50 Places To See Before You Die:A List of the Earth’s Most Beautiful, Captivating, & Eye-Capturing Wonders of the World

Written by Matt Morris

This book is by no means a tour guide, but rather a compilation of the author’s suggestions as to some of the most interesting places the Earth has to offer. Children and adults who are interested in geography, culture, history, archeology or nature will all find something of interest in this book. Morris organizes the book by continents. He then chooses some very well known sites as well as some that are obscure. Unfortunately, there are no pictures, but the author offers a link to investigate pictures of those sites that most interest the reader. This work is a great reference book and a good place to look for interesting ideas and places to explore.

I will give a few examples to whet your appetite. On the continent of Asia, one of the largest wonders is The Great Wall of China. The two thousand year old wall served as military protection as well as a means of transportation of trade known as the Silk Wall. I had never heard of Panjin Red Beach which is covered with thousands of red sea weeds and is a home to hundreds of species of animals and birds. In Europe, you can visit the popular tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the ruins in Athens. Then there is the little known Sedlec Ossuary or Bone Chapel in the Czech Republic which is made of forty to seventy thousand sets of human bones or the Ice Hotel in Sweden which is built from ice harvested from the Torne River and reconstructed every year between December and April. In North America millions of tourists have visited the Grand Canyon and Disney World, but fewer have traveled to Antelope Canyon opened in 1997. South America s noted for the ruins of Machu Picchu and Angel Falls, but not many have visited the Enchanted Well or The Swing at the End of the World. In Oceania tourists visit the Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef, but fewer numbers venture to the Glow Worm Beach. The continent of Africa offers the Pyramids of Giza, Victoria Falls and Table Mountain.

For those not satisfied with keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground, The Virgin Galactic is a space craft offering suborbital travel for the price of $250,000. Whatever your time or budget, this guide will allow you to be an armchair traveler to some of the most interesting sites on the planet!

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HISTORY FOR KIDS:AN ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY OF MARCO POLO

Written by Charles River Editors

Many children who live in the 21^st century like to play a game in the pool called Marco Polo. The man who lived from 1254-1324 certainly knew a lot about water because he was born and raised in Venice. His father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo traveled world-wide as successful merchants. It appears that Marco did not even meet his father until he was a teenager because due to his father’s long absences from home. When Niccolo returned to Venice in 1270, he did not know that his wife had died nor that she had bore a son. Marco accompanied Niccolo when he left on the next business trip in 1272. The journey would take them to Jerusalem, Persia, Armenia, Turkey and the Mongolian Empire where Marco met Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan.

Few Europeans could imagine the palace of Kublai Khan who dressed in robes of silk and gold and lived in a building so large that 40,000 people could dine at the same time. Marco and he became good friends. Marco became an official royal messenger and tax collector for the Emperor traveling to Indonesia, India and Africa. He learned how to use native weapons like the bow and arrow, discovered how coal could be used for fuel, and used their paper currency for trade. Polo became fluent in the Mongolian language. His journals describe exotic animals like the rhinoceros, peacock and rhinoceros unknown to the Western world.

The Emperor was generous to his people, but eventually a war with Japan caused unrest. Polo could not leave without the Emperor’s permission. When he finally returned to Venice at age 38,  they were at war with Genoa. Polo was imprisoned. There he met another prisoner named Rustichello who encouraged him to record his world -wide journeys. By the time he got out of prison, Polo had inherited his father and uncle’s fortunes. Europe was about to enter the age of exploration. Sailors and cartographers based their calculations on his journals. Christopher Columbus decided to sail west to get to China discovering a new continent in the process.

As you see, this concise biography is not written simply to explain one life but to show the influence and future consequences of his fascinating life. The editors say that the book is aimed at the 7-10 age group and I feel that they are on target. The illustrations help to visualize the textual descriptions and the maps give a flavor of the knowledge of the period. I believe that most of the information is accurate though there is a dearth of written documentation. Both children and adults can use this book as an introduction to a study of religions, trade and culture of regions not well known to the Western world in the thirteenth century. Children may have a better understanding of just what they mean when they say, “Marco….Polo” in the pool.

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A Rainbow of Thanks

Written by Kathleen J. Shields

Kate Silverton is an eleven year old about to celebrate her birthday. Her teacher Mrs. Guffey, who she likes to call Mrs. Tuffey, has given them a weekend homework assignment to write about another culture. After being disappointed by her relative’s birthday gifts, Kate heads out to the backyard with her backpack. Suddenly, it begins to rain and she takes refuge. When the rain stops, Kate is surprised to find a rainbow which she walks through. On the other side, she meets a Navajo boy named Little Elk who is sitting on a rock in Arizona during “the week of silence.” He asks her where she came from explaining that Navajos believe the God travels on a rainbow and that a rainbow is a bridge between the human world and the other side. Rainbows also carry heroes between earth and heaven. Kate is mystified; she informs the boy that she is simply an American from Ohio who walked through a rainbow to the other side. How did she get to Arizona? Realizing that she must walk back through the rainbow to the other side before it disappears, Kate pulls out the walkman  radio from her backpack and gives it as a gift to Little Elk to ease his time of silence.

