Caitlind L. Alexander

Jeannie Meekins

Was Mercury bigger in the past? How did Venus change the way people saw the world? What is happening to Mount Everest, the highest place on Earth? Does Mars have seasons? Is there a surface to the planet Jupiter? Who discovered Saturn’s rings? What is strange about the way Uranus spins? What is the coldest place in our solar system? (Hint: It isn’t the planet,) Learn the answer to these questions and many more fun facts in this group of eight 15-Minute Books. The planets of our solar system have many strange and wonderful things about them. Surprise your friends, and even your parents with these fun facts. This compilation includes the following 15-minute books: 14 Fun Facts About Mercury 14 Fun Facts About Venus 14 Fun Facts About Earth 14 Fun Facts About Mars 14 Fun Facts About Jupiter 14 Fun Facts About Saturn 14 Fun Facts About Uranus 14 Fun Facts About Neptune LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

A Set of Eight 15-Minute Books

101 Fun Facts (And More) About the Planets

You may think the Solar System consists of the sun and the eight planets that orbit around it. However, there are other things out there. There are comets, moons, asteroids, meteors, dust, ice, rock and much more. Plus there is a whole lot of man made junk. Do you know the answers to these questions about the Solar System? Where is The Main Asteroid Belt? Are all the dwarf planets out beyond Pluto? What is Ison? What formed the Kuiper Belt? Why do scientists say Pluto was “discovered by mistake”? Which planet had the potential to become a star? This book is a set of seven 14 Fun Facts books, plus additional facts. The books are: 14 Fun Facts About the Solar System 14 Fun Facts About the Sun 14 Fun Facts About Pluto 14 Fun Facts About Comets 14 Fun Facts About Dwarf Planets 14 Fun Facts About Asteroids 14 Fun Facts About the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud Learn about our solar system with these books of fun facts. Ages 9 and up. Measurements in both American and Metric. Educational Versions include exercises designed to meet Common Core standards. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

Educational Version

101 Fun Facts About the Solar System: A Set of Seven 15-Minute Books

Circling the heavens is a belt of rock and dust. Lying between Mars and Jupiter and orbiting our sun, The Main Asteroid Belt was once thought to be the remnants of an exploded planet or the beginnings of a planet that never formed. How much do you know about asteroids? Can you answer these questions: Where is The Main Asteroid Belt? How many asteroids are there in The Main Asteroid Belt? What was the first asteroid discovered? How much mass does The Main Asteroid Belt have? How fast do asteroids travel? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

A 15-Minute Book

14 Fun Facts About Asteroids

Circling the heavens is a belt of rock and dust. Lying between Mars and Jupiter and orbiting our sun, The Main Asteroid Belt was once thought to be the remnants of an exploded planet or the beginnings of a planet that never formed. How much do you know about asteroids? Can you answer these questions: Where is The Main Asteroid Belt? How many asteroids are there in The Main Asteroid Belt? What was the first asteroid discovered? How much mass does The Main Asteroid Belt have? How fast do asteroids travel? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. The Educational Version has activities that meet Common Core Curriculum Standards. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About Asteroids: A 15-Minute Book

Shah Jahan of the Mughal Empire in India had several wives. His favorite was Mumtaz Mahal. She was always with him, traveling all over the Mughal Empire. When she died, Jahan was devastated. He designed and built a mausoleum to house her body. He called it the Taj Mahal. Do you know: How many buildings are in the Taj Mahal complex? How many people did it take to build the Taj Mahal? Is there a false tomb in the Taj Mahal? What is the legend of the Black Taj? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. Reading Level: 6.9 LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About the Taj Mahal

The Volga River is the longest river in Europe. It is entirely in Russia and has no natural access to any open seas. It starts in a swamp in a small ridge, flowing through prehistoric lake beds on a course that separates the mountains of the Russian Uplands from the flat European Plain before dropping below sea level to enter the inland Caspian Sea. Do you know: How big is the Kuybyshev Reservoir? How did construction of the Rybinsk Reservoir change the environment? Is the Volga River connected to any seas? Why were people jailed if they said they came from Mologa? How much caviar can one female sturgeon produce? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. Reading Level: 6.9 Learning Island believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About the Volga River

