Megan Stine - Böcker

Born into a close knit family in Chicago, Michelle Robinson was a star student who graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law. Then in 1992, she married another promising young lawyer and the rest, as they say, is history. It is undeniable that President Barack Obama has changed the United States but so has Michelle Obama, the self-proclaimed "Mum in Chief." This compelling, easy-to-read biography is illustrated by New Yorker artist John O'Brien.

The Galapagos Islands are a chain of volcanic islands located on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The isolated location of the islands has allowed a vast number of species to develop that are original to each island, such as the blue-footed booby, the marine iguana, and of course, the giant Galapagos tortoise, which may live to be over one hundred years old. Studied by Charles Darwin during his historic voyage on the HMS Beagle, the island life contributed to his groundbreaking theory of evolution. Today the islands area popular tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Built in the fifteenth century and tucked away in the mountains of Peru, Machu Picchu was abandoned after the Spaniards conquered the Incan empire in the sixteenth century. It remained hidden until 1911 when Hiram Bingham uncovered the marvelous complex and shared his discovery with the world. Today, hundreds of thousands of people visit the site to climb the 3,000 stone steps, explore the towering monuments, and seethe numerous species that call these famous ruins home.

Running through six countries in the middle of Africa, the Congo Basin contains some of the largest tropical rain forests in the world. Dealing with present-day issues of climate change, it is home to bonobo apes, mountain gorillas, forest elephants, and more.With details about the exploration (and exploitation) by the European colonialists and the aftermath of their arrival in the Congo, this book will give readers a better understanding of the second largest rain forest in the world.

It might seem lonely at the top of the world, but the North Pole is teeming with life! Polar bears, walruses, and arctic seals make their home on sea ice that can be nine feet thick while the Inuit and other indigenous peoples continue their traditions and means for survival in this harsh climate. Along with the early twentieth-century story of Robert Peary’s egomaniacal quest to reach the exact spot of the North Pole, this is an exciting new addition to the Where Is? series.

How did a little girl who loved horses become the longest reigning monarch in England? Find out in this addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series! In 1936, the life of ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth of York changed forever. Although she was a member of the British Royal Family, she never expected to become queen. But when her uncle Edward gave up the throne, suddenly her father was the new king, which meant young Elizabeth was next in line! Queen Elizabeth reigned for seventy years, and while there were palaces galore, the crown jewels, and trips around the world, her life was one of strict discipline and duty. This riveting chronicle follows the life of a woman who was both a public figure and an intensely private person and explores how she kept the monarchy together through good times and bad.

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 they are true, is there a more sensible reason that refutes the bad karma of the region? With so many mystifying events to learn about, readers will love disappearing into this story.

On August 8, 1974, millions sat stunned as they watched Richard Nixon on TV when he announced he was stepping down as the President of the United States. He’d participated in a scandal that included secret tape recordings, a burglary, and a cover-up, and now his secrets and lies were catching up to him. How could Nixon, a man who had been reelected in a landslide victory just two years earlier, now be leaving office in disgrace?Author Megan Stine takes readers through President Nixon’s life - from his childhood and military experiences during World War II - to his long political career and the Watergate scandal that tarnished his legacy and deepened American’s mistrust of the government.

It’s time to elect a new pope. Hundreds of thousands of people gather in front of St. Peter’s Basilica to learn who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church. A white puff of smoke from a chimney signals the cardinals - the “princes” of the church - have elected one of their own who will continue to be the leader of the faith that has been around for more than two thousand years. Author Megan Stine charts the beginning of Christianity and its hold on members of the faith as well as the countless struggles for power (one pope was poisoned by his own men!), the building of the Vatican and creation of the Sistine Chapel, and the Secret Archives that hold papers the church has accumulated over the centuries.