Best Selling Books by Shirin Yim

In China, at a time when few girls are taught to read or write, Ruby dreams of going to the university with her brothers and male cousins.

"Mary Wrightly is a polite young girl who speaks a small, soft voice--unless she really wants to be heard!"--Provided by publisher.

In a twist on the classic fairy tale, a princess in fifteenth century Spain refused to wait to be rescued by a prince but instead chose one for herself. Even then, she would not marry him until they’d reached an agreement that was revolutionary for her time—their marriage would be an equal partnership captured in the motto: To stand as high, as high to stand, Isabella and Ferdinand. This book tells the real and remarkable story of the princess, Isabella of Castile. The partnership that she made with her prince was a happy and successful one. Without her, both Spain and America would not exist as we know them. Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

Even the future president of the United States has to wash up, put his toys away, settle down, and go to bed Go to bed, Ted! It’s time for little Theodore Roosevelt, the future president, to take a bath, quit playing, and put away his toys. Time to stop rough-riding the bed, keep his nightclothes on, and dream big. It’s tough going to bed every night—for presidents and kids alike.

Ambitious Roman empress Agrippina murdered and married her way to the throne—and to being declared a goddess. She made many enemies, including her own son. But was she really all that atrocious? Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame whose lust for power lost her the love of her people, and eventually, her life.

In what could be a tale from the Arabian Nights, a girl grows up in thirteenth century Persia to be so desirable that she is kidnapped several times for her beauty. She finds refuge at last in the arms of a prince, who marries her and makes her a princess. With him she rules a nation and is so wise that, on his death, the people ask her to continue as their sovereign. But at the end of her long reign, she is remembered above all for her kindness and compassion. This book brings to life the story of Qutlugh Terkan Khatun, a real and remarkable princess who brought her people a golden age of peace and prosperity. Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

From the deepest heart of the Moghul palace, tucked away in purdah, her face hidden by veils, one princess came to rule all of Moghul India. She introduced efficiencies, encouraged trade, and made possible a great flowering of the arts. What gave her this power was love. This is a love story, the story of Nur Jahan, who, without breaking any of the rules, hunted tigers, rode elephants to war, commanded a nation from behind a curtain, and did many other things that girls were not expected to do. Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

When explorers first chipped a hole through a wall and shined a light into Tutankhamun''s tomb, everything it touched glinted with gold and gleamed with silver. The boy-king so surrounded by this treasure would become one of the most famous names in history. But it was a less-famous princess who had accumulated a lot of the wealth that was buried in that tomb. Her name was Hatshepsut. How did she make Egypt so rich? And how did she come to be buried, like Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings? This book brings to life the story of a real and remarkable princess who had the nerve to declare herself Pharaoh.

Even the Queen of England has to get up and groomed to greet the day Get up, Elizabeth! It’s time for the future queen to get out of bed, scrub her face with almond paste, brush her teeth with soot, comb the tangles out of her unruly red hair, get dressed, and sit still while her ruff is sewn on and her sleeves are pinned. It’s rough rising and shining every day—for queens and kids alike.

On the wind-swept steppes of Mongolia in the thirteenth century, a princess was given the chance to rule. She took lands that had been ruined by war and made them wealthy again, brought mutual respect and cooperation to a downtrodden and distrustful people, and in a battle of wits that was like a giant chess game, won for her sons the imperial throne. This is the story of Sorghaghtani, a real and remarkable princess who handed her sons the largest empire in the world. Richly illustrated and narrated with humor, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses brings to life the stories of real and remarkable princesses who managed to do what few thought possible.

In a rhyming romp through dinner, the future leader of the Roman Republic learns to eat a balanced meal and finish everything on his plate It’s time for little Julius, who will grow up to become the most powerful person in the Roman Republic, to put on his toga, attend the dinner banquet, and eat his fowl, boiled camel’s feet, baked dormouse, and peas! It’s tough finishing everything on one’s plate every night—for kids and future Caesars alike.

Thousands of years ago, in the world of the Ancient Greeks where women were expected to obey their husbands in all matters, to play no part in public life, and to stay inside the house, a princess grew up to be not only a sailor and a ship’s captain, but a famous admiral. Her name was Artemisia, and among all the commanders fighting on the Persian side during the great Persian Wars, she alone dared to give Xerxes an honest opinion that could have saved his entire fleet. This is the story of a real and remarkable princess whose spirit prompted the Persian Great King, Xerxes, to declare, "My men have become women, and my women men!"

In China, at a time when few girls are taught to read or write, Ruby dreams of going to the university with her brothers and male cousins.

Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom, steps fully formed from her father''s head into the already established world of the Olympians. A motherless newcomer, she has to find her own place and purpose. Her adventures bring her down to Earth, where she forms close bonds with the Greek Heroes. Her attachment to three in particular--Diomedes, Odysseus, and Achilles--draws her into the Trojan War. How will she protect her friends and end the conflict? What are the ramifications on Olympus? Where does Athena finally find herself at home--and where can you find her now? Told by Athena in the first person, this lively book gives young readers a unique entry into the world of Greek mythology and provides interesting cultural and historical context in a nonfiction section illustrated with a family tree of the Olympians, maps, and photographs.

"Download our free app to see ghosts!"--Cover.

A sweeping, multigenerational novel about three women married to the same man at the same time, stretching from rural China to an emerging, mid-nineteenth century Seattle. An unforgettable story of striving, sacrifice, love, and loyalty inspired by the author’s own family history. Three women--one born married, one born enslaved, one born free—brought together by one man. Betrothed at birth, Yook Lan enters the Chun House as a teenager to become the household''s Great Wife--only to be left behind by a husband who must journey across the world to ensure the survival of his family. Forced to sleep on the floor of a storeroom, gambled away, and ransomed into the Chun household, Guai Fong finds herself cared for but isolated, as neither servant nor daughter. Mary has only ever known the silver waters and green trees of Puget Sound. But her life is forever changed when she falls in love with a stranger who has come to America to make his fortune, but who must return to China to secure his legacy. The abandoned first wife, the ransomed slave, and the displaced young woman become inextricably linked, their happiness and purpose connected to one man, one household. Through decades, across oceans, and painting a vivid portrait of three women as they struggle against history’s constraints, Of Wind and Dust is an unforgettable, intricately crafted debut about loss, desire, and belonging.