Francesca Davis DiPiazza

Friend Me! takes readers through the amazing history of social networking in the US. Learn how Americans have been connecting in imaginative ways throughout history, and you'll see social networking in a whole new light.

Did you know that about 40 percent of the world's population lives without toilets? That's more than two billion people, most of whom live in rural areas or crowded urban slums. And according to the World Health Organization, diseases spread by the lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. In particular, diarrheal diseases kill more than two million people each year, most of them children. Everyone...

When George Washington was twenty-two years old, he served as an officer in the British colonial army. He helped Great Britain in its struggle against France for control of North America. Both armies had set up forts and had formed alliances with the Native Americans, but until 1754, there had not been any battles. Everything changed when British soldiers ambushed the French at Fort Necessity on July 3. Within days, the French fought back, brutally...

Have you ever finished a book or TV series and wished for more? Created stories, art, or videos based on a game? Dressed up as your favorite character? If so, you've entered fandom. Fan writers expand and mix up stories, like sending the Star Trek crew to Hogwarts. Cosplayers sew Star Wars and Sailor Moon costumes, and fan filmmakers make music video tributes. Fans also enrich invented worlds with greater diversity, creating female and multiracial...