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Machu Picchu—Mysteries of the Lost City
This ancient Incan city is hidden amidst the lush greenery and the towering peaks of the Andes Mountains. It isn’t just a collection of ruins; it’s a testament to the ingenuity and brilliance of an ancient civilization. And it has captured the imaginations of people around the world.
Here’s a cool fact about the discovery of this lost city—the place probably would never have been discovered without the help of a kid just like you. You see, after two years of research to pinpoint the location of the “Lost City of the Incas” and raise money for his expedition, intrepid American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham set off into the Peruvian jungle in 1911 with nothing more than an educated guess as to where it might be. He eventually only found the spot with the aid of an 11-year-old Quechua Indian boy.
Upon discovering the site, Bingham wondered, “What could this place be?” A century later, we still don’t know why they constructed this place on a spot that practically touches the sky. Nobody is quite sure when Machu Picchu was first built—educated guesses put it at around 1450—or why it was abandoned a century later. Researchers still aren’t sure what its original function might have been—a place of worship, a royal estate, an astronomical observatory? And nobody can say with any certainty what became of its original inhabitants.
The Inca were the end result of 5,000 years of a civilization that started at the same time as Egypt and Mesopotamia. Because of conquest and disease, however, they were only around for 100 years. But they left behind this undisturbed site that is just incredible.
About a third of the ruins have been reconstructed. And it’s easy to imagine how the city must have looked in Inca times, clinging to the top of an emerald green mountain ridge in the rain forest. The site comprises a main plaza—flanked by stone homes, temples, workshops, bathing areas, and a royal palace, surrounded by stone terraces where maize and other crops were grown. Estimates put the population at no more than 1,000 at any given time. Although the reconstructed temples are the most impressive buildings, Machu Picchu’s most important structure is the Intihuatana or “hitching post of the sun,” a mysterious abstract stone construction that ancient priests may have used to study the heavens and make astrological predictions.
At the Temple of the Condor, you can see how the large stone in the middle of the structure has been carved to resemble the head and neck feathers of a huge Andean bird, and how the rocks behind are shaped into outspread condor wings. And gazing down on the Temple of the Sun, you can see the Serpent Window, which, according to legend, was used to admit snakes to the shrine.
Even without knowing the background, cosmology (cosmology is the study of the origin and development of the universe), or history of the Inca and Machu Picchu, it is incredibly impressive. The more you observe and see, the more you wonder about it. How did these people do this? And why?
Machu Picchu was built on two fault lines, so it is no stranger to earthquakes. When one occurs, the stones bounce like they are dancing and then fall back into place. It is because of this engineering feat that the site still stands today.
Some more interesting facts about the place. More than a hundred skeletons were found at the site. Today, we now know that they were close to evenly split between women and men.
Hiram Bingham thought he had discovered the Lost City of Vilcabamba, even though we now know it was Machu Picchu. Unbeknownst to him, he had also traveled through Vilcabamba in 1911.
Machu Picchu is built on a mountain ridge that is 7,970 feet high (2,430 meters). 5,280 feet equals one mile. So, Machu Picchu is almost 1 and one-half miles high. Think how long it would take you to hike all the way to the top of that mountain ridge since it is almost straight up in the air. That’s a lot of climbing to do.
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Jinxed
The Golden Compass meets the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets—plus a robotic companion that isn’t what it seems.
Lacey Chu is a girl who codes. She has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the “baku”—a customizable “pet” with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she’s crushed.
One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she’s ever seen…He seems real.
As Lacey settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret. Can Lacey hold on to Jinx and her dreams for the future?
From author Amy McCulloch for Readers 9-12.
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Hiking–Exploring Nature’s Playground
The warm sunshine on your face, the sound of the wind rushing through the trees overhead, and the soft earthy feel of the trail under your boots. Not only are these experiences enjoyable to have, but they’re good for you, too. Hiking offers physical exercise and emotional relief.
Hiking is one of the best ways to get exercise. Whether you scramble up a steep incline or are walking on a winding dirt path, hiking is the perfect opportunity to get a workout!
Being in nature can boost your mood and improve your mental health. Spending quality time in the great outdoors reduces stress and calms anxiety. Hiking, taking in the sights and smells of nature, is good for you.