Courtney is working on a science experiment when a knock sounds at her door. It is Nick and Andie. Someone has stolen the money their grandmother sent them in a Christmas Card! Can Courtney find the thief? What will happen when her own Christmas card arrives in the post? Will her money be gone too? Read this ninth book in the exciting Courtney Case Mystery Series to see if Courtney can solve the case. Ages 7 to 10 Chapter book Reading level: 3.8

Courtney Case and the Christmas Card Money

Comets often streak across the night sky. They are fascinating flashes of light, but how much do we really know about them? Here are some things that scientists do know. Find out: What the name comet means. How comets are named. When the earliest comets were recorded. How scientists predict when a comet will return. What a comet’s tail is made of. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About Comets

Comets often streak across the night sky. They are fascinating flashes of light, but how much do we really know about them? Here are some things that scientists do know. Find out: What the name comet means. How comets are named. When the earliest comets were recorded. How scientists predict when a comet will return. What a comet’s tail is made of. The Educational Version has activities that meet Common Core Curriculum Standards. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About Comets: A 15-Minute Book

Pluto was once considered to be the smallest planet in our galaxy. As more was discovered about the other planets, and about other objects in our galaxy, Pluto fell into debate, but many people still like to consider it a planet. How much do you really know about Pluto? Why do scientists say Pluto was “discovered by mistake”? Who discovered Pluto? How big is Pluto compared to the United States? Is Pluto’s orbit outside or inside the orbit of Neptune? How many Pluto days are there in a Pluto year? Does it snow on Pluto? Find out in this book, and surprise and amaze your friends with these fun facts about Pluto. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About Pluto

You see it every night in the night sky, but how much do you really know about the moon? Here are some things you may not know. Do you know: What one thing is different about our moon from every other moon we have found? What kind of atmosphere is there on the moon? How many sides of the moon do we see? What happened to the footprints of the astronauts that stood on the moon? Find out in this book, and surprise and amaze your friends with these fun facts about our moon. The Educational Version has activities that meet Common Core Curriculum Standards. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About the Moon: A 15-Minute Book

Alexander the Great was a Greek ruler. He conquered many lands. He also built or named 17 cities Alexandria – after himself. One of these cities is in Egypt, 20 miles west of the Nile. In this a massive, ancient lighthouse was built. The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Amaze your family and friends with these fun facts about the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

14 Fun Facts About the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst was an intelligent and ambitious girl. She first met her cousin Karl Peter Ulrich when she was ten. She didn’t like him. The scheming of others saw both their lives turned around. Name changes, a new country and an unhappy marriage to each other saw “Peter” on the Russian throne. Catherine soon overthrew him. Ruling Russia for 34 years, she became known as Catherine the Great. Find out more about this legendary ruler in this 15-minute children's biography. Ages 10 and up. Reading Level: 6.9 Learning Island believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

A 15-Minute Biography

Catherine the Great: Empress of Russia

Mary Tudor was a princess who should have been a queen. Instead, her father shunned and disowned her because she was not a boy. After the deaths of her father and half brother, she had to fight those in power who sought to keep her off the throne. She was eventually crowned Queen of England. Her battles to abolish her father’s new church and return England to a Roman Catholic country resulted in rebellion and mass persecutions. Over 300 people were burned at the stake for heresy and witchcraft. This earned Mary the name of Bloody Mary. Here is her story. Find out about the life of this woman who fought to become Queen of England, and how she earned the name Bloody Mary. Ages 8 and up. Educational Versions have CCSS Activities. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

