NCW Libraries

Sylvia Mendez was just like any other third grader in 1946. She liked to learn. She enjoyed recess. But her school was in terrible shape. She wanted to go to the 17th Street School. This was the school that the white children in her city of Westminster attended. But it had a whites-only policy that kept Mexican American children like Sylvia out. Sylvia and her family did not think this policy was fair, so they decided to sue the school district. Their...

Jake Owen did not grow up with dreams of becoming a country music star. Instead, he thought he would become a professional golfer. He started winning tournaments in the sport when he was just 15. But an injury to his shoulder changed the course of his life when it ruled out playing golf for a living. Jake dealt with this disappointment by picking up a guitar. In the process, he discovered that he had an equally abundant talent for writing songs and...

Few people would have thought that Ileana Ros-Lehtinen would grow up to become one of the longest serving members of the United States House of Representatives. Throughout her career, this groundbreaking congress woman has worked to advocate for women, education for all, veterans, LGBTQ rights, and marriage equality. She was the first Latina, the first female Florida Republican, and the first Cuban-born person to serve in the United States Congress....

Nydia Velázquez learned about politics while sitting around her family's dinner table each evening. Her father, who worked in Puerto Rico's sugarcane fields, talked to his nine children about the importance of worker's rights. He also taught them that they had a responsibility to help their community. Young Nydia took his words to heart. After earning two college degrees, she decided to put them to use helping the Puerto Rican people of New York...

Kacey Musgraves knew she wanted to be a singer-songwriter when she was just a little girl. She penned her first song at the age of nine. After competing in talent shows in East Texas as a teen, she landed a spot on the televised singing competition Nashville Star in 2007. Although she didn't win, she went on to write and perform some of the most popular songs in country music today. She is known for her free spirit and her willingness to sing about...

Charlie Puth did not grow up dreaming of being a pop star. Instead, he wanted to do what he loved most: write music. This young man who learned to play the piano at the age of four, had a clear talent for writing and composing, which led him to study jazz and classical music during his school years. He later earned a degree in music production and engineering. After graduating from the Berklee School of Music, he thought he would make his living helping...

Brett Eldredge has been a singer most of his life. As a little boy, he would agree to sing at family parties in exchange for candy bars. But it took him a while longer to realize that he wanted to become a country music artist. A trip to Nashville to see his cousin play a show there opened his eyes to the music career that awaited him in the Tennessee city. Shortly after moving there, Brett began working as a songwriter. Soon he landed the opportunity...

The English called him Charles I. The Germans referred to him as Karl der Grosse. In Latin he was known as Carolus Magnus. Today he is best known by his French name-Charlemagne. It means Charles the Great, which is no surprise, for this Frankish king went down in history as the ruler who united the European continent. Charlemagne's passion for Christianity along with his skill as a military leader set him apart from the other leaders of his era. By...

Buddha is known throughout the world today as one of the greatest spiritual leaders in history. But, at one time he was the prince of a small kingdom in India. However, Siddhartha, as he was once known, didn't fit into his royal world very well. Although he tried in many ways, Siddhartha just didn't care about wealth and power the way other young men his age would have. Instead, he dreamed of achieving enlightenment- and helping others to discover...

One might say that Todd Gurley is leaps and bounds ahead of most other running backs in the NFL. The time he spent on the track team in high school left him with a unique ability to jump over players trying to tackle him on the football field. This skill, along with his talent for scoring touchdowns, made scouts take notice of him. As a Georgia Bulldog, he continued to make a name for himself. Some even called him the best running back in college...