Showing titles in Exploration & Discovery

Percy Fawcett was a mapmaker and an adventurer. In the early 1900s, he spent years mapping out the jungles of South America. Fawcett became obsessed with the idea of a lost city of gold hidden deep in the jungle.

In 1910, Sir Robert Falcon Scott led a team of Englishmen racing to be the first people to reach the South Pole. Amidst frigid temperatures and raging winds, Scott and four others made it to the pole only to find that another team had gotten there first. Low on morale and facing ever-plunging temperatures, the trek home would prove a harrowing task.

It’s a battle of the clever troublemaker versus the great thief. The Norse god Loki loves creating chaos wherever he goes, showing his power by stirring up trouble for the gods. The cunning Greek god Hermes serves as a messenger to the gods and Zeus’s personal thief. If these two gods were to go head-to-head, who would come out on top?

In 1921, Inupait seamstress Ada Blackjack joined a a group of four white men who wanted to establish a trading post on Wrangel Island in the freezing Arctic Ocean. The explorers were stranded on the island when their return ship was forced to turn back due to ice. Facing harsh conditions and dwindling food supplies, the men died one by one, but Ada remained. Find out how she alone managed to survive the disastrous expedition.

Would you rather chase a tornado or a hurricane? In this fun-filled nonfiction title, young listeners will face tough decisions about surviving in a storm. Listeners will sharpen their decision-making skills with more than a dozen thought-provoking questions about storm chasing.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind when he became the first person to set foot on the moon. Now, listeners can step back in time to learn about what led up to the Apollo 11 moon landing, how the historic event unfolded, and the ways in which one remarkable day changed America forever.

Would you rather explore a vibrant rain forest or rocky mountain terrain? In this fun-filled nonfiction title, young adventurers will face tough decisions about the wilderness. Listeners will sharpen their decision-making skills with more than a dozen thought-provoking questions.

Riesige Städte, gewaltige Pyramiden und die berühmten Goldschätze: Das Reich der Azteken gehörte zu den größten Zivilisationen der Weltgeschichte – voller Wunder und voller Grauen. Montezuma, der Gottkönig, herrschte über Millionen und opferte den Göttern das Blut seiner Gefangenen. Doch Montezuma wurde von düsteren Vorahnungen gepeinigt. Und als die fremden Heere aus dem fernen Spanien an der Küste Südamerikas landeten, auf der Jagd nach Gold und Macht, war es für Montezumas Reich der Anfang vom Ende.

Would you rather be lost in the Sahara or the Gobi Desert? In this fun-filled nonfiction title, young adventurers will face decisions about surviving in a sandy wasteland. Listeners will sharpen their decision-making skills with more than a dozen thought-provoking questions about deserts.

Would you rather face a leopard seal or brave a snowstorm in an igloo? This fun-filled nonfiction title explores the depths of a frozen landscape. Young adventurers will sharpen their decision-making skills with more than a dozen thought-provoking questions about Antarctica.

In 1803, the United States made a deal to purchase a big area of land called the Louisiana Territory. Soon after, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were asked to lead an expedition into the American Northwest to explore the new land. After the journey, many stories were told about it—but not all of them are true.

You may have heard of the Mayflower. The ship set sail in 1620, carrying English pilgrims across the sea to Plymouth. But did you know that science played a big role in this voyage? Learn how the Mayflower was constructed. Find out how science helped sail the ship across the ocean. And discover how modern technology is being used to understand the journey and the people aboard.

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton led an expedition across Antarctica in 1914. Did you know that science played a big role in this dangerous journey?

English explorer Henry Hudson had long searched for a quicker, northern sailing route from Europe to Asia. Three previous expeditions had failed. In 1610, he embarked again to find the fabled Northwest Passage. But when icy waters stranded Hudson and the Discovery in a bay for the winter, tensions flared. The crew lost faith in their captain’s leadership and began to plot...mutiny!

What went wrong, and how did the survivors manage to make it back alive? This Deadly Expeditions tale transports listeners back in time to discover how one of the deadliest days on Mount Everest unfolded.

Find out how the Egyptian pyramids were engineered. Learn about the science behind King Tut's mummy. Discover how modern technology helps us learn more about King Tut's life and death.

In 1881, U.S. Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greely and his crew set sail for the Arctic. Their mission was to collect scientific data on the polar climate. They also had a second, secret goal: to achieve Farthest North, the record for highest latitude reached by explorers. But when resupply ships failed to arrive two years in a row, the team’s dreams of glory turned into a nightmarish fight for survival in one of the most remote and harshest regions in the world.

This Deadly Expeditions tale transports listeners back in time to follow the Donner Party’s disastrous trek west and their struggle to survive.

In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. Word quickly spread, and the California Gold Rush was on! Thousands of people went to California in hopes of finding gold and striking it rich. But did that really happen? What was the real impact of so many miners rushing to the state? Discover what’s real and what’s fiction about the California Gold Rush through primary sources and expertly leveled text.

It’s a battle of the leader of gods versus the god of the sun. The Greek god Zeus controls the skies and can shape shift 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? Compare and contrast Zeus’s and Ra’s strengths and weaknesses in this Mythology Matchup.