An encyclopedia designed especially to meet the needs of elementary, junior high, and senior high school students.

An eight-volume reference set which explores many aspects of science, including sections on career opportunities pertaining to various fields of science.

This stimulating and comprehensive encyclopedia for children ages 8-12 provides answers to all the questions kids love to ask. Each chapter is jam-packed with maps, charts, timelines, diagrams, beautiful images, and amazing facts. Did you know, for example, that a single drop of blood contains around five million blood cells? Or that there are areas of desert in all seven of Earth's continents? Kids can build their knowledge on a wide range of topics-including Earth and beyond, plants and animals, history and politics, science, technology, and the human body-arranged thematically with more than 9,000 indexed entries and 2,500 colorful images. Cross-reference icons encourage children to explore and discover linked information, feeding their curiosity and building their general knowledge. The New Children's Encyclopedia, which has sold almost 500,000 copies worldwide since 2009, has now been fully updated in line with the latest knowledge and research. Developed, written, and checked by experts, this is the must-have reference book for every child's library.

"With more than 100 experts in their fields, including space, animals, wars, mummies, brain science, and many, many more!"

At last, a truly comprehensive look at Christmas and all of its customs with its long history around the world. The World Encyclopedia of Christmas contains articles on the history of Christmas baking, drinking, and merrymaking, and Christmas dramas, music, literature, art, and films. It includes entries on the evolution of the Christmas tree and the Christmas card, gift-giving, and decoration of church and home. There are profiles of the many gift-bringers, from Santa Claus to Babouschka, and miraculous tales of the numerous saints associated with the season. And there are histories of seasonal celebrations and folk customs around the world, from the United States to Japan, from Egypt to Iceland. Who, for example, knew the links between the Punch and Judy show and Christmas? That the medieval Paradise tree hung with tempting apples was the forerunner of the Christmas tree? About the Peerie Guizers, who terrorized the Shetland Islands, going door-to-door for Christmas charity? Or what Freudians make of our interest in Christmas stockings and Santa’s entrance through the chimney? There are detailed accounts of Wren Boys and Star Boys, mumming and wassailing, the Feast of Fools and the origins of eggnog. And of course stories of the Nativity and legends of the Magi. With beautifully illustrated accounts ranging from the pagan roots of Yuletide, through the birth of Christ, and the long and fascinating history of the festival ever since, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas, is a rich and continually surprising array of religious and secular history, trivia, literature, and art. This wonderful book deserves to find a home with every family that celebrates Christmas.

Introduces a wide range of cultures and the landscapes which they inhabit.