National Network for Equitable Library Service

I wanna rock and roll all night are the words that fans shout at KISS concerts. Self-proclaimed hottest band in the land, KISS rocks stadiums and albums. Their upbeat anthem Rock and Roll All Nite rocketed them to stardom. Fans can t get enough of their loud, showy, and flashy concerts. Read about the band members and how they formed KISS, the ups and downs of some of the members, how they became a marketing machine, and where they are today.

George Washington and King George III of Britain had a great deal in common-aside from sharing the same first name. Both loved to hunt and farm, both towered above most other men of their day, and both were dedicated husbands and fathers. Yet despite their similarities, they were destined to become bitter enemies. As the Revolutionary War erupted, people on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean formed very different opinions. To the patriotic American colonists, George Washington was a hero and King George a tyrant.

Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki is the genius behind such animated classics as Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds. His bountiful imagination and compassion have earned him accolades the world over. Until the early 1990s, Miyazaki's work was largely unfamiliar to American audiences. But that would soon change, and now fans of all ages eagerly await new material from the master. Setting the bar high for quality animation, Miyazaki's films break all sorts of rules and push many of the boundaries common to Western animation.

In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first American woman to obtain a medical degree. Following in her footsteps in the early 1980s, Brenda Berkman was the first woman to challenge New York City's ban on female firefighters. During the last few centuries, countless women have made amazing contributions to society. Women are now Nobel Peace Prize winners, world-class athletes, and talented inventors and adventurers. Some women, such as Shirley Muldowney'the first woman inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame- shattered perceptions about what women could accomplish.

In 1831, Prudence Crandall opened a school for girls in Canterbury, Connecticut. When an African-American girl named Sarah Harris asked if she could attend, Prudence agreed. But Prudence wasn't prepared for how the town would react. Parents of Prudence's white students were outraged that a black girl would be allowed to sit beside their children. They threatened to withdraw their daughters from the school if Prudence did not expel Sarah Harris. So, with the support of prominent anti-slavery activists, Prudence turned her schoolhouse into a school for only African-American girls.

Laban Carrick Hill, the bestselling author of the National Book Award Finalist Harlem Stomp, here delivers an inspiring and lyrical story of a gifted craftsman who lived in South Carolina two centuries ago. Dave's superb artistry and the deeply observant poetry he carved onto his pots reveal how he transcended the limitations he faced as a slave.

A powerful ruler, an alluring young woman, a scandal that would rock the nation: Anne Boleyn's life story sounds more like a juicy TV docu-drama than a chapter of English history. Although she is not of noble birth or even especially beautiful, Anne Boleyn manages to rise to the very pinnacle of the English aristocracy.

Picture a Crow Indian elder, his wizened eyes catching yours in the ancient flicker of firelight. His mesmerizing stories span the ages, from Custer to World War II to the 21st Century. He is the last traditional chief of his people. He is over 90 years old. Now picture that same man lecturing at colleges nationwide, and addressing the United Nations on the subject of peace. National Geographic presents the amazing life story of Joseph Medicine Crow, the man who begins life as Winter Man.

Is a painting of a can of soup really art? Born in 1928 to immigrant parents, Andy Warhol became famous for paintings of things once deemed unworthy of "art," like soup cans, celebrities, and dollar bills. As a child, Andy loved to draw. He took classes at the Carnegie Museum of art, where his teacher told the class,"everything you look at has art." In college, many teachers didn't appreciate Andy's understanding of art. He annoyed them by doing things his own way-like by cutting a painting into four parts and submitting it as separate assignments.

On August 18, 1945, US Army sergeant Anthony J. Marchione bled to death in the clear, bright sky above Tokyo. Marchione, a gunner in the US Air Force, died like so many before him in World War II-quietly, cradled in the arms of a buddy. Though tragic, Marchione's death would have been no more notable than any other had he not had the dubious distinction of being the last American killed in World War II combat.