Hiking with a friend or a group of friends is fun. And the fun fact is that you can hike just about anywhere, as long as you are careful and tell others where you are going. The opportunities and benefits of hiking are waiting for you. All you have to do is go.
To get started, you need to choose the right hike. And you need to be aware of some safety tips when you are going on an extended Nature hike.
The first step to pleasurable hiking is gauging your physical limits and choosing a trip to fit your physical abilities. Key factors to consider are distance, elevation change and the type of terrain.
If you’re a newbie, start with short, simple walks and work your way up. If possible, hike with a companion or in a group with more experience. Not only will it be safer and more fun, you can share in others’ knowledge and skills. Clubs and guided walks are also great ways to learn the basics.
For the more adventuresome among you—consider going on longer hikes in Nature. For those of you who want to venture away from your city with its parks and hiking paths, here are some safety tips you will want to consider. But, whatever you do, just make sure that you let somebody know where you will be hiking and when you expect to return. Plus, do not hike alone. Just in case an accident or a serious incident happens to you while you are out hiking, a companion can help save your life by getting help for you.
To begin your long hike, start by wearing layered clothing to protect yourself from the elements and to help regulate your body temperature. With layered clothing, you can add or subtract as needed. A dependable waterproof jacket is vital, of course. As is a hat—broad-brim for sunny days, a woolly hat for the cold. The general rule of thumb is always to be prepared for the worst conditions.
So, pay attention to the weather.
Choose good boots—your feet and ankles will thank you. So will your back and the rest of your body.
Carry a comfortable backpack. If you’re going to carry a heavy load for long periods, get a backpack with a good harness. A properly fitted backpack allows freedom of movement, but doesn’t swing from side to side.
Pack lightly for long hikes, including lightweight food in plastic bags. Also, make sure you have water. Food is your fuel, so pack foods that are high energy and nutritious. Tasty treats such as chocolate can also work wonders.
Pace yourself. Enjoyable hiking depends on endurance, not speed. Take regular rest stops to take the weight off, rehydrate, and nibble some nuts—three moves guaranteed to keep you smiling.
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Epic Kids
Jake is an average, unpopular kid at school, and is shocked when the cool new kids ask him to sit with them at lunch. They’re not what he expected – a monstrous boy named Darryl levitates a lunch tray above his head, and a mysterious girl named Amanda shoot green bolts of lightning from her fingertips.
Jake is soon on a mission to prove he’s anything but average when it’s revealed he’s from another planet and has a duty to protect Amanda. He helps his new friends as they’re hunted by a dangerous, very-much alive mechanical dinosaur. And that’s just to start with. Jake learns that he has powers of his own (that involve a hidden door with glowing light) and will do everything he can to keep his new friends safe.
From author David Blaze for Readers 9-12.
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Ghosts—Are They for Real?
Is “Bloody Mary” in your school’s bathroom?
Mary is a blood-covered ghost who is said to have murdered her three children with a knife. To find out if she is there or not. All you have to do is to go into the bathroom by yourself and turn out the lights. Then look in the mirror and summon her by saying her name three times in a row—Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary.
If she is there—and wants to come out—you will see her staring at you over your shoulder, in the mirror.
Most kids who have seen her have been so frightened by the sight of her. They fled the darkened bathroom before they could think to look and see if she still had the bloody knife in her hand.
When we think of ghosts, we don’t normally think of a ghostly seventeenth-century wooden merchant ship. But one of the most famous ghosts in the world is just that—a ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman.
She is known as the Flying Dutchman because of her Dutch captain, Hendrick van der Decken. He refused to seek safe harbor during a violent storm while navigating the Cape of Good Hope, despite pleas from the crew and passengers. Instead, the impudent captain challenged God to take them down. The ship was promptly cursed and in its ghost form is damned to never find port again. As a result, she has been haunting the seas since the 1600s.
Ships’ crews and passengers from all over the world have reported seeing her over the years. She often appears as a hazy image or as a strange light and is strongly believed to be the omen of bad luck and doom. Her last reported sighting was off the coast of South Africa.
So many people have reported seeing her over the years that Walt Disney Studios used her in a movie. They called it “Pirates of the Caribbean” and in the movie Davy Jones captained her.
