My Science School

Mary Poppins is a magical nanny who sweeps into the Banks home on Cherry Tree Lane and takes charge of the Banks children. She never acknowledges her strange and magical powers, and feigns insult when one of the children refers to her previous adventures. She first arrives to them when she is blown to Cherry Tree Lane by the East Wind. At the end of the first book she opens up her umbrella to the West Wind and lets it lift her up into the air and away from the children. In the 1964 Disney film of the same name, she is portrayed by Julie Andrews; in the 2018 sequel Mary Poppins Returns, she is portrayed by Emily Blunt; in the 2004 BBC Radio 4 drama, she is played by Juliet Stevenson.

The first book introduces the Banks family from Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, their children Jane and Michael, and baby twins John and Barbara. When the children's nanny, Katie Nanna, storms out in a huff, Mary Poppins arrives at their home, complete with her travelling carpet bag, blown in by a very strong East wind. She accepts the job (agreeing to stay "till the wind changes"), and the children soon learn that their nanny, though stern, vain and usually cross, has a magical touch that makes her wonderful. Among the things Jane and Michael experience are a tea party on a ceiling with Mr. Wigg, a trip around the world with a compass, the purchase of gingerbread stars from the extremely old Mrs. Corry, a meeting with the Bird Woman, a birthday party at the zoo among the animals, and a Christmas shopping trip with a star named Maia from the Pleiades cluster in the constellation Taurus. In the end, in what is perhaps the most iconic image associated with Mary Poppins, she opens her umbrella and the West wind carries her away.

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A Howler is a nasty letter sent to tell someone off. It arrives in a red envelope, smoking slightly. It must be opened immediately or it explodes. Upon opening, the Howler screams at the recipient in a voice magically magnified for maximum effect.

The purpose of the Howler is to deliver a message expressing anger or great displeasure in a manner which standard writing cannot adequately convey.

Instead of simply being a red envelope that can explode, in the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ron's Howler resembles a mouth with teeth (simulated by the red envelope and white paper, with a ribbon for the tongue) that loudly conveys its message to the recipient, then blows a raspberry and tears itself to shreds once it has finished scolding the recipient. Also, Mrs. Weasley added a congratulation directly to Ginny for making into Gryffindor, stating that her parents are proud of this sorting. This implies that the film version's Howler possesses a certain degree of sentience and awareness of it's suroundings, as it turned to face Ginny to make this comment, changing its tone into a more calm and kind one.

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The lightsaber, also referred to as a laser sword by those who were unfamiliar with it, was a weapon usually used by the Jedi, the Sith, and other Force-sensitives. Lightsabers consisted of a plasma blade, powered by a kyber crystal, that was emitted from a usually metal hilt and could be shut off at will. It was a weapon that required skill and training, and was greatly enhanced when used in conjunction with the Force. Though also used by the Sith, the lightsaber was synonymous with the Jedi, with some in the galaxy believing only Jedi could use lightsabers.

The intended purpose of the lightsaber was that it was to be used to bring an end to conflicts, being designed so that they could injure no more than its wielder chose. Additionally, there was no collateral damage from lightsaber strikes unless the blade happened to hit a target on accident. If death was deemed necessary, the blade was designed to kill quickly. Even though the Jedi held themselves to these rules, the groups like the Sith chose to use their lightsabers in ways that could cause suffering. Jedi Padawan Bell Zettifar also felt that the lightsaber was designed so as to give an enemy a chance to surrender, as it was easy to spot and hear.

Lightsaber combat was the preferred fighting method used by lightsaber wielders. Throughout the millennia, many combat styles were refined into the seven "classic" forms that serve as the standard, and numerous other fighting methods that call for advanced levels of skill. Lightsabers were most often held with both hands during combat.

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The alethiometer, nicknamed the symbol-reader, was a compass-like device that was used to communicate with Dust and find truthful answers to one's questions. Only six alethiometers were ever made.

The alethiometer was invented by Pavel Khunrath in Prague in the 17th century. It was intended to be used for astrological purposes, such as measuring the influences of the planets. The experimental theologian discovered that an alloy of two particular rare metals could be used to create a needle that pointed towards the truth. The first alethiometer consisted of this needle suspended over a celestial chart showing the signs of the zodiac, with Khunrath asking questions and receiving responses.