Things get even stranger when Kate emerges from the rainbow in the jungle listening to the sound of elephants and seeing a little girl named Chicktow who is searching the ground for grubs to eat. Kate is now in Victoria Falls. She presents her new friend with some oatmeal cookies stamped with Kate’s name and address labels. Kate descends with her friend to the bottom of the Falls where they locate the remnants of the rainbow. Chicktow  tells her that the rainbow arch frames the Queen of Heaven. Kate quickly steps into the arch.

Kate is disappointed to find herself in Dublin, Ireland when she emerges. The Flanagan boys greet her. In Ireland the rainbow is considered the hem of God’s garments. They tell her that leprechauns believe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but all Kate wants is to return to Ohio. She presents them with the old video player she received as a gift before she departs. Kate must still journey to Germany, Russia, Polynesia, Croatia and Scotland before she lands back in the United States. In California, she meets a medicine man of the Mojave who tells her that the rainbow is a charm the Creator uses to stop a rain storm. Finally, she walks through the rainbow one hour later to find herself at home in Ohio.

Wow! What a journey! Kate writes her report immediately before she forgets her adventure. Her mother is puzzled by her strange behavior. Mrs. Guffey gives her an A on her report, but asks why she did not choose one culture. The next week, Kate draws a stunning, accurate portrait so real that her teacher goes to her home for a talk with Mrs. Silverton because she fears that Kate is delusional.

How will Kate prove her story? A mysterious visitor will provide the answer.

This e book is available on Smashwords. A paperback version can now be found on amazon. Recommended for children ages eight and up, but adults will love it as well.

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Nifty Fifty State Facts for Fun! (Book 2)

Written by Wyatt Michaels

This is the second in a series making learning about the fifty states fun and informative. Rather than presenting a list of state capitols, symbols and associations, Michaels assembles trivia and facts in game format. In each case, the question is posed with three possible choices. The reader is asked to choose the correct answer. If you are wrong, you are given the opportunity to make another choice. In many cases, the reader is given a hint to help make a decision.

There are many where questions. For example: Where is Mount Rushmore?; Where did the sundae begin?;Where was the birthplace of the first TV?  A lot of questions involve firsts: the first state to vote for independence, the first National Park, the first state to make laws for cars, the first celebration of Memorial Day, and  the location of the first public zoo. Another group of questions deal with the longest and the largest. These include the longest running radio station, longest floating bridge, longest sky way bridge, the largest gold producing state, and largest cable bridge. Then there are the facts dealing with unique situations. Which state was the birthplace of four presidents? Which state holds the world record for most rainfall in a 24 hour period? What is the name of the state which turned down hosting the Olympics? Name the state that has a floating post office. From which state do the names on the Monopoly game board originate? Whose state flag was designed by a teenager? What governor has a state named after him even though he never set foot in that state?

This book makes a great activity for children on a long car ride. Much better than name the license plate. Children and adults will also learn some useful information to use as conversation starters. The game provides a quick reference source. There are maps and photographs that will enhance geographical knowledge as well. So if you are going on a road trip or want a new book to place on your coffee table, you might want to consider this quick read.

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Award winning author Barbara Ann Mojica brings you her second book of the Little Miss HISTORY series titled Little Miss HISTORY Travels to The Statue of Liberty.

Since her last trip to Mount Rushmore, Little Miss HISTORY has journeyed more than 1700 miles over land, sea and air to reach her second destination, The Statue of Liberty. This national treasure stands proudly in New York Harbor welcoming all people to the land of freedom and opportunity. In this second book of the series, Little Miss HISTORY will help you discover who thought of the statue in the first place, the values she symbolizes, the architects and engineers who built Lady Liberty, and the little known individuals who contributed their pennies to make her debut in New York’s harbor possible. You will learn about why she remains a promise and symbol of the hopes and aspirations of many people around the world and not just to immigrants coming to America. Come now and follow Little Miss HISTORY as she enlightens you about The Statue of Liberty!

THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY AT https://www.createspace.com/4409159

http://www.amazon.com/Little-HISTORY-Travels-Statue-Liberty/dp/1492211842/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377553785&sr=1-1&keywords=Little+Miss+History+Travels+to+the+Statue+of+Liberty

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-miss-history-travels-to-the-statue-of-liberty-mrs-barbara-ann-mojica/1116744014?ean=9781492211846

I’LL BE GIVING AWAY A COPY OF
MY SECOND BOOK FEATURED ABOVE!

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Little Miss History Travels to the Statue of Liberty
By: Barbara Ann Mojica
Ilustrated by Victor Ramon Mojica

I am so excited to announce that the second book in the Little Miss History nonfiction travel series will be released in a few weeks! This time around you will find Little Miss History “hanging around” The Statue of Liberty. She will be your guide to learning about the creators, the builders, the contributors, her journey, and the events connected to her history.

Here is a sneak preview of the cover. Looking forward to having you on the journey!