Paul Robert Walker

I have LOTS to choose from. Click on any of the titles or covers below for more about the book. Enjoy!

Through compelling narrative, first-person accounts, archival images, detailed maps, and a timeline of key events, the Remember series paints a vivid and unforgettable portrait of pivotal events in American history.

The riveting, dramatic story of the 1957-58 desegregation crisis at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas told through eyewitness accounts, contemporary photographs, and my own interviews with participants on both sides of the racial divide.

• Winner of 2011 Arkansiana Award from the Arkansas Library Association for the best juvenile book representing Arkansas heritage and culture
• Starred Review, School Library Journal

The famous battle presented in its true context as a heroic and pivotal moment in the Texas Revolution, incorporating recent historical evidence and a rich array of eyewitness accounts. Illustrated with 19th century paintings and photographs that bring old Texas to life, along with contemporary, historically accurate depictions of key events in the 13-day siege.

• Winner of 2007 June Franklin Naylor Award from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas for the best book for children on Texas history

The most controversial battle of the American frontier from a fresh perspective based on the latest historical and archaeological research, with a strong emphasis on eyewitness accounts and authentic historical images.

• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (National Council for the Social Studies / Children's Book Council)
• American Library Association Notable Book

Filippo Brunelleschi built the massive dome of the Florence cathedral, rediscovered the laws of mathematical perspective, and redefined the role of the artist in society. Yet Brunelleschi might never have reached his full potential had it not been for his lifelong rival: the gifted and canny sculptor, Lorenzo Ghiberti. This lush, imaginative history offers a delightful tour of Quattrocento Florence in an age of towering genius and bursting creative energy. Adult readers.

A convincing account of one of the defining moments in art and history.
—Kirkus Reviews

Poetry is the language of love, and no poets approached their subject with more passion, power, and unfettered abandon than the poets of ancient Greece. Their love poetry—selected and presented here in new, accessible English translations—has a raw sensuality mixed with tender subtlety that reflects a land where gods and goddesses lusted and loved with the same wild abandon as did the humans who worshipped them. This is love without judgment, love without rules. This is love because love and only love can sustain the lover’s life.

Roberto Clemente, the great right fielder of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is a legend for his commitment and humanity on and off the field. This biography traces his journey from the muddy fields of Puerto Rico to the heights of baseball stardom, battling prejudice and injury along the way. Clemente got his 3,000th hit at the end of the 1972 season, but he would never get another. An inspiring story for young sports fans. Ages 8-12.

• Included in Best Books for Children.

This cool new series from Macmillan/Kingfisher present key periods that shaped America through colorful, action-packed two-page spreads — with main text, lots of sidebars, specially-commissioned illustrations, and original artwork from each period. A fun read for ages 8 and up or anyone else who wants to cruise through American history.

From the first Siberian hunters who crossed the Bering land bridge more than 12,000 years ago to undocumented workers who cross the Mexican border today, this richly illustrated book follows the waves of immigrants who came to what is now the United States seeking opportunity and freedom.

This unusual volume portrays the lives of the Indian people before the Europeans arrived, and then follows the changes in their traditional lifeways as they responded to pressures from the white newcomers. Includes vivid illustrations of their homes, clothing, weapons, and other aspects of their rich cultures.

The boom and bust story of the California gold rush, from James Marshall's chance discovery of a few shiny flakes to a massive migration of gold seekers who changed America forever. Also follows the tale of the continuing search for riches to the Comstock Lode of Nevada, the Klondike Stampede of the Canadian Yukon, the gushing oil wells of "black gold," and the industrial mining operations of modern America. Illustrated with a mix of archival images and colorful original art that depict the rough and tumble life of the forty-niners.

These five folktale collections represent the people and land of five regions of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. Each book includes four different types of folktales: a tall tale, a Native American story, an ethnic story, and a regional story. The series is rated at a 4th grade reading level, and is intended to provide content-based literature to complement regional social studies.

The books listed below are currently out-of-stock indefinitely (OSI) or out-of-print (OP) with their original publishers. Some are still available in special editions, and I have indicated those where appropriate. These are all wonderful books, and I urge you to seek them out and read them if they interest you. Many can be found at your local library and/or purchased through used booksellers. Click on the title or cover image for more complete information. Thanks for your interest!

Eleven thousand years of human history among the sun-baked deserts, canyons, rivers, and mountains of what is now the American Southwest. Adults.

A big, bold, surprising saga of the real Wild West, illustrated with over 100 modern full-color and archival b&w photographs. Adults.

From Lewis and Clark descending the Columbia River and Jedediah Smith wandering the desert to the California gold discovery and the first ride of the Pony Express, young readers will travel through time and see the events of the Wild West through the eyes of those who were there. Meticulously researched, yet told in an accessible narrative style, these ten stories reveal a gritty, surprising, and exciting world beyond the stereotypes of television and movies. Illustrated with 60 archival images. Ages 10 and up.

Biographical profiles of thirteen Native Americans who led their people on the spiritual path in the face of foreign invasion and cultural pressure. Ages 12 and up.

Rambunctious, rollicking, rootin' tootin' retellings of nine American tall tales. Ages 8-12.
• American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
• American Folklore Society AESOP Accolade List

GINORMOUS retellings of world folktales about giants. Ages 8-12.
• American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
• American Folklore Society AESOP Accolade List

Teeny weeny retellings of world folktales about little people. Ages 8-12.
• American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
• Storytelling World Honor Book

Seven illustrated stories in which young people meet creatures like Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster. A great book for reading under the covers with a flashlight! Ages 8-12.

A funny and insightful coming-of-age novel set in the world of high school theater. Ages 12 and up.
• Included in Best Books for Senior High Readers
• Nominated for Young Adult Library Services Association 1997 Popular Paperbacks List, Lesbian/Gay Tales

A first-place Little League team starts losing when their star player's bat mysteriously disappears. Ages 8-12.
• Nominated for the Tennessee Volunteer Award

The story of the 1889 Johnstown Flood, written at a 3.0 reading level yet appealing to older readers. This book is still available in an educational edition. Click on the title for details.

The true story of two Chicago teenagers who dream of rising from the ghetto to the NBA. Ages 10 and up.
• Based on the award-winning documentary film.
Signed copies available. Click on title for details.

A photo-illustrated history of baseball based on the PBS documentary by Ken Burns. Ages 8 and up.
• NCSS-CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.

A beautifully illustrated biography of the world-famous angel artist. Adults.
• Selected by One Spirit Book-of-the-Month Club, 1996

True stories of miraculous events, from contemporary and historic accounts. Adults.

Photo-illustrated essays on twelve rivers that have played a key role in shaping North American history. Adults.
This book is still available directly from National Geographic. Click on title for details.

Vivid biographical profiles of eight legendary figures whose names read like a Who's Who of the Wild West: Sitting Bull, Jesse James, Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Belle Starr, Geronimo, and Judge Roy Bean. Ages 10 and up.

This was one of my first books and inspired a fascination with the American West that led to many other books on the West for both adults and younger readers. And yes — I was as puzzled by the pink cover when this was first released as you probably are looking at it now. It was part of a series, and I guess it was time for pink!

An overview of an age that transformed the western world. Ages 12 and up.

While researching and writing this book I became fascinated with the story of Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti — which led to my adult narrative nonfiction book, The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance. Just one of many times throughout my career when one book has led to another.