In 2004 Google started a very interesting project- to scan the world’s books. It is quite a massive task if you consider that the number of books increase every second! Most estimates say there are now about 3.474 billion books or 3,474,000,000 books in existence today in the world. And the list is growing. Readers love reading fiction and non-fiction works. In fiction, the writer creates his own characters and places. It includes folk and fairy tales, mysteries, fantasies, bed-time stories, novels, short stories, fables and comics. Non fiction books are about real life events, places, biographies, autobiographies, essays and informative books like an Encyclopedia.

Reading in Ancient times

In ancient times books and literature was recorded on palm leaves and even on stone tablets. Once paper was invented, books were written and illustrated by hand. The people who created such books were called scribes. Since scribes were limited, books were rare and expensive. So books became an indicator of richness. A well read person was a person of repute.

Reading in the Digital Age

Times have changed the way we read books. When printing was introduced in 1500’s, books could be bought by many people. There are sufficient resources available where one can access digital books and even audio books. There are sufficient resources available where one can access digital books and even audio books. Today we can use the internet and mobiles to read books. Our reach to books has become easier.

Benefits of Reading

Reading is a fun and interesting hobby. You can read informative sources like the newspaper and encyclopedia to know about what’s going on. Popular children’s classics are fun, as they transport you to different fantastical places and periods. One can meet a Prince Charming or meet talking animals in this journey. Reading improves vocabulary and widens knowledge. One never gets bored of reading a good book.

Reading Skills

There are many techniques that improve reading skills. This includes the ability to read faster, understand the material and also to remember what we read. Some such techniques are:

Speed-reading

Speed-reading is the skill that allows people to read faster. You can do this by timing your current reading speed, staying away from distractions and by deciding the time you will take for a piece. Don’t read aloud as it takes up time. The fastest reader in the world is the American Howard Stephen Berg who claims to be able to read 25,000 words a minute. While you don’t have to achieve such records, it is interesting to know that a ‘good reading speed is 500-700 words per minute’, while a ‘normal speed is 200/230 words a minute’.

Skimming

In this method you read or preview the text at a very basic level only to understand the gist of the material.

Meta guiding

This is done by using a finger or pen to guide you through the text that you are reading. This helps your eyes to read faster.

Remember what you read

Take notes while reading and to remember what you have read. · Highlight or underline important words or phrases.

Fast or slow, the important thing is to enjoy reading. It’s a life-long investment. A world that does not read is a world that does not dream. As Eleanor Roosevelt said once, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” So read and nurture dreams to build a better tomorrow.

Birds could be the surviving dinosaurs. Evidence collected over the last 15 years confirm that birds evolved from the Theropod dinosaur. Theropods (meaning beast footed) and they include the majority of the two-legged meat-eating species such as Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus. Birds are actually descendants of the small non flying Theropods.

Dinos had feathers
Velociraptors were feathered dinosaurs. First evidence came from a fossil from Cretaceous* sediments found in Mongolia in late 1990’s which resembled bones just like those in modern birds. ‘The more that we learn about these animals, the more we find that there is basically no difference between birds and their closely related dinosaur ancestors. Both have wishbones, brood their nests, possess hollow bones and covered in feathers. If animals such as Velociraptor were alive today, our first impression would be that they very unusual looking birds,” says Mark Norell, Chairman & Curator-in- Charge, Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians, and Birds at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Dinos to birds
From the leg of a 68 million year old American Tyrannosaurus Rex scientists extracted a soft tissue containing collagen proteins*. Scientists decoded these proteins and found a strict correlation with those from ostriches and chickens.

Dinos breathed like birds
Velociraptors had a breathing structure similar to modern birds such as pelicans and cormorants. This structure which is called the uncinate process consists of “small bones that act as levers to move the ribs and sternum during breathing,” says Jonathan Codd, Senior Lecturer in Integrative Vertebrate Biology.

