Awesome Minds Video Game Creators

Did you know that Nintendo started in the mid-19th century as a playing card company and that the Japanese giant also sold rice and operated taxi cabs? And did you know that the very first video game was called Tennis for Two and was created by a US government scientist named William Higinbotham? Today, video games play a gigantic role in our culture and none of this would have been possible without people like Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative mastermind that turned a failed business venture into the game that eventually inspired him to build Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., or Donna Bailey, who created the arcade video game sensation Centipede. With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators tells the stories of these amazing men and women who turned a small hobby into a multimillion-dollar industry that changed the way we play and interact, from our living rooms to the arcades, on our computers to our handheld devices. Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators is the perfect read for those with creative spirits, curious minds, and a love of technology and video games.

Have you ever played Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, or The Legend of Zelda? Learn about Shigeru Miyamoto, the Japanese designer who created these famous games.

The iPod, iPhone, and iPad changed the way we communicate, play, learn, and work. This wouldn't have been possible without the amazing minds of Steve Jobs and his inventive team. With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: The Creators of the iPhone® tells the true story of these life-changing devices. It is the perfect read for those with creative spirits and curious minds. Lexile Level 850L This book is an independently authored and published biography of the inventors of the iPhone® mobile device and is not sponsored or endorsed by or affiliated in any way with these individuals, their families, and/or Apple Inc.

Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games--including Deus Ex, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam--this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming's classic titles.

"ASCENSION I," Part One The acclaimed series returns, from the New York Times bestselling team GREG RUCKA and NICOLA SCOTT (Wonder Woman). Rowan Black is a cop. Rowan Black is also a witch. Throughout her life, she has struggled to keep these things separate. Now, the walls are beginning to crumble, and RowanÑalienated from her friends, under investigation on the job, and stalked by mysterious forces who are literally hell-bent on using RowanÕs power for their own benefitÑis on the verge of crumbling with them. And if these combined forces donÕt manage to destroy RowanÑshe might just destroy herself first.

"ASCENSION I," Part Four Dissent among the forces of Hell, and a revolt within the order of witch-hunters, deepen the peril surrounding Rowan Black and the people she loves. Wild-card assassins and renegade demons enter the field, and a centuries-old conflict threatens to become a free-for-all melee.

"ASCENSION I," Conclusion Rowan, Alex, and Detective Nicky Colt find themselves drawn into the same moment of crisis as the CEO seems poised to lose control of her corner of the Abyss. As tragedies loom on every front, Rowan must decide if she will allow things to run their course and have the lives of those she cares for come to their tragic endsÑincluding her own or, by her will, change the reality that is rising around her.

Did you know that Superman debuted in 1938 and is considered to have fueled the birth of the superhero craze? Or that Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira was instrumental in introducing manga to the world outside of Japan? Comic books are now fully part of mainstream pop culture, and this engaging read introduces kids ages 8-12 to the pivotal creators of the world's most beloved comics, as well as the unknown names that have guided the industry to where it is today. From classic superhero tales like Spider-Man to epic fantasy adventures like Elfquest, comic books have inspired legions of devoted fans and accrue sales of over $1 billion annually. Awesome Minds: Comic Book Creators will walk kids through the important milestones in comic book history and the visionaries who helped develop some of the most iconic fictional characters today.