Among suspicious sailors, Davie Jones was thought to be the deity of death and his “locker” was the final resting place of dead sailors. In Disney’s movie franchise he is featured as the undying evil spirit that collects the souls of the dying pirates while traveling in his legendary ship “The Flying Dutchman,” and his locker was portrayed as a sort of purgatory for the dead souls.
In a suburb of Chicago lies an abandoned cemetery that is believed to be extremely haunted. It’s known as Bachelor’s Grove and a wooded nature reserve surrounds it. Until the 1960s, for over one hundred twenty years, it was used as a local cemetery by the nearby residents before it was abandoned. Nowadays, the local teens use it as a secret party spot—if they are daring enough to brave the woods and the ghosts. Nocturnal visitors have reported sighting featureless orbs of light or blobs of ectoplasm. Many visitors report seeing a spectral farmer and his horse, a vanishing black dog at the cemetery’s entrance, eerie figures in monks’ robes, and a ghost with two heads.
The “white lady,” a ghost in white, is the most renowned ghost in Bachelor’s Grove. She chose to keep her baby even after death. On nights of the full moon, she is seen wandering the graveyard carrying a baby, or apparently sometimes in the full daylight sitting on a tombstone.
If you were a teenager from Chicago, would you be brave enough to go creeping around that cemetery at night? Or any cemetery at night?
Now we know ghosts like to haunt houses. And one of the most famous haunted houses is in a small town called Amityville on New York’s Long Island, where the Lutz family lived. Soon after they moved into the house, weird stuff started happening. Like voices yelling at priests, flies swarming in the house even in winter, cold spots, and unpleasant smells. They also experienced vivid nightmares, a rotating crucifix, physical attacks on the family, and appearances by a freaky pig monster named Jodie. After many other experiences like that, the Lutzes abandoned the house and left their possessions behind. Jay Anson wrote a book about their terrifying experience which was known as “The Amityville Horror” and Hollywood made a movie of the book.
What about you? Have you ever seen a ghost? Or known someone who has?
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Brainwashed: Crime Travelers Spy School Mystery & International Adventure Series Book 1
While sleeping on the roof of his father’s hotel-spy school, thirteen-year-old Lucas Benes finds a baby alone and learns that the Good Company has restarted its profitable brainwashing business. The first book in the trilogy tracks the secret urban adventures of international teenage spies. Lucas, the reluctant hero, leads a group of friends through the hotspots of Paris-from the catacombs to the Eiffel tower–in an all-out effort to sabotage a brainwashing ceremony that could potentially turn them all into “Good” kids.
From author Paul Aertker for Readers 9-12.
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The Story Behind America’s Street Names!
Have you ever looked up at a street sign and wondered how that street got its name? Think about it, who comes up with a street’s name? In fact, why do we even name streets at all?
The practice of naming streets goes back a long time to when people started to live close together in an urban setting for protection and convenience. When we first had to hunt and gather our food for ourselves and our families, living in a cave or huddled around a fire was okay. But once we started gathering food, and farming, and raising animals for food, then it made sense to settle in one place with other people.
That way, we could buy and sell what we needed to stay alive and provide for our families. Plus, living close together like that offered us protection from wild animals or hostile enemies. As those early settlements grew in size and complexity, the residents soon discovered naming streets and locations made it easier to find your way around the place.
All our ancestors brought that custom over from their old countries when they migrated to this country. Now, every community’s streets are named so you can find your way around the city or town.
In the beginning, people named the streets after things like an occupation—Weaver Street, Carpenter Avenue, Butcher Street, Cooper Street, Wheelwright Avenue. Or after natural features like—High Street, Market Street, Riverside Drive, Shady Lane. Take, for instance, Wall Street in New York City. That was named for the wooden wall that was built there by the early Manhattan settlers to protect themselves and their homes from flooding from the nearby river and from wild animals.
Or they would name the street after important buildings like Church Street, or Penny Lane—where the banks or shops were. Or they would name them after beautiful landscapes like Oak Drive or Willow Place. As the town or city prospered, we named streets after people of importance, like Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Washington Drive, and Armstrong Way. Or they would name streets after familiar places—like Devonshire Boulevard, or Nordhoff Street.