Birdlike eggs
Another evidence that strongly supports the dinosaur-to-bird transition came from a fossilized theropod female dinosaur bearing two bird like eggs inside her.

Small Dinos would fly

John Ostrom, a Yale University geologist, in the 1970s predicted that small, fast, predatory warm-blooded dinosaurs such as the 3.4 metre long Deinonychus, which lived around 110 million years and weighed 70 kg, Dromaeosaurus and Velociraptor which weighed around 15 kg were the feathered fathers of the modern birds.

Dinosaurs had feathers, were warm blooded, breathed like birds bore two eggs at a time and their cells were similar to those of modern ostriches and chicken. The question is how did they learn to fly? Can you imagine a 9 ton Tyrannosaurus Rex while running after his prey taking off flapping a pair of little tiny wings on his back?  It rather seems like an opening of a new Hollywood cartoon. Fossil finds tells us that dinosaurs that learned to fly were small in size and could attain top running speeds of 30/40miles/hour. This feature allowed them to live better and longer. Feathers made them also more aero dynamic, leading toward dinosaurs with larger feathers. In millions of years this new evolutionary trend made flight developed from the ground up.

And now they are birds. It seems that the dinosaurs didn’t die out after all. They are still walking with us. John Long, Australian paleontologist Strategic Professor in Palaeontology*, Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, in his book Feathered Dinosaurs (2008) writes: “Remember, when you next tuck into a tasty morsel of chicken that you are eating something that seamlessly evolved from the mighty predatory dinosaurs. There’s just a hint of T. Rex in every bit.” Hmmm, yummy!

*Paleontologist is someone who studies dinosaurs.

Similar breathing structures What makes Dinos and Birds the same?

Hollow thin walled bones
Brood their nests
Similar eggs
Have feathers
Co-related collagen protein
Similar breathing structures

Humans have always had a thirst for exploration. This was a survival instinct. The curiosity to find new lands took us on ships to sail the world. Movement kept us safe from danger and also provided new food for us. Our boats back then were not advanced but primitive. They were like big monsters of the seas that cut across the waters. The Vikings were known for their boats, as the Chinese for their Junks.

Row, row, row your boat
Early humans made their modes of transport from whatever material was available to them. They used rafts, logs of bamboo, with animal skins to cross smaller water bodies. As they progressed, the oar was introduced to help glide through water and they made sails that used wind-power to sail fast.

One of the most famous rafts in modern history is the Kon-Tiki. It was built in 1947 by the Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. Heyerdahl believed that the people from South America had settled in Polynesia. To locate them, he and five of his companions built a raft by using material and technology which were available in the pre-Columbian times and sailed from Peru to French Polynesia. Although there was very little technology available, they had great motivation that allowed them to succeed.

The Egyptians first used papyrus* to make small boats to take them across the Nile. They then developed wooden boats and built advanced cargo boats to transport material across the River Nile.

The Phoenicians are worth a mention in ship building as they made galleys from the earlier dugouts with sails and oars providing additional power.

*Papyrus is a light-weight material that is made from the pith of a plant called papyrus. Papyrus was also used for making paper.

Wind Power
Viking long ships had a unique design. They were flat, light, thin, long (as long as 3 buses). They were fast an had a capacity of 30 people. Their ability to move easily allowed the Vikings to discover unknown lands.

Carracks- As ship-building advanced, great wars were fought across the seas and also led to an era of exploration. The Portuguese carrack was a three- or four-masted sailing ship made for sailing the Atlantic Ocean and became widely used by the Europeans.

Triremes were boats with three tiers of oars on each side, with one man per oar. They were used by the Greeks and Romans, from 550 BC to the Middle Ages. These were light, war-boats that could hold up to 200 people.

Caravels are small, very maneuverable ships developed in Portugal in the 15th century. The most famous were Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria that brought Christopher Columbus to America in 1492.

