World Geography

It’s a battle of the leader of gods versus the god of the sun. The Greek god Zeus controls the skies and can shapeshift as he wishes. With his connection to the sun, the Egyptian god Ra provides life, warmth, and growth. If these to gods were to go head-to-head, who would come out on top?

What are the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Why are these documents important to American history? How do they affect the lives of U.S. citizens today? After the colonies won their independence from Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, a new government was created that could help guarantee that the colonists would enjoy the freedoms they had fought so hard to win. Using an inquiry-based approach, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and how these historic documents provide U.S. citizens with the freedoms they enjoy today.

By 1860, Americans had settled from coast to coast. How could mail get from east to west? The Pony Express! Brave Pony Express riders did whatever it took to get the mail delivered quickly. They faced many difficult choices along the way. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather encounter a grizzly bear or a mountain lion? Would you rather ride through driving snow or pouring rain? It's your turn to pick this or that!

In the early 1800s, thousands of pioneers made a long, perilous westward journey from Missouri to New Mexico. They paved the way for more settlers looking to start a new life in the West. They endured many hardships and made many tough choices. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather get bitten by a poisonous snake or suffer from cholera? Would you take the longer route across mountains with more available water? Or would you take the shorter route across the desert with less water? It's your turn to pick this or that!

After gold was discovered in California in 1848, thousands of people rushed there to strike it rich. They faced tough choices at every turn. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather use the slower method of panning for gold or use a more dangerous method of hydraulic mining? Would you rather run a store or a hotel in a California boomtown? It's your turn to pick this or that!

In November 1909, thousands of factory workers walked off the job to protest the terrible working conditions in New York City factories. Joining the picket lines was dangerous, with thugs and police officers harassing picketers, but the protests stirred action. Many factory owners finally agreed to some of the workers’ demands and improved conditions. But nothing changed for workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, and those workers would pay a high price for the company's dangerous conditions.

Vote for me! It's election time, and campaign ads are everywhere. But what does fundraising, door knocking, and campaigning have to do with getting elected? Listeners learn all about political campaigns and how they play a part in our elections.

In ordinary times, Tola lives in an apartment in Lagos, Nigeria, with her clever sister, Moji; her sporty brother, Dapo; and bossy Grandmommy. Tola is so happy! But news of a new virus—and a lockdown too—sends Moji away in one direction and Dapo in another. Then, when Grandmommy can no longer go out to work, Tola goes instead. She works for the wealthy Diamond family and makes new friends among the household staff. But even the wealthy have problems—and only Too Small Tola is big enough to solve them.

Welcome to the land of sunflowers: Ukraine! From the sandy coasts of the Black Sea to the vibrant capital of Kyiv, this proud nation is full of history, culture, and beauty. Explore the bountiful crops that earned this Eastern European country its nickname, the Breadbasket of the World.

The 1930s were a tough time. The Great Depression left many people jobless and penniless. Dust storms and drought led to failed crops. Livestock died. People thought things couldn’t get much worse. Then, on April 14, 1935, the sky turned black. For hours, an enormous dust blizzard blanketed the country in darkness.

Außergewöhnliche Begegnungen Down Under. Der kleine Drache Kokosnuss, das Stachelschwein Matilda und der Fressdrache Oskar geraten mit ihrem Boot in einen fürchterlichen Sturm, der sie meilenweit vom Kurs abbringt. Am nächsten Morgen haben sie zwar festen Boden unter den Füßen, aber keine Ahnung, wo sie sich befinden. Als sie einen Koala treffen, der auf einem Eukalyptus-Baum sitzt, ist klar: Sie sind in Australien! Und das ist erst der Beginn eines aufregenden Abenteuers.

Stanley's not the only flat one! When a flat skull is discovered in Africa, Stanley Lambchop decides to travel there with his brother, Arthur, and their father, George. Maybe studying the skull will give them clues to Stanley's flatness. But once in Africa, the Lambchops are in for more adventure than they bargained for. From lions to zebras to elephants, it's the safari of a lifetime!

Author Sumbul Ali-Karamali offers her personal account, discussing the many and varied questions she fielded from curious friends and schoolmates while growing up in Southern California - from diet, to dress, to prayer and holidays and everything in between. She also provides an academically reliable introduction to Islam, addressing its inception, development, and current demographics. Through this engaging work, listeners will gain a better understanding of the everyday aspects of Muslim American life.

1919 was a world-shaking year. America was recovering from World War I, and black soldiers returned to racism so violent that that summer would become known as the Red Summer. The suffrage movement had a long-fought win when women gained the right to vote. Labourers took to the streets to protest working conditions, nationalistic fervour led to a communism scare, and temperance gained such traction that Prohibition went into effect. Each of these movements reached a tipping point that year. Now, 100 years later, these same social issues are more relevant than ever.

Mercy lives in modern-day Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with her eccentric foster aunts - two elderly sisters so poor, they can only afford one lightbulb. A nasty housing developer is eying their house. And that same house suddenly starts falling apart - just as Aunt Flora starts falling apart. She's forgetting words, names, and even how to behave in public. Mercy tries to keep her head down at school so nobody notices her. But when a classmate frames her for stealing the school's raffle money, Mercy's teachers decide to take a closer look at her home life.

Famed inventor Henry "Hank" Witherspoon has gone missing, and it's up to Jack and his brilliant siblings, Ava and Matt, to find him. At Hank's ransacked lab, the siblings discover clues to the project he's been working on - a new way to generate and store electricity, inspired by the electric eels of the Amazon.

Pinduli's mama has always told her that she's the most beautiful hyena ever. But Dog, Lion, and Zebra don't think so. Why else would they make her feel so rotten about her big ears, her fuzzy mane, and her wiggly stripes? Poor Pinduli just wants to disappear. But then a case of mistaken identity lets her show the creatures of the African savanna how a few tiny words can create something enormous.

Good. Evil. Dangerous. Glamorous. Will the real Cleopatra please stand up? Almost everything we know about the last queen of Egypt came from her enemies the Romans. Now it's time to meet the ''real'' Cleopatra, a ruler more complex, brilliant, and powerful than we ever knew. Cleopatra didn't just rock the boat when she became queen at seventeen. She rocked the world with brilliant alliances that kept her in power and in control. When Mark Antony tried to put Egypt under his thumb, she negotiated for - and won - more territory than any Egyptian ruler had snagged in generations.

Tyler Stoudt’s first assignment in sixth grade is to make a family tree. Tyler has no idea how she will complete the project. The only family she has is Papa. Determined to do her best, she begins to ask her father questions about their family. When he becomes angry, Tyler wonders if the truth is worth the hurt she is causing. But her need to know outweighs everything else, and she presses him for answers. The story he reveals to her is nothing she ever expected.

How does the president get his job? How do people know who will win an election before everybody’s voted? Do the candidates hate each other? Dan Gutman takes on his strangest subject ever: the American political system. Reaching through history from the days of the founding fathers to today’s voting system, Gutman tackles complex subjects in a clear, easy-to-understand way. Even grown-ups will find something in here that they’ve never learned before.