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Many centuries ago, in a kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, a miraculous child was born to the king and queen. The young prince, Siddhartha, was raised in the greatest luxury, sheltered from all pain and ugliness. But one day Siddhartha left the palace and saw, for the first time, human suffering and death. He knew then that he must relinquish everything - his family, his wealth, his position - to discover the Truth of life and death. With only a few humble possessions, he began a remarkable spiritual journey that ended many years later under a bodhi tree. There he finally discovered the Truth and became an Enlightened One, a Buddha. The Buddha taught the Truth and the path to inner peace for forty-five years, attracting thousands of disciples. Today millions of people around the world live by his teachings.

Muhammad is the messenger of Islam. Born in Mecca in the year 570, Muhammad grew into a sensitive and thoughtful man who believed deeply in the worship of one true god. In his fortieth year, Muhammad experienced a revelation from the angel Gabriel that he, Muhammad, was the messenger of God. Over the next twenty-three years, he received many such revelations, all of which were written down by scribes at the time of revelation to become the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, a religion that is practiced by nearly one-quarter of the world's population and holds as its most sacred tenet that there is no god but God.  

Presented in the language of the New Testament from the King James Version of the Bible, this inspirational picture book biography takes readers from Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary to Jesus's crucifixion. 

Chronicles the life and travels of Zheng He, the Chinese naval commander of the Ming dynasty who led the world's largest fleet of ships and brought peaceful trade to Asia and Africa.

Many people say Marco Polo was the greatest explorer that ever lived, traveling 33, miles by land and sea from Venice, Italy, to modern-day Beijing, China. His famous book, The Travels of Marco Polo, indicates that he was a man of extraordinary bravery, brilliance, and strength. With his uncle and father, he traveled across Turkey, Armenia, the Middle East, the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, and the hot Taklimakan Desert before finally reaching China in 1275. Welcomed by the great emperor Kublai Khan, Marco Polo was amazed by the inventions, riches, and religious tolerance of the great Khan's kingdom, where Marco remained for the next 2 years.

Portrays Columbus as a great navigator and explorer, but she also provides a balanced view of his accomplishments, describing his enslavement of the native Taino Indians of Central America and his mismanagement of the colonies that he established in the Indies.
This thoughtful and thought-provoking book opens with a biography of Lao Tzu, the mysterious philosopher who is said to have been born at the age of eighty-one with snow-white hair, the ability to walk and talk, and unparalleled wisdom. Many credit him with creating the Tao Te Ching, which was written for the good of all humankind. On topics ranging from silence to moderation, from governing to the balance of earth and heaven, these passages carry a powerful message and are sure to give each and every reader something new to consider.

After thirty-two centuries of lying hidden in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, King Tutankhamun's sacred, royal tomb was discovered by a British archaeologist, and Tut's story became known throughout the world. Demi sets King Tutankhamun's life in the context of the religious beliefs of his ancestors. Born to a pharoah who had the revolutionary idea that all of Egypt must worship only one god, Tut ascended the throne and restored religious freedom to the Upper and Lower kingdoms. He allowed his subjects to worship either the one god, Aten, of his father or the many shapes and forms of the sun god, Amun, whom they had worshiped since ancient times.

The life of a major figure in France's history who is now one of its patron saints.

Traces the life of the warrior king of Macedonia who conquered and united the known world of his time.

As a boy, Genghis Khan inherited the role of leader after his father's death. As a man, he earned it--by fiercely protecting his people, no matter the cost, and be demanding total loyalty from those he led. His is a story of courage and survival, sacrifice and death. The boy who became the great Genghis Khan would take his people from the brink of survival to near-world domination--and lead the largest empire ever created in the lifetime of one man.

From his very first day of life, when he rises from his bath to pray to God, it is clear that Nicholas is a miraculous child with a spiritual destiny. As he grows he is deeply saddened by the sickness, suffering, and death that he witnesses every day. Looking to use his special gifts to affect change in the often desperate world around him, Nicholas dedicates his life to worshiping the Lord and helping those in need. Through his good works, Nicholas becomes the youngest man to ever become a bishop and the patron saint of seafarers, children, and prisoners. He performs more than twenty miracles, including bringing those wrongly killed back to life and going to people in need as an apparition, providing solace and inspiration.

King Midas is a proud and foolish king who loves gold above all else. In return for helping him one day, a satyr grants the king his dearest wish -- all that he touches will turn to gold. For a time, the king enjoys his gift. But then the food he puts to his mouth turns to gold so he cannot eat. And the horse he mounts turns to gold so he cannot ride. And everyone he touches turns to gold so he no longer has any family or friends. He has all the gold he could ever want, but he's not at all happy.

Sent by the God Vishnu to aid humanity in the eighth century BCE, a young Krishna hides among poor cowherds and uses miraculous powers to fight an evil demon king who has overthrown the peaceful kingdom of Mathura.
The story of a rich merchant's son who was raised to become a knight in medieval Italy. Instead he abandoned his privileged life upon receiving a vision from God, preaching to humans, animals, and nature itself.

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