As sea sailing increased, the world started to get smaller. As Christopher Columbus once said, “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

A famous Danish philosopher, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855), said once that we are what we eat. Similarly, the books we read become a part of us. Books have a wonderful way to take us to places we’ve never visited. They help us experience and understand how life goes on in other parts of the world. Several masterpieces of literature are still read and admired. We bring five much loved books, set in beautiful locations across the world. Get ready to explore.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain

Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt and his brother in a fictional town along the banks of the Mississipi River. His best friends are Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper while Becky Thatcher is the schoolgirl Tom falls in love with. The book tells us about the adventures of Tom and his friends; where they solve a murder mystery, have lots of fun, crack jokes, and share laughter and tears together.

Mississippi River, Mississippi State, South America: The Great River Road follows the Mississippi River from its origin in Minnesota up to the Gulf of Mexico. It leads through ten states, each with its own story, culture and landscape.

Heidi
by Johanna Spyri

Heidi is an orphan child who lives in Switzerland with her grandfather, hundreads of goats, and her best friend Peter. Their life in the Alps, in the pristine mountain is a wonderful one, until Heidi is forced to move to Frankfurt, Germany to keep company with Clara. The book compares two different environmental sets: the natural one versus the industrial. Heidi who has lived amidst nature is healthy, and full of life, whereas Clara is paralyzed and has a less bubbling personality.

The Swiss Alps, Switzerland: The Alps cover about 65% of Switzerland’s surface. The highest mountain in the Alps is the Monte Rosa. There are lots of trekking and mountaineering destinations here. Skiing, winter sports, and mountaineering are popular here.

Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne

The book narrates a fantastic adventure of a scientist-inventor, Phileas Fogg and his French valet called Passepartout. Phileas places a bet that he can complete a journey around the world in just 80 days. Phileas and Passepartout travel from London to Italy to Suez and then further ahead to Mumbai, Kolkata, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York, and finally back to London. They face many challenges; they get separated, get robbed, they even manage to save an Indian lady, and finally they reach on time and win the bet.

London, England: The beautiful, historical city of London is known for the clock tower called the Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Palace of Westminster.

Madeline
by Ludwig Behelmand

This is a series that shows the adventures of Madeline, set in Paris. The book always opens with the line: “In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…”. Among these girls is Madeline. In the first book, Madeline gets an appendicitis operation. Brave Madeline is least bothered about it. For her, a trip to the hospital is an adventure.

Paris, France: There is more to Paris other than the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre (Museum), Château de Versailles, and the Impressive Gothic cathedral, that inspired Victor Hugo’s novel- The Hunchback of Notre Dame, to name a few.

The Blue Umbrella
by Ruskin Bond

Most of Ruskin Bond’s books are influenced by his childhood spent in hill stations at the foothills of Himalaya. One such book is about a little girl, Binya, who trades her necklace for a pretty blue umbrella. Everyone loves her blue umbrella, much to the envy of the shopkeeper from whom she had traded it. Ultimately the shopkeeper convinces Binya to trade back the umbrella for her necklace.

Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh: Named after the 19th century British Governer General Lord Dalhousie, this is a beautiful town with the mighty Dhauladhar mountain range filling the horizon.

Reading a book is not just about turning its pages. Each page transports us to different places, introduces us to new friends, and we learn how to do different things. You’ll never know the amazing things that a book holds inside it, unless you start reading one. As Frederick Douglass, (1818–1895) American social reformer, orator, and writer once said “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

Ever since historic times, discoveries and inventions have improved the life of humans. Most of these inventions have first been an “idea”. Scientists and Inventors have gone through the process of studying and establishing those ideas into discoveries and inventions that have change our lives for the better. Here are a few discoveries that changed the way we live.

The Wheel

5200 years ago humans invented the wheel, the very first, biggest technological advancement ever. Transportation and construction became much faster contributing to growth of a lot of civilizations. We use the expression “no need to reinvent the wheel” to indicate that there is actually no need to discover something that has already been discovered and perfected.