To read the alethiometer, the user first directed three needles to lie over certain symbols on the face of device to create a question. Then, the user held this question in their mind, without grasping at the answer, but being content not to know - meaning an alethiometer could only answer questions a reader didn't earnestly want the answer to. At this point, the fourth needle swung into action, moving from one symbol to another to create the answer.

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The Cloak of Invisibility is a magical artefact used to render the wearer invisible, and one of the fabled Deathly Hallows. This invisibility cloak was the only known one that would not fade with age and would provide everlasting protection to the wearer, something no normal invisibility cloak could provide. As such, it was the only Hallow known to have been successfully passed down from generation to generation since Ignotus' time. In 1991, it passed to the possession of Harry Potter who used it to great success in the Second Wizarding War and resolved to pass it down to his own children.

Although powerful, the Cloak of Invisibility is not infallible. While the Cloak itself resists spell damage, it does not shield the wearer from spells used against them personally. For example, Harry was immobilised while under the Cloak twice during the 1996–1997 school year with the Full Body-Bind Curse.

As the last of the Hallows, the Cloak is shown as the wide triangle that encompasses the circle and the line intersecting at their very middle; and being the only one to be properly treated as an heirloom, the Cloak of Invisibility seems to represent survival at most.

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Nancy Drew is a fictional character, a sleuth in an American mystery series created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer as the female counterpart to his Hardy Boys series. The character first appeared in 1930. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene.

Well, she was, until a new comic series seemingly killed her off.

She's the presumably dead star of the upcoming Dynamite comic, "Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew." The monthly series will see the Hardy Boys investigate the literary heroine's death.

Longtime readers of Drew were flummoxed by the news: Why celebrate the 90th anniversary of a beloved female character by making her a ghost in her own story?

Some fans criticized the decision to apparently "fridge" Nancy Drew in her own series. "Fridging" is a comic book trope in which a female character is killed to build a male character's development and motivation.

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Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is offering free audiobooks and ebooks to the first novel in her series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone”, throughout April, to help families in lockdown during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, Rowling has also launched a new digital hub called “Harry Potter at Home”. Each week on “Wizarding Wednesdays”, it will offer a range of activities, quizzes, and other things to do, like how to draw a Niffler — the Fantastic Beasts creature attracted to shiny things. And every Friday, you'll get new ideas in your inbox with an email newsletter, if you sign up.

The free audiobook version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will be available on Audible's newly-launched Audible Stories in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese, with the English-language version narrated by Stephen Fry. Better yet, you don't even need an Audible account to listen. As for the ebook, you can borrow it for free in over 20 different languages from a participating local or school library, at digital library supplier OverDrive, via its Libby app

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Baloo is by far the most laid-back bear in the jungle. He gives the best advice a man-cub could ask for, has a groovy singing voice, and is cooler than we could ever hope to be.

Baloo is easily characterized by his laid-back, gentle nature. Often speaking with a soft, smooth tone, the sloth bear is known for his ideals of remaining relaxed as often as possible, and preventing the pressures and responsibilities of life holding one down, as vocalized through his song, "The Bare Necessities". Bagheera, the wise panther, describes him as a "jungle bum"; a seemingly useless member of animal society, only focused on lounging, snacking, scratching his back, and other minimal activities labeled as lazy pastimes. Though lazy, stubborn, and foreign to true responsibility, Baloo has a large heart, often taking his ideals (which are seen to have successfully led him to a happy lifestyle) and sharing it with others, including Mowgli, the man-cub, in hopes of spreading the happiness he's been fortunate enough to experience.

In the sequel, Baloo is more social than ever and feels his life is somewhat empty without Mowgli, the only one who truly understood him. Overcome with nostalgia, Baloo sneaks into the Man Village where he reunites with the man-cub and takes him back to the jungle. However, he sees later on that Mowgli has matured since their last time together; the man-cub now has grown attached to his own kind and is not as threatened by responsibilities as he once was despite his carefree nature. As a result, Baloo realizes he was wrong to take the boy back to the jungle and after gaining respect for Shanti, Mowgli's close friend, he encourages the man-cub to go back with her to the civilization where he truly belongs.

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Emily Jane Brontë was an English novelist and poet who is best known for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. She also published a book of poetry with her sisters Charlotte and Anne titled Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell with her own poems finding regard as poetic genius. Emily was the second-youngest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother Branwell. She published under the pen name Ellis Bell.

In 1846, the sisters' poems were published in one volume as Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. The Brontë sisters had adopted pseudonyms for publication, preserving their initials: Charlotte was "Currer Bell", Emily was "Ellis Bell" and Anne was "Acton Bell".

Charlotte contributed 19 poems, and Emily and Anne each contributed 21. Although the sisters were told several months after publication that only two copies had sold, they were not discouraged (of their two readers, one was impressed enough to request their autographs). The Athenaeum reviewer praised Ellis Bell's work for its music and power, singling out his poems as the best: "Ellis possesses a fine, quaint spirit and an evident power of wing that may reach heights not here attempted", and The Critic reviewer recognised "the presence of more genius than it was supposed this utilitarian age had devoted to the loftier exercises of the intellect."

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Malgudi is a fictional town located in South India in Ramanathapuram in the novels and short stories of R. K. Narayan. It forms the setting for most of Narayan's works. Starting with his first novel, Swami and Friends (1935), all but one of his fifteen novels and most of his short stories take place here. Malgudi was a portmanteau of two Bangalore localities - Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi.

Malgudi is located on the banks of the fictional river Sarayu, near the also-fictional Mempi forest, on border of the states of Mysore and Madras and a few hours' away from Madras.

Narayan's assertion that Malgudi is work of fiction has not deterred readers from speculating about its actual location being Mysore, with a river on one side and a forest on the other, and buildings and lanes similar to those of Malgudi, such as Lawley road, Variety Hall, and Bombay Anand Bhavan. Other possible 'locations' include Lalgudi situated on the banks of the river Kaveri and Yadavgiri in the erstwhile state of Mysore.

Malgudi was a portmanteau of two Bangalore localities - Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi, the story is apocryphal. He created the town on September 1930, on Vijayadashami, an auspicious day to start new efforts and thus chosen for him by his grandmother. As he mentioned in a later interview to his biographers Susan and N. Ram, in his mind, he first saw a railway station, and slowly the name Malgudi came to him.

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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a children's novel by author Chris Grabenstein. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for Middle Grade novels for 111 weeks between 2013 and 2016, peaking at #8 in hardback and #2 in paperback.

Grabenstein has stated that the book contains a secret puzzle that readers can decode. To solve it, he offers some advice given by Mr. Lemoncello in the book: "Forget the Industrial Revolution, my first idea might be your best solution."

Kyle is a game fan—board games, word games, and especially video games! Kyle’s hero, the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello, is the genius behind the design of the town’s new public library, which contains not only books, but an IMAX theater, an electronic learning center, instructional holograms, interactive dioramas and electromagnetic hover ladders that float patrons up to the books they want.

Lucky Kyle wins a spot as one of the first twelve kids invited to a gala, overnight library lock-in filled with of fun and games. But the next morning, when the lock-in is supposed to be over, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the others must follow book-related clues and unravel all sorts of secret puzzles to find the hidden escape route if they want to win Mr. Lemoncello’s most fabulous prize ever.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is more than a rib-tickling novel full of humor and suspense. It’s a game in itself, in which readers can have fun solving clues and answering riddles while learning how to navigate the Dewey Decimal system. Eagle-eyed kids—not to mention their parents, teachers, and librarians—can also hunt for the names of authors and classic books sprinkled throughout the fast-moving story.

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Markus Zusak was born in 1975 in Sydney, Australia, the youngest of four children of immigrant German and Austrian parents. Neither parent could read or write English when they first arrived in Australia, but they wanted their children to master the language and strongly encouraged them to read and communicate in English from an early age. Zusak began writing fiction at age 16 and pursued a degree in teaching. Before becoming a professional author, Zusak worked briefly as a house painter, a janitor and a high school English teacher.

The Book Thief followed in 2006 and was met with even more critical and popular success. A sympathetically drawn Death narrates the story of orphan Liesel Meminger, who finds friendship and a new family in a small town in Germany during World War II. She also discovers the power of words and books as Hitler’s Nazi agenda threatens to destroy everything she has come to love. Zusak chose the subject matter in part to share the stories his parents told him about growing up in Austria and Germany during the war. The Book Thