As the resources of the Earth grew inadequate for its population, Stephen Rathbone organized an intrepid band to search out a new, unexplored region of the world which might be developed as a home for future generations. On their dirigible, The Comet, the band heads for the North Pole, never dreaming of the dangers that lie in wait among the ice floes and barren wastes of the frozen north!

There is a comet named Twinkle that is sent on a trip through space that is not on its known path across the infinite universe. When Twinkle strays from its planned path, it starts an adventure that goes far beyond its normal limits. This is the start of this journey of discovery and revelation. As Twinkle travels through space, it comes across many strange and supernatural events. Each one adds a new layer to the story of its journey through space. At first, Twinkle comes into touch with a fog that glows in colors she doesn't understand. This fog, which is full of bright particles, pulls Twinkle to a secret part of the universe. There she finds a bright nebula that is full of life. The first person Twinkle meets is Zara, an alien being made of light. This starts a chain of bonds that will help and inform Twinkle's journey. Zara, an old and wise star, presents Luna to Twinkle and gives her a star map to help her find her way home and travel the universe. Zara cares about others and is smart. Twinkle sets out on an adventure through the exciting and dangerous cosmos with the map in hand and some new friends. Twinkle takes on every task with courage, from surviving a terrible cosmic storm to finding a lost and lonely planet. Along the way, she learns important lessons about friendship, strength, and how everything in the universe is connected. Twinkle's journey ends with a secret path lined with stardust that not only cuts down on the time it takes to get home but also shows how beautiful the sky really is. Every step of the way brings Twinkle and her friends closer to home and deeper into the mysteries of the world. It also teaches them about the power of working together and the endless possibilities for discovery. Twinkle triumphantly comes back, not only as a comet whose orbit is over, but also as a hero whose trip has changed him. Twinkle adds to the world by telling stories about faraway planets, amazing things in space, and friendships that can't be broken. The fact that it works shows that even the smallest of us can start the biggest adventures. People can find connections in the strangest places, be curious, and always be looking for home, no matter how far they move. This is what the story of The Lost Comet is all about. Chapter 1: When Twinkle Left Twinkle was the name of a very special comet that lived very far away in the universe. You had never seen a comet like Twinkle before. Twinkle wasn't just a piece of ice and rock hurtling through space; it was a live thing that was flying at very high speeds between the stars. Once every 76 years, Twinkle would go on a beautiful trip around the sun. It flew quickly by planets and moons, leaving behind a beautiful, bright light trail that could be seen for a long time. This wasn't just something pretty to look at; it was Twinkle's way of meeting all the other spaceships it met along the way. On the other hand, Twinkle had an unexpected event happen that she had never seen before. A rogue rock showed up out of the blue while it was moving through space. This moving rock was too fast for Twinkle to keep up with. They crashed into each other! Twinkle found herself going in a different direction after the blow. Twinkle had never seen anything like this before, and it was now in a part of space that no one had explored before. In every direction, there was nothing but darkness, and no planets or stars could be seen. Twinkle was scared and lost, and she didn't know what to do. It knew exactly where it was going because it had been going around the sun for hundreds of years. But after getting sidetracked, Twinkle had her first real taste of being alone. There was no map to show where it was, and there were no directional signs to show how to get back. Twinkle was far from the sun's warm light and the Earth's blue glow, in a place where comets had never been seen before. Even though bad things happened, Twinkle stayed positive. It knew the solar system was its home, so it had to find a way back. Twinkle was ready for a brand-new trip that would take it to parts of space that had never been explored before. Twinkle had already left, but it was still determined to come back, to glide through the solar system and leave a light trail. Twinkle's biggest trip so far started out of the blue, full of unknown challenges and the chance to meet new people and explore the vast universe. Chapter 2: The Strange Mist When Twinkle went back to its unexpected trip through the vast, dark space, something amazing caught its eye. The bright, warm mist went on for a long way in front of them. Mist like this doesn't happen very often. Twinkle couldn't have thought or seen the colors shimmering in it. These weren't the normal blues and greens that you'd see on Earth or Mars. As they moved and blended, these bright, fresh colors looked like they were alive. Twinkle, who was excited and interested, felt compelled to look into the mysterious fog. So, it turned around and went straight toward the bright mist, eager to find out what it was hiding. Twinkle looked like she was being held by the fog as it came closer, which was dancing softly around her. Twirl then saw something much more amazing. There were thousands or even millions of tiny, shimmering particles in the fog. While not being stars, they sparkled like little stars. Twinkle had been to the solar system more than once, but these particles were different from anything it had seen before. Each particle gave off its own unique glow, which added to the fog's enchanting brightness. Then something unexpected happened. For some reason, Twinkle felt like there was a light pull pulling it forward. It looked more like a friendly hand was pulling Twinkle deeper into the fog than like something scary or forced. Twinkle saw that the strange fog wasn't just a cloud of gas and particles, but a way to get to a secret part of the universe. A place that not many people knew about or had the chance to visit. She thought the fog had picked her and invited her on a unique trip to find out what was out there.

Tom Van Flandern's book adds a new dimension to cosmology--not only does it present a novel approach to timeless issues, it stands up to the closest scientific scrutiny. Even the most respected scientists today will readily admit that the Big Bang Theory is full of holes. But it takes a new look, like Dark Matter, Missing Planets, and New Comets, to explain not only why the theory is wrong but what to substitute in its place. If you are curious about such things as the nature of matter and the origin of the solar system, but feel inadequately equipped to grasp what modern science has to say about such things, read this book. You will not get the all too common condescending attempt to water down the `mysteries' of modern science into a form intelligible to little non scientist you, but rather a straightforward new theory, logically derived in front of your eyes, which challenges the roots of many of today's complex accepted paradigms, yet whose essence is simple enough to be thoroughly communicated to the intelligent layman without "losing it in the translation."

For centuries the slobs that inhabit the Earth have been rocketing their refuse into the galaxy, carelessly littering the cosmos with trash. Now the universe is striking back. An immense comet of garbage has been sighted on a collision course with Earth! Only one man, a human discard, lowly government worker who dreams of becoming a Space Patrol Captain, the unheroic, imperfect Sidney Malloy CA stop it.

What are these graceful visitors to our skies? We now know that they bring both life and death and teach us about our origins. Comet begins with a breathtaking journey through space astride a comet. Pulitzer Prize-winning astronomer Carl Sagan, author of Cosmos and Contact, and writer Ann Druyan explore the origin, nature, and future of comets, and the exotic myths and portents attached to them. The authors show how comets have spurred some of the great discoveries in the history of science and raise intriguing questions about these brilliant visitors from the interstellar dark. Were the fates of the dinosaurs and the origins of humans tied to the wanderings of a comet? Are comets the building blocks from which worlds are formed? Lavishly illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned full-color paintings, Comet is an enthralling adventure, indispensable for anyone who has ever gazed up at the heavens and wondered why. Praise for Comet "Simply the best." —The Times of London "Fascinating, evocative, inspiring." —The Washington Post "Comet humanizes science. A beautiful, interesting book." —United Press International "Masterful . . . science, poetry, and imagination." —The Atlanta Journal & Constitution

Blast-off into space in this second adventure with The Secret Explorers, a brand-new fiction series. This group of brilliant kids comes together from all four corners of the globe to fix problems, solve mysteries, and gather knowledge all over the planet - and beyond. Whenever their help is needed, a special sign will appear on a door. They step through to the Exploration Station and receive their mission... In The Secret Explorers and the Comet Collision, space expert Roshni leads a mission that's out of this world - literally! With rainforest expert Ollie, she is set the task of fixing the space probe orbiting Jupiter before a comet hits the planet. With the clock ticking, it's a race against time for the Secret Explorers as they dodge asteroids, complete daring spacewalks, and use all their skills to complete their mission. Packed with fun illustrations and facts about real-life missions to Jupiter, this thrilling adventure is perfect for young readers. Informative diagrams tell kids all they need to know about important elements of the story, such as how spacesuits work. The action-packed narrative keeps kids engaged and makes learning about space even more fun!

Losing his family home and beloved model train set during the Great Depression, 11-year-old Oscar is forced to move in with difficult relatives before meeting an enigmatic drifter and witnessing an incredible crime that prompts his cross-country, celebrity-marked train journey. By the award-winning creator of the Max and Ruby series. 50,000 first printing.