Helen Plum Library

"Who doesn't love a great mystery? This book presents the eerie accidents and unexplained disappearances that have occurred in the region known as the Bermuda Triangle. Even before it was named, the Bermuda Triangle--roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico--had gained a mythic reputation. The Bermuda Triangle became famous for making boats and ships vanish, and for snatching planes right out of the sky. But are these stories true? And if...

The history of the White House, first completed in 1799, reflects the history of America itself. It was the dream of George Washington to have an elegant "presidential mansion" in the capital city that was named after him. Yet he is the only president who never got to live there. All the rest have made their mark—for better or worse—on the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Megan Stine explains how the White House came to be and offers young readers...

"Imagine over three million square miles of sand dunes that are as tall as a ten-story building. That place is real -- it's the Sahara Desert! Vast, yes! And home to fascinating creatures such as ostriches and fennec foxes as well as amazing plant life. Readers will also learn about the famous trade routes of the past with caravans of up to 10,000 camels, European explorers to the region (some very unlucky ones), and native populations like the Imazighen"--...

Escape from the ordinary and break into Alcatraz, America's most famous prison!
The island of Alcatraz has always been a place that's fascinated visitors, from the Native American tribes who believed it was home to evil spirits to the Spanish explorers who discovered the island. In modern times, it was a federal prison for only 29 years, but now draws over a million visitors each year. Learn the history of America's most famous prison, from...

More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname—the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able...

"Readers will learn about the Eiffel Tower, the beloved and iconic symbol of Paris, France, and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Set up for the World's Fair in 1889, the Eiffel Tower greets millions of visitors each year who climb up its wrought-iron stairs, ride its glass elevators, and enjoy the wonderful views of the city spread out below it"--

"Ancient people from many different cultures all looked up and imagined pictures in the sky by "drawing" a line from one star to another, like a connect-the-dots puzzle. These star pictures--constellations--represented myths and legends from the various cultures that still fascinate us today. Author Stephanie Sabol relates many of the most popular constellation stories and explains what stars actually are: how they formed, why they die, and how they're...

"The most famous river in America runs like a spine between the eastern and western parts of the country, flowing through ten states before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The mighty Miss also flows through the history of America, giving rise to great stories about the people who lived on it and used it as a watery highway, from Native Americans and European explorers to skillful riverboat captains and colorful gamblers traveling on luxurious...

More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname--the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able...

"This hilarious follow-up collection of jokes featuring all the subjects of the ever-popular Where Is? series will keep kids laughing right through geography class! There are 300 silly jokes about places like Stonehenge, Easter Island, the Bermuda Triangle, Mount Rushmore, Area 51, and even our Solar System in this all-new collection"--