orphan, from nasty old Mrs. Sump and her terrible orphanage.

As a new wave of protests sweeps the nation and the world, young readers will be inspired by these accounts of activists who refused to be ignored. "This book is right on time."--Nikki Grimes, Children''s Literature Legacy Medal Winner From music to marches, from sit-ins to walk-outs, activists throughout history have defended the disenfranchised and demanded reform, refusing to back down even in the face of violent oppression and overwhelming opposition. Today, a new generation of activists has arisen, speaking up in unprecedented numbers against systemic oppression, bias, and injustice. Resist!, a collection of 21 brief but comprehensive essays accompanied by striking artwork and rich supplementary material by Diane Stanley, reminds us of the activists who came before: the men and women who have used peaceful resistance and non-violent protests to make their voices heard. Featured figures include: Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Woody Guthrie, Mohandas Gandhi, Irena Sendler, The Hollywood Ten, Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, The Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-in protestors, Martin Luther King, Jr., Larry Itliong, Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, Richard Oakes, The Tree-Sitters of Pureora, Father Luis Olivares, Tank Man, Nelson Mandela, Ryan White, Ai Weiwei, the "It Gets Better" Project, The March For Our Lives protestors, and Greta Thunberg. Diane Stanley, award-winning author and illustrator of many distinctive informational books for young people writes with passion and conviction of the world''s greatest activists, past and present, in this book which is as hopeful as it is inspiring.

Readers who love the adventure in Megan Whalen Turner’s Newbery Honor novel The Thief will be captivated by Molly’s dangerous magical quest in this thrilling sequel to Diane Stanley’s novel The Silver Bowl. Night after night, Molly has visions of a beautiful goblet: one of her grandfather’s loving cups, which he filled with magic that bound people together. So it hardly surprises Molly when handsome King Alaric asks her to find a loving cup to help him win the heart of the beautiful Princess of Cortova. As Molly and her friends Winifred and Tobias journey in search of a loving cup, a mysterious raven joins their quest and appears to guide them all the way to the hidden city of Harrowsgode. There, Molly discovers secrets about her own family as well as the magic of the loving cup. But Harrowsgode is hidden for a reason, and leaving is more difficult than Molly imagined. Will she be able to escape, let alone bring a loving cup to King Alaric?

Discover the true story of Kathy Sullivan, the first woman to walk in space and the only woman who has been to both outer space and the depths of the ocean, in this inspiring nonfiction picture book biography. Growing up, Kathy Sullivan always knew the world was bigger than her neighborhood. She loved to study maps and wonder about distant places. And when she was six years old and saw Sputnik in the sky, she knew space would be the most amazing adventure of all. One of the first six trailblazing women to join NASA’s storied astronaut corps, Kathy was the first woman to walk in space and a veteran of three shuttle missions. She was in the first NASA Astronaut Group 8, provided support for the first Space Shuttle mission and the Kennedy Space Center crew, and was part of the team that launched, rescued, and maintained the Hubble Space Telescope. After spending 532 total hours in space, Kathy left NASA and fulfilled another dream: traveling to the sea floor. Kathy became the first woman to travel to the Mariana Trench, the lowest known point on planet Earth. Kathy never forgot the maps she loved as a child and followed her curiosity to the highest reaches and most sunken depths—farther than anyone else.

From master storyteller Diane Stanley comes a spellbinding tale, based on Shakespeare''s The Tempest, of two princes—one chosen, one lost—and a mysterious girl on a magical island, all caught in a great web of destiny. On the day of his birth, Prince Alexos is revealed to be the long-awaited champion of Athene. He grows up lonely, conscious of all that is expected of him. But Alexos discovers that being a champion isn''t about fame and glory—it''s about sacrifice and courage. Alexos follows the course of his destiny through war and loss and a deadly confrontation with his enemy to its end: shipwreck on a magical, fog-shrouded island. There he meets the unforgettable Aria, and faces the greatest challenge of his life.