The Printing Press

Johannes Gutenberg, a German blacksmith and goldsmith, invented the printing press machine with movable components (alphabet letters and punctuation signs) in 1450. This innovation made books accessible to everybody. The printing press brought in a new era of communication, where knowledge, ideas, scientific discoveries could reach the public easily. Till then knowledge was in the hands of few who controlled most of the world. Before such printing presses were invented, books were written and illustrated and copied by hand.

The Penicillin

A Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, Alexander Fleming, discovered penicillin accidentally. While he was away for a vacation with his family, a fungus contaminated one of his experiments. Back to work, Fleming noticed that this fungus blocked the growth of a disease-causing bacteria. Commenting on this achievement, Fleming stated: “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. But I suppose that was exactly what I did.” Penicillin saved and still saves thousands of lives every day.

The Steam Engine

The idea behind the steam engine is a steam powered water pump. Thomas Savery, an English military engineer, built the first commercial water pump. The innovation of the steam engine lies in its ability to convert heat into mechanical work. These engines opened the door to a new era: the Industrial Revolution. Furthermore, steam powered machines could produce goods in mass. The combination of goods and transport systems

The Computer

In 1977, Ken Olson president of Digital Equipment Corp said, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” A very bad prediction, don’t you agree? With a computer we can surf the web, write a letter or school assignment, make some calculations, pla st games, etc. We cannot imagine the 21 century without computers and everything that runs on computer programs- flat screen Tvs, radios, music players, mobiles, communication, launching of space shuttles and so much more. Did you know that the very first computers had storage disks as large as room! And now they are as small as the tip of your little finger!

Quotable Quote
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.

-Albert Einstein

It’s a matter of fact that the world’s climate has changed. Climate changes have occurred throughout history, like the Ice Ages. Earth has been through five major ice ages, the last one being 1.7 million years ago.

Nowadays, these changes can be felt first-hand, everywhere. Most importantly, scientists have registered a general temperature increase of roughly 0.74°C over the past 100 years. Data shows that more than half of this warming-about 0.4°C-has occurred since 1979. This means that our planet is getting much warmer.

This temperature increase known as Global Warming affects the lives of human beings, animals and plants alike. It causes the ice sheets to melt, causing floods that may lead to destruction. Loss of each plant represents the loss of an ecosystem. Plants being vulnerable die first, followed by animals that feed on them. And it may also effect humans.

It is time that we put together our minds to find out what can be done to protect the environment and prevent global temperatures from registering additional rises.

Not just scientists, but we can also do our bit. Even you as a child can do a lot to help prevent the rise in global warming.

Let’s Walk!

Walk as much as possible and ask your parents to do the same. Try walking to the school, gym, mall, market, doctor. You may cycle to these places as well. Pollution caused by cars adds to the green house gases. Green house gases are those that trap the heat from the sun and hence lead to warming of the earth.

Protect the environment

Protect resources by starting at home. You must switch off the lights or any electronic devices (television, radio, and computer), if not in use. Do not waste food or water.

Plant and protect as many trees as possible

Trees freshen the air and also regulate climate. Cutting a tree takes little time but it takes longer for it to grow. It is a good habit to plant a sapling every year to spread the greenery.

Recycle and re-use

When we recycle we produce less waste. By doing so we are able to protect natural resources. It is a good idea to give old newspapers, plastics and glass bottles to your local raddiwala. He/she then sends it to the recycling plant.

Be a wise shopper

Look for the recycle mark on products. This mark means that the item has been produced from recycled materials. Sometimes it is also marked to indicate whether you can recycle them after use.

Last but not least, children can lead by the example. You are the future of our planet and you can

do your bit. Each little step can add up to the bigger cause of environment protection and we can save the endangered plants and animals.

Cyndi Lauper a famous American singer said once: “People can save the world by the way they think and by the way they behave and what they hold to be important.” Our planet is important. We will work together and make our world a better place to live.