Bloody Mary: Queen of England

Mary Tudor was a princess who should have been a queen. Instead, her father shunned and disowned her because she was not a boy. After the deaths of her father and half brother, she had to fight those in power who sought to keep her off the throne. She was eventually crowned Queen of England. Her battles to abolish her father’s new church and return England to a Roman Catholic country resulted in rebellion and mass persecutions. Over 300 people were burned at the stake for heresy and witchcraft. This earned Mary the name of Bloody Mary. Here is her story. Find out about the life of this woman who fought to become Queen of England, and how she earned the name Bloody Mary. Ages 8 and up. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

After William, the French Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold of England at the Battle of Hastings, William became King of England. He built a fortress along the River Thames where he could maintain control of London and watch any invaders coming along the river. The fortress became The Tower of London. Over the years, it has been added to and destroyed. It has been a palace, zoo, Museum, Royal Mint, observatory, prison, and a place of execution and murder for many unlucky souls. Today, its Towers display the secrets of its past while its ghosts wander the grounds at night. Do you know: Why are ravens kept at the Tower of London? What happened to the first prisoner held at the Tower? How many towers did King Henry III build? What happened to the original crown jewels of England? Why is the Garden Tower called the Bloody Tower? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. Reading Level: 6.9 LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About the Tower of London

More space objects have been found beyond Pluto, in a region known as the Kuiper Belt. In 2003, Eris was discovered. Its existence was confirmed in January 2005. It was found to be larger than Pluto and was put forward as a tenth planet in our solar system. This caused much debate among astronomers. Are there more, larger objects in our solar system? How many? Are they all to be considered planets? If not, then what does this mean for Pluto? On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) came up with a scientific definition of the word “planet”. Pluto did not fit these new rules. It was downgraded to “dwarf planet”. The IAU is reluctant to consider any more than eight planets in our solar system. All other planet-like bodies are to be known as “dwarf planets”. How much do you know about these dwarf planets? Do you know: What is a plutoid? How many official dwarf planets are there in our solar system? Are all the dwarf planets out beyond Pluto? How big does an object need to be to qualify as a dwarf planet? What other rules must an object meet to be classified as a dwarf planet? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. The Educational Version has activities that meet Common Core Curriculum Standards. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About Dwarf Planets: A 15-Minute Book

The Grand Canyon is located in Arizona in the United States of America. It is a huge group of canyons that have been cut into the landscape by the Colorado River. It is also considered to be one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Find out the answers to these questions and more: How does the Grand Canyon tell us the history of life on Earth? How was the Grand Canyon formed? How deep was the Grand Canyon before the Colorado River began running? The Grand Canyon should have been twice as deep as it is. Why isn’t it? What is the biggest predator in the Grand Canyon? Find out more about the Grand Canyon and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. All measurements in American and metric. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About the Grand Canyon

The Nile River has amazed people for thousands of years. It runs opposite from most river systems. It floods for miles, pushing back the desert and providing farming lands for civilizations to thrive. It fills a massive swamp and has canyons and waterfalls that are as spectacular as anywhere in the world. Most of its course is through the desert, yet it never runs dry. How much do you know about the Nile River? Can you answer these questions: Is the Nile River the longest river in the world? Most rivers grow in size until they reach the sea. When does the Nile River loose 50% of its water before it reaches the ocean? What two colors does the Nile River come in? How much of the water that flows into the Mediterranean Sea comes from the Nile? What happened to many ancient Egyptian temples when the Aswan High Dam was built? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

14 Fun Facts About the Nile

On January 7, 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei turned his newly developed telescope to Jupiter. He discovered four objects orbiting the giant planet. It took him another night’s observations to clearly distinguish between two of them. He called them “The Medicean planets”, after the Medici family (who ruled Italy at the time), and gave them numbers. German astronomer Simon Marius also claimed to have seen these objects at about the same time. He never published any documentation, and the credit was given to Galileo. It was nearly 250 years later before they were given names. They are now known as the Galilean moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They were created at the same time as Jupiter and contain 99.999 percent of all the mass in orbit around Jupiter. How much do you know about these moons? What would Ganymede be called if it did not orbit Jupiter? What is the most volcanic place in our solar system? Why does Europa have spots? Which moon is a good candidate for containing life? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

Jeannie Meekins

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