This fairy-tale series tells what happens after “happily ever after” comes to an end. Lady Jain leaves her Prince Not-So-Charming for a journey of discovery. She is aided by witches, monsters, and other surprising characters, including an order of bearded nuns. In the Castle Waiting series by Linda Medley This surreal series from Italy stars Pastil, a little girl with a pill-shaped head, in whose woody world lurks an array of mysterious dangers....

One reason for the increase in vinyl sales is events like Record Store Day, which promotes vinyl sales. In 2016, Record Store Day, an international event, will be on Saturday, April 16. Vinyl in a Digital Age In 2015, vinyl album sales reached 11.92 million, up from 9.19 million in 2014 and 6.1 million in 2012. Of all those vinyl records sold in 2015, at least 45% were purchased at independent music stores like Chicago’s Reckless Records....

Most animals that became fossils either lived in water or were washed into a body of water. After an animal died, its soft parts, such as its fur, skin, muscle and organs, decomposed. The hard parts that remained were buried under moist layers of mud or sand, where there was no oxygen and bacteria to cause them to decay. The sediment that covered the bones eventually turned into solid rock....

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Making healthy choices Which is healthier, a muffin or a banana? A sports drink or a glass of milk? People face such questions all the time. With a little information and some guidelines, you can learn how to spot the healthier choice. Here are some tips for distinguishing between good (healthy) and bad (unhealthy) foods. Healthy is always an option Imagine you’re at a snack bar, do you choose an apple, a yogurt, or a candy bar?...

Source: National Governors Association; Web: http://www.nga.org/.

Roberto Alomar, baseball playerJose Canseco, baseball playerRoberto Clemente, baseball playerOscar De La Hoya, boxerScott Gomez, hockey playerPancho Gonzalez, tennis playerNancy Lopez, golferJuan Marichal, baseball playerPedro Martinez, baseball playerChi Chi Rodriguez, golferAnthony Munoz, football playerAlex Rodriguez, baseball playerJohn Ruiz, boxerAlberto Salazar, marathonerSammy Sosa, baseball player

Isabel Allende, writerJulia Alvarez, writerRudolfo Anaya, writerSandra Cisneros, writerOscar Hijuelos, writerMaria Hinojosa, journalistGeraldo Rivera, talk-show host, journalistLouis Santeiro, writerGary Soto, writer

The term apparent magnitude refers to a star’s apparent brightness, or how bright the star looks to observers on Earth. Apparent stellar brightness is a combination of two things: how bright the star actually is, and how far the star is from Earth. A dim star close to Earth could appear brighter than a bright star far away. Back in the second century B.C., the Greek astronomer Hipparchus created the first known star catalog, listing star positions and brightness....

Related Links Olympics Overview 2008Track and Field PreviewEncyclopedia: Track & Field1960 Summer Games Rudolph, who is black, was raised in rural, segregated Tennessee and weighed just 4½ pounds at birth. She suffered from polio, pneumonia, and scarlet fever as a young child, which left her partially paralyzed. She couldn’t even walk until age eight. Basketball and Track Star By the time she was 11, however, she was playing basketball in the yard....

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Many minerals, such as gold and silver, are very valuable because they are beautiful and rare. Limestone, clay and quartz are other examples of minerals. Gems are minerals or pearls that have been cut and polished. They are used as ornaments, such as jewelry. Precious stones are the most valuable gems. They include diamonds, rubies and emeralds

Ever wonder what the two R’s stand for in J. R. R. Tolkien? Curious about whether S. E. Hinton is a man or a woman? Want to know J. K. Rowling’s elusive middle name? Read on to solve those mysteries—and get on a first-name basis with other favorite children’s authors. J. M. BarrieKnown for: Peter PanFull name: James Matthew Barrie L. Frank BaumKnown for: The Wonderful Wizard of OzFull name: Lyman Frank Baum L....

Related Links 2008 Year in Review 2008 News of the World 2008 People in the News 2008 Places in the News Quiz U.S. Country Profile Obama’s cabinet picks are known for their experience and resolve The 2008 congressional races featured several headline-making scandals and upsets The grim financial situation hit many aspects of the U.S. economy and our pocketbooks More from Current Events

According to the historian Bede, Aidan was an Irish monk on the island of Iona when he was sent to preach the gospel in Northumbria after a period of pagan resurgence. Aidan established his headquarters on the island of Lindisfarne, where he founded a monastery to train English boys to become missionaries among their own people. He himself went about on foot, preaching and setting up missionary centers, which had the support of the king, Oswald of Northumbria....