Introduction: 'The Blue Marble' - Babylon: 'The four quarters of the Earth' -- Egypt: 'The black loam and the red sand' -- Persia: 'Order and deceit' -- Archaic Greece: 'The Shield of Achilles' -- The origins of Greek thought: 'Equally distant from all extremes' -- The Presocratics and Socrates: 'Floating on air' -- Plato: 'Flat or round, whichever is better' -- Aristotle: 'Necessarily spherical' -- Greek debate on the shape of the world: 'Either...

"A fox, grown strong on pepperoni pizza from the dustbins of the East End, dances along a railway track towards Essex, the territory of wild foxes and wilder huntsmen. An orca, mourning the loss of her mother in a valley west of Skye, knows that she must now lead the pod as matriarch. She swims again through her childhood, thinking about the old ways, the old roads, laid down thousands of years ago. But the old roads aren't so easy now. At moonrise...

"This playful picture book introduces young readers to the fascinating world of octopuses big and small, ink-squirting and shape-shifting, all around the planet. With their super smarts and awe-inspiring abilities, octopuses have captivated human imaginations. This book is a celebration of all things weird and wonderful about these beloved creatures -- with their eight arms, nine brains, and one-of-a-kind personalities. Inside, find lyrical poetry...

"On July 1, 1916, witnesses watched in horror as twenty-eight-year-old Charles Vansant was attacked and killed by a shark in shallow water at Beach Haven, New Jersey--the first recorded shark attack in American history. Scientists claimed a shark could not be responsible, but more deadly attacks soon followed along the Jersey Shore and up the freshwater Matawan Creek, setting off a nationwide panic that led the White House to declare a war on sharks"--...

"Ever since mysterious bones were found in 1822, scientists and artists have tried to figure out what the creature they came from looked like. But it seems that every time they've made up their minds, someone makes a new discovery, and they have to start all over. That's only fair, though--after all, it's how knowledge advances!"-- Publisher's website

Five girls played together in the Smith Sisters Orchestra: Irene on trombone, Erma on vibraphone, Edwina on trumpet, Mildred on violin, and Lila on saxophone. But what of the littlest sister? When Viola's time came, almost every instrument was taken...except one. When she first sat behind a drum kit, she lost the beat, made a terrible racket, and had more fun than she'd ever had before. Viola took to the road with her family, learned from the greats,...

"Explore the Gold Rush from the perspective of William Miller and Henry Garrison, two miners in the Sierra Nevada region, and uncover the often unrelenting conditions of the California gold mines. A story of community, determination, and the search for the American Dream, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves into what life was really like during this pivotal period in American history--brought to life by a gripping narrative and...