Right along the equator, hundreds of miles from Ecuador, lie the unique Galapagos Islands. There are nineteen islands that make up Galapagos, and they are greatly spread out. They are formed by volcanoes, which some of the islands are still enlarging in size. A stunning 97% of these islands are public parks. Most of the…

It’s easy to see how the spectacled bear got its name. The markings on its face make it look like it’s wearing glasses. These interesting animals are found only in the wild in the Andes Mountains of South America, for they like dense cloudy forests. Andean bears have sharp claws that help them be splendid…

Stephen Covey said, “We develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.” This quote is proven true in two books: Chico of the Andes by Christine Von Hagen and Gabriel and the Hour Book by Evaleen Stein. Although the main characters of the books – Chico and Gabriel – have many differences, they both…

Did you ever read a book that created suspense so thoroughly you scarcely even realized the all the great examples it was setting? A book that rapidly comes to mind for me is Marjorie by Sidney Baldwin. Sent to live on Monhegan Island with her old nurse, Lucy, while her parents must head to warm…

Did you know the basic action of smiling, even “fake” smiling releases happy chemicals to the mind? Likely not.In fact, studies prove that pessimists are more probable to develop serious diseases later on in living than optimists. Studies also show that they are less probable to have emotional problems, depression, and more troublesome health. These…