Or else they would name them after historical events—like Veteran Avenue in honor of the men and women who took part in wartime events like battles or military campaigns. Or they would name a street after the community’s cultural landmarks—like Google Way, or Microsoft Drive, or Apple Avenue. When we moved into suburbia in the mid-20th century, the developers were the ones who named the streets in their development communities—names like Prospect Way, or Shady View Glen. Names they hoped you would view your new home, and community, as being like.
There’s a story behind every single street name in your community. The next time you are out riding your bike, riding in a car, or walking with your friends—look at the street signs you pass, and pay attention to their names. They can tell you a lot about your city or town. You just might discover interesting connections to the past and the people who shaped the places you call home.
Who knows? It might give you an idea for a school report you could write, in order to share interesting information with your friends and teacher. The place to start is with your friendly librarian and the City Planner’s Office in your town.
Happy street name hunting!
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The Dirt Diary
A hilarious tale about the weight of responsibility that comes from a secret-filled diary.
Rachel can’t believe she has to give up her Saturdays to scrubbing other people’s toilets. So. Gross. But she kinda, sorta stole $287.22 from her college fund that she’s got to pay back ASAP or her mom will ground her for life. Which is even worse than working for her mother’s new cleaning business. Maybe. After all, becoming a maid is definitely not going to help her already loserish reputation.
But Rachel picks up more than smelly socks on the job. As maid to some of the most popular kids in school, Rachel suddenly has all the dirt on the 8th grade in-crowd. Her formerly boring diary is now filled with juicy secrets. And when her crush offers to pay her to spy on his girlfriend, Rachel has to decide if she’s willing to get her hands dirty.
From author Anna Staniszewski for Readers 10-14.
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Syzygy and Selenelion
We are kicking off our AIME adventure with two words every stargazer should know—syzygy (pronounced sih-ZIH-jee) and selenelion.
Syzygy is when the sun, Earth, and the moon align. This happens twice a month during the full moon and the new moon. Syzygy can also occur when the sun, Earth, and another planet line up. During a new moon syzygy, the sun and the moon lie on the same side of Earth. This is known as conjunction.
The full moon syzygy happens when Earth comes between the sun and the moon. This is known as opposition. And a third example of syzygy is during a total lunar eclipse, when the full moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun.
A fourth example of syzygy happens during an annular eclipse when the moon aligns between Earth and the sun. It leaves a ring of the sun’s light still visible around the moon. This alignment usually occurs every year or two, but it is only visible across a small area on Earth. This is because the moon is so much smaller than the sun.
A solar eclipse is the fifth example of syzygy. This happens when the moon orbits Earth and it moves between Earth and the sun in its passage. This is called a solar eclipse, and the moon appears as a dark shadow on just a small part of the sun’s gigantic surface.
Since both the sun and the moon orbit Earth, why don’t eclipses occur every single month at the full and new moons?
If Earth and the moon orbited on the same plane around the sun, we would indeed have a total solar eclipse—and a total lunar eclipse—every month. But the moon’s orbit is inclined to Earth’s orbit by about five degrees. So, no total eclipses every month.
Now what is a selenelion, which is sometimes called a selenehelion? First, it helps to understand what the word means. It is a French word that comes from the ancient Greek words selēnē, moon and hēlios sun. This is an uncommon eclipse phenomenon where you can see the sun near the horizon and the eclipsed moon near the opposite horizon at the same time.
Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to see?
You can now impress your friends with your stargazing knowledge. Look how much you have learned in a short time about eclipses and planet alignments. Plus, you now have two interesting words you can use that most adults have never heard before. Have fun using them and impressing the people around you. Who knows, maybe you can interest them into learning more fun facts about the world around them.
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Shy Ninja
Young Rena suffers from a social anxiety disorder. It keeps her from engaging at school, from hanging out with her best friend in person, or participating in any sort of group activity. Pressed by her mother to find some social outlet, she enrolls in a School for Ninjas—and in an instant, her life changes. Rena’s instructor, the mysterious Dysart, tells her that her presence fulfills an ancient prophecy and that she will become the Ninja legend known as “The Ghost.” Assuming she can even get past her own anxieties, will she help Dysart return the Ninja to their former glory, or is Dysart planning to exploit Rena for his own cryptic aims?
From authors Ricardo and Adara Sanchez and illustrator Arianna Florean for Readers 10-14.
