This series of graphic biographies celebrates the lives of truly remarkable individuals who have somehow gone unnoticed in standard accounts. Each person's experience is representative of a pivotal historic period. The Angel of Marye's Heights is set during the American Civil War and shares the story of Richard Rowland Kirkland, a 19-year-old Confederate soldier who ministered to dying Union troops on the battlefield during the battle of Fredericksburg. The Great Explorer of Mammoth Cave refers to Stephen Bishop, an enslaved man who spent most of his life exploring, mapping, and conducting tours of the caverns in Kentucky. Hiding From the Nazis in Plain Sight tells the story of Ukrainian Jewish sister piano prodigies, Zhanna and Frina Arshanskaya, who survived a death march and reemerged under Russian aliases to entertain German troops during WWII. In Disguise on the Underground Railroad shares the account of enslaved 15-year-old Anna Maria Weems and her perilous, multistage flight to freedom from the American south to Canada, all the while disguised as a boy. Although the offerings have different authors and illustrators, each offers ample background information to set context and includes references, a time line, and epilogue. The stories feature plenty of action and roll along at a good clip, with artwork that advances the action, keeping readers engaged.

These attractive offerings will entice browsers while introducing new role models.