Showing results by author "Janet Benge" in All Categories

"Narrative biography of Elizabeth Fry, English Quaker and prison reformer (1780-1856)"-- Exposed to the horrendous living conditions of women prisoners and their children, Elizabeth Fry pledged to improve the lives of society's most desperate people - something no one else dared to do. Telling...

As adventurers from around the world raced to reach the South Pole and achieve other polar firsts in the early 1900s, outsider Ernest Shackleton and his motley expeditions would outshine even the British navy, becoming icons of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Known for prizing loyalty...

Under siege on the island of Corregidor, General Douglas MacArthur received a warning from the enemy. "You are well aware that you are doomed," the Japenese general wrote. "The end is near. The question is how long you will be able to resist. You are advised to surrender." Of course, there was...

Eric's refusal earlier that week to run on Sunday in the Olympic 100-meter race had stunned the world. Now his incredible victory in the 400-meter race further strengthened his belief in God's promise, "He who honors Me, I will honor." Years later, Eric Liddell would be tested far beyond mere...

Once timid and unsure of her own salvation, New Zealander Florence Young rose to her calling and became a fearless and faithful witness for Jesus Christ. Eventually serving in the remote Solomon Islands and, for a season, in China during the deadly Boxer Rebellion, Florence began her service...

The lion's jaws gripped David Livingstone's arm. Razor-sharp teeth pierced his flesh as the lion savagely shook David in the air like a rag doll. A gunshot rang out. "God help us," David moaned, as the lion dropped him and turned to charge David's friend Mebalwe. With the heart of an explorer...

Chief Blackfish handed Daniel a belt. "The beads represent three paths," he said. "The red path is the warpath. The white path is the path we can walk together. The black path is death--the path you will walk if you do not surrender." Daniel knew that the settlers would not give up the fort...

Written for readers age 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults! John's heart sank. A British man-of-war was plowing through the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean in hot pursuit of his ship. If the British caught up with the Boston, John would be hanged. He had proudly signed the Declaration of...

From the flag-draped presidential box, Abraham Lincoln watched the popular comedy on stage at the Ford Theater. As he laughed at a funny line--Bang! A single shot rang out from a small derringer, the sound barely audible over the laughter of the crowd. Abe slumped forward, blood running from...

Each morning patients gathered outside the clinic to see the doctor. So many suffered from the most painful medical conditions Albert could imagine. An old African man told him, "Among us everyone is ill. Our country devours her own children." Albert found himself agreeing. Nothing could have...

Written for ages 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults! Alan Shepard gripped the abort handle and braced his feet against the capsule floor. Five, Four, Three...Don't screw up, he muttered. Two, One, Zero, Liftoff. Alan felt himself rising into the sky. He could scarcely believe it. The boy who grew up...

Ben thought about the strange course of events that had led him to this point in his life. He had considered being a lawyer but had ended up becoming a doctor, and now he was also a politician and member of the Continental Congress. Ben had never thought of working with the army. But for now...

Betty Greene coaxed her Grumman seaplane to two thousand feet..... Suddenly, silence--total silence. The plane engine had stopped! Her passengers gasped, but Betty knew she must remain calm. They had only a slim chance for survival: the twisting jungle river below them. As a young girl growing...

Ben visited Maranda's family the night before the young girl's brain surgery. He spoke to her parents, outlining the risks one last time. "The surgery should take about five hours. There's a strong likelihood that Maranda could bleed uncontrollably and die right there. Or she could survive and...

Billy boarded the train to Minneapolis. He had come to Los Angeles months before as a small-time preacher. Now he was leaving as one of the most recognized Christians in the country. It was not what Billy had sought; he'd just been open for God to use. Billy wondered if this would be the peak of...

When he became God's smuggler, Brother Andrew was already familiar with risk. As a boy, the intrepid Andrew Van Der Bijl joined the Dutch Resistance against the Nazi occupation. As a young man, he fought eagerly in the Dutch East Indies - until the horror of war turned the adventure seeker to a...

Pursuing his calling with singleness of vision, John Wesley defied the strength of angry mobs and longstanding traditions to offer the hope of Christ to millions of people who were outside the influence of the churches of the day. Passionate and tireless, this Anglican clergyman rode a quarter...

As Ben experimented, people peppered him with questions about electricity. Distracted, Ben was still holding the ends of two bare wires when the other ends touched the Leyden jars. A massive charge knocked him to the ground. When he clambered to his feet, he had to admit that his guests appeared...

John Newton's life was in a downward spiral. Impressed into the Royal Navy, John clashed with his fellow seamen and even became a servant alongside slaves in West Africa. When he found himself on a sinking ship, he called out to God for help. John began his conversion to Christianity while he...

Written for readers age 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults! Six-year-old Ludwig was sitting at the table, reading his Bible and praying, when Swedish soldiers stormed through the castle door. Ludwig looked up at the soldiers and then returned to his prayer and reading. The soldiers stopped and...