When war comes to Damascus, some children collect books from the rubble and start a secret library.

In 1992, a young boy whose father is away at war discovers, from their flower stall, the power of beauty and kindness in the wake of the bombing of Sarajevo.

Publisher Annotation: In 1854, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings, an African American schoolteacher, fought back when she was unjustly denied entry to a New York City streetcar, sparking the beginnings of the long struggle to gain equal rights on public transportation.

Jack and Annie are transported by their magic tree house to the time of the Civil War where they meet Clara Barton.