Antarctica contains eons of secrets that scientists are just beginning to uncover -- from wildlife to scientific marvels, this continent may hold the key to the future of the planet.

Eleven-year-old Pearl Moran cannot imagine life without the historic but under-utilized branch of the New York Public Library where she was born (in the Memorial Room) and where her single mother works as the circulation librarian; the other librarians, the neighborhood people, the raccoons, and most of the 41,000 plus books all form the structure and essence of her life--but when someone cuts off the head of the library's statue of Edna St. Vincent...

Christine Gouda, called Tink, and her best friend Jackie are entering sixth grade, and suddenly everything seems awkward and just plain wrong--boys are behaving differently, clothes do not fit the way they should, long term friendships suddenly seem tenuous, and most of all she needs a new nickname because "Tink" just does not fit anymore.

Kids will learn how maps are put together in layers like sandwiches, how to use a map to get oriented, and the use of hundreds of different kinds of maps.

"Who needs bones to swim the seven seas? Not octopuses, clams, crabs, or jellies. Learn more about the lives of these and other ocean animals with no spines. Dive in!"--