Lynn Peppas

Known as "The Father of Texas," Stephen F. Austin established the first Anglo-American colony in the Tejas province of Mexico. Austin's economic motivations and the impact of his settlement are examined in this well researched biography.

From the Oktoberfest folk festival to Christmas markets, Germany has many unique traditions celebrated with traditional foods, rituals, and music. This exciting title follows a year of holidays and festivals that honor religious, historic, and family traditions celebrated by Germans.

This interesting title describes the festivals and holidays celebrated in the island nation of Jamaica. Traditional foods, reggae music, and festivals such as Carnival reflect the colorful culture of Jamaica. Young readers will also discover that many other cultures have influenced Jamaican traditions.

Did you know that clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals? Each cloud droplet is so small and light that it floats on air. Learn more in How Do Clouds Form?, a title in the All about Clouds series.

Seduced by tales of great riches, Coronado's expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola yielded nothing and led to his ultimate undoing. This is an unvarnished look at Corondo's role in Texas history.

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, set out to build a French colony on the mouth of the Mississippi River, but ended up 400 miles west in Texas. He spent three years exploring Texas searching for the Mississippi, a miscalculation that would cost him his life.

From leading the decisive victory of the Battle of San Jacinto to becoming the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston's 25 years of leadership were instrumental in shaping the Texas we know today.

José Antonio Navarro was the most renowned Tejano of his generation. He fought valiantly for Texas's independence from Mexico, became a respected statesman, and even helped write the Constitution of 1845.

This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Atacama Desert in Chile. One of the driest areas of the world- some parts never receive any rain- the desert's climate can be cold, sometimes producing snow and fog. Readers will be fascinated to learn that the Atacama's soil is so similar to soil samples from Mars that NASA goes to this desert to test its exploration instruments. NASA has also set up its Earth-Mars Cave Detection...