Books by Jim Murphy
The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 (My Name is America)
by Jim Murphy
A sixteen-year-old Union soldier is ordered by his commanding officer to keep a written record of "G" Company during the most brutal year of the Civil War. By the Newbery Honor author of The Great Fire.
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Guys Read: True Stories (Guys Read, 5)
by Sy Montgomery, Jon Scieszka, Candace Fleming, Jim Murphy, Elizabeth Partridge, Nathan Hale, James Sturm, Douglas Florian, Thanhhà Lai, Steve Sheinkin, T. Edward Nickens
Jon Scieszka's Guys Read anthology series for tweens turns to nonfiction in its fifth volume, True Stories. The fifth installment in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading features ten stories that are 100% amazing, 100% adventurous, 100% unbelievable—and 100% true. A star-studded group of award-winning nonfiction authors and journalists provides something for every reader, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Compiled and edited by real-life literature legend Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: True Stories is a mind-blowing collection of essays, biographies, how-to guides, and more, all proving that the truth is most definitely out there.
Supports the Common Core State Standards
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The Real Benedict Arnold
by Jim Murphy
Packed with military adventure and political intrigue, this tautly written account shows the human side of an American villain and seeks the man behind the rumors and legends: the real Benedict Arnold.
Every account of the American Revolution mentions Benedict Arnold and brands him—correctly—as a traitor. There’s no question that Arnold, an American army officer, switched his loyalty to the British side. Over the years, however, historians, partisans, and gossips have added to Arnold’s unsavory reputation by distorting, embroidering, or simply ignoring factual details.
In this informed and thoughtful account, Jim Murphy goes in search of the real man behind the “traitor” label, rumors, and folktales that became part of the Benedict Arnold legend. Drawing on Arnold’s few surviving writings and on the letters, memoirs, and political documents of his contemporaries, Murphy builds a fascinating portrait of a brilliant man, consistently undervalued by his peers, who made a choice that continues to reverberate through American history.
Dramatic accounts of crucial battles and political maneuvers round out this lively biography of a patriot who could have been a hero.
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * An ALA Booklist Best Biography of the Year
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A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy
by Jim Murphy
The story of the American Revolution as experienced by a Connecticut farm boy who enlisted in the army in 1776. A Young Patriot skillfully weaves together excerpts from the boy's wartime account with the author’s explanatory text to create a fascinating and factual history of the American Revolution.
Only fifteen when he enlisted, Joseph Plumb Martin spent the rest of his teen and young adult years marching, working, fighting, foraging, and starving while serving under the likes of Washington and Lafayette.
Through the mix of Martin’s observations and experiences, the historical context that Murphy provides, and maps and archival prints, the book vividly reveals the grit and drama of war—and a teenager who was eyewitness to a Revolution.
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
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An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book)
by Jim Murphy
Powerful and riveting, this Newbery Honor–winning narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever, the toll it took on the nation’s capital—and the eventual triumph over the disease.
Long before Covid and the West Nile virus, yellow fever was a medical mystery that forced thousands in Philadelphia, the nation’s temporary capital, to flee and brought the workings of the federal government to a virtual halt. A riveting account of this country’s first large-scale medical epidemic, An American Plague is generously illustrated with archival prints and photographs and includes a bibliography, map, and index.
This is the story of how half the city’s residents fled and half of those who remained died; neighboring towns, cities and states barricaded themselves; George Washington himself fled, setting off a constitutional crisis; and bloodletting caused blood to run through the streets. It is also the story of a little known chapter in Black history in which free Blacks nursed the sick only to be later condemned for their heroic efforts.
Meticulously researched, first-hand accounts, newspaper clippings, death lists, and period engravings recreate the fear and panic while exploring the political, social, cultural, medical and scientific history of the times. A final chapter explores the causes of the epidemic and provides a wake-up call about the potential for epidemics today.
Newbery Honor Book * National Book Award Finalist * Winner of the Sibert Medal
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$21.99
The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution
by Jim Murphy
With his engaging and timeless narrative prose, two-time Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy tells the awe-inspiring story of George Washington's glorious fight for an independent America.
It is 1776, and George Washington and his army of rebellious American colonists are emboldened by its stunning victories over the British at Lexington and Concord. But now, the Americans face the threat of a brutal British retaliation. George Washington, who has little experience with a threat of this magnitude, is unanimously chosen as commander in chief in hopes he can unite the colonies. Britain's army is massive and well trained. America's is small and unruly. As the British begin their invasion of New York City and its environs, George Washington isn't the only one who is overcome with doubts that he can succeed against such overwhelming odds.In this breathtaking account of a pivotal time in the American Revolution, two-time Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy shows George Washington's transformation from a gentleman farmer with little military experience to a brilliant general, as he delivers the country from the blackest of times -- into the brightest of futures.
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The Great Fire
by Shirley Hazzard, Jim Murphy
The Great Fire is the winner of the 2003 National Book Award for Fiction.
More than twenty years after the classic The Transit of Venus, Shirley Hazzard returns to fiction with a novel that in the words of Ann Patchett "is brilliant and dazzling..."
The Great Fire is an extraordinary love story set in the immediate aftermath of the great conflagration of the Second World War. In war-torn Asia and stricken Europe, men and women, still young but veterans of harsh experience, must reinvent their lives and expectations, and learn, from their past, to dream again. Some will fulfill their destinies, others will falter. At the center of the story, a brave and brilliant soldier finds that survival and worldly achievement are not enough. His counterpart, a young girl living in occupied Japan and tending her dying brother, falls in love, and in the process discovers herself.
In the looming shadow of world enmities resumed, and of Asia's coming centrality in world affairs, a man and a woman seek to recover self-reliance, balance, and tenderness, struggling to reclaim their humanity. The Great Fire is a story of love in the aftermath of war by "purely and simply, one of the greatest writers working in English today." (Michael Cunningham)
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The Great Fire
by Shirley Hazzard, Jim Murphy
The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.
By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest dispair, the human spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.
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$12.99
Journal Of A Boy On An Al: Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling Ship, The, Florence, 1874 (My Name Is America)
by Jim Murphy
Brian Doyle has run away from home, fleeing his father’s hot temper. When he signs on as a sailor on an Alaskan whaling ship, Brian finds more adventure and danger on the high seas than any boy could imagine, and discovers himself along the way.
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Desperate Journey
by Jim Murphy
Two-time Newbery Honor author turns his formidable talents to this riveting suspense novel about a spirited Irish-American girl who helps save her family from ruin on the Erie Canal in the 1840s.
When Maggie's father loses next year's salary and two of their best mules in a bet with Long-fingered John, the family is left desperate for money. They have only a few days to get the heavy cargo in their mule-drawn barge to Buffalo in order to make a much-needed bonus. But when Papa and Uncle Henry are arrested on an alleged assault charge, 12-year-old Maggie, her younger brother, and their ailing mother must fight all manner of adversity to save their boat, their mules, and their life savings. Jim Murphy is at his best in this colorful and gritty slice of 19th-C. life on the Erie Canal.
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On Enemy Soil: Journal of James Edmond Pease, a Civil War Union Soldier
by Jim Murphy
The Civil War JOURNAL OF JAMES EDMOND PEASE is now in paperback with an exciting repackaging!
Ignorant to the bitter realities of military life, 16-year-old James enlists in the Union Army at the dawn of the Civil War. When his lieutenant assigns him to be the company historian of the G Company of the 122nd Regiment, New York Volunteers, he is initially at a loss as to what exactly he is supposed to record. As the days pass, James settles into his role, but he cannot take comfort in it. His country is divided by a bloody war, and his unit struggles through the hardships and turmoil. Through his journal entries, James poignantly captures the terror of battle, the drudgery of day-to-day life in the infantry, the loss of comrades, and the disillusionment of a young soldier.
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Truce
by Jim Murphy
Two-time Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy writes a stunning nonfiction masterpiece about a Christmas miracle on the Western Front during World War I.
On July 29th 1914, the world's peace was shattered as the artillery of the Austria-Hungary Empire began shelling the troops of the country to its south. What followed was like a row of falling dominoes as one European country after another rushed into war. Soon most of Europe was fighting in this calamitous war that could have been avoided. This was, of course, the First World War. But who could have guessed that on December 25 the troops would openly defy their commanding officers by stopping the fighting and having a spontaneous celebration of Christmas with their "enemies"?
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Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America
by Jim Murphy
With his powerful and intriguing narrative style, Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy tells the harrowing story of the Blizzard of 1888. Available for the first time in paperback.
Snow began falling over New York City on March 12, 1888. All around town, people struggled along slippery streets and sidewalks -- some seeking the warmth of their homes, some to get to work or to care for the less fortunate, and some to experience what they assumed would be the last little snowfall of one of the warmest winters on record. What no one realized was that in a very few hours, the wind and snow would bury the city in nearly 21 inches of snow and bring it to a ferocious standstill.
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Capitalism and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe: Assessing the Legacy of Communist Rule
by Jim Murphy
In September 1862, two great armies faced off across Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, knowing that the fate of the United States and the future of millions of slaves were at stake. From behind-the-scenes conversations to the action on the front lines, renowned nonfiction writer Jim Murphy provides an in-depth look at the battle that prompted Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and changed America forever. Murphy uses photographs, maps, and first-person accounts to sweep young readers into the chaos and confusion of battle. Gritty and utterly engaging, this is a powerful portrayal of a day on which 22,717 people were killed or wounded—the single bloodiest day in American history.
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Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life
by Jim Murphy
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$19.99
The Best Possible Life: How to Live with Deep Contentment, Joy, and Competence―No Matter What
by Jim Murphy
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$19.99
Weird & Wacky Inventions
by Jim Murphy
Even crazier inventions for kids to learn about! A hair-cutting machine, a used gum receptacle, jumping shoes, and more of the strangest inventions ever!
A hat that can tip itself. A suitcase that turns into a bathtub. A pair of protective eyeglasses for chickens. These are just three of the hundreds of unusual inventions that people have dreamed up over the last two centuries. Some, such as the mustache guard, made perfect sense when they first appeared. Others were considered just plain silly. Jim Murphy has compiled a collection of the weirdest and wackiest inventions and presented them in a quiz style that is challenging and fun. Simple, clear explanations are provided on how the inventions worked or failed to work. Complete with over 100 colored illustrations of these crazy creations, this is the perfect gift for any child interested in science and inventions. Ages: 9–12. 127 color illustrations
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Baffling & Bizarre Inventions
by Jim Murphy
Crazy inventions for kids to learn about! A talking watch. An overcoat for two. A pair of pants for poodles. In his companion to Weird & Wacky Inventions, Jim Murphy shows kids some additional baffling and utterly silly inventions in the form of a guessing game that is both challenging and fun. What is a finger-supporting device used for? Can you really buy that talking watch? What on earth is a beard grinder?
Whether it’s a device for shaping the upper lip or a life preserver for horses, this parade of unusual inventions is a real treat for trivia lovers and any curious kid with an interest in science and inventions. Ages: 9–12. 98 color illustrations
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INNER EXCELLENCE: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible life
by Jim Murphy
Want more joy and confidence when you perform?
Discover the life guide that has developed world champions, empowered athletes to become world #1, and most importantly, transformed their hearts and minds. This step-by-step training manual from one of the world's top mental skills coaches will teach you how to train your mind like the very best.
My #1 tip for success: Read Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy. - Stewart Cink, British Open Champion, 8-time PGA Tour Winner
Whether you’re an athlete or entrepreneur, single mother or father of five, you’ll find exercises, techniques and tools in this book that will improve every area of your life. Your life will take on new meaning as you move beyond the pursuit of happiness to a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Jim Murphy's complete program of proven mental techniques is based on the powerful principles of love, wisdom, and courage, that came from over six years of full-time research and writing (after his masters degree in Coaching Science).
“I read the first version of Inner Excellence six times. I recommend all my clients read it.” – Matt Killen, PGA Tour coach to Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods and many others
INNER EXCELLENCE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO: DEVELOP SELF-MASTERY—and let go of what you can’t control OVERCOME ANXIETY—and build powerful mental habits REMOVE MENTAL BLOCKS—and get out of your own way TRAIN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND—and release limiting beliefs
As a professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization, Jim’s sense of worth and identity revolved around his performance. He was obsessed with fame but also afraid of failure, and that fear made him struggle under the pressure to perform.
When he started coaching professional and Olympic athletes, he saw the same pattern over and over again: athletes had lost their joy and passion for life as the fear of failure engulfed their lives. This book will share with you how some of the best athletes in the world transformed their careers through Inner Excellence.
You'll learn how Inner Excellence propelled them to extraordinary performance even when they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, and how you can excel in the same way in your life.
“Inner Excellence changed how I see the world, how I think, and how I play golf.” - Vaughn Taylor, three-time PGA Tour winner
Jim Murphy is a Performance Coach (mental skills) to some of the best athletes and leaders in the world. The majority of his clients achieve the best year of their career their first year working with Jim (or their best year in the previous five years).
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Breakthrough!: How Three People Saved "Blue Babies" and Changed Medicine Forever
by Jim Murphy
"Murphy’s dramatic nonfiction narrative recounting of one of the first open heart surgeries ever performed is not to be missed." —School Library Journal (starred review)
In 1944, a groundbreaking operation repaired the congenital heart defect known as blue baby syndrome. The operation’s success brought the surgeon Alfred Blalock international fame and paved the way for open-heart surgery. But the technique had been painstakingly developed by Vivien Thomas, Blalock’s African American lab assistant, who stood behind Blalock in the operating room to give him step-by-step instructions.
The stories of this medical and social breakthrough and the lives of Thomas, Blalock, and their colleague Dr. Helen Taussig are intertwined in this compelling nonfiction narrative.
Winner, Notable Books for a Global Society * Horn Book Fanfare List * A Booklist Best Young Adult Book
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The Inner Excellence 90-Day Challenge: A Workbook to Train Your Mind and Live the Best Possible Life
by Jim Murphy
#1 New York Times bestselling performance coach and author Jim Murphy presents an interactive workbook based on Inner Excellence, his step-by-step manual for mastering your mind for peak performance and discovering fullness of life.
The Inner Excellence 90-Day Challenge is based on the program that has empowered athletes and developed world champions—as well as countless readers in all walks of life—and most importantly, transformed their hearts and minds. Structured around weekly challenges related to ego mastery, establishing routines, healing relationships, being present, and much more, the workbook is filled with prompts and exercises from one of the world's top mental skills coaches.
Increase your self-awareness, confidence, and mental toughness. Overcome fear and anxiety and remove trauma and phobias. Clarify your purpose, and how to live it. Whether you're an athlete, a business leader, or involved in any kind professional or amateur pursuit, you’ll find exercises, techniques, and tools in this book that will improve every area of your life and work. Your life will take on new meaning as you move beyond the pursuit of happiness to a life of purpose and fulfillment.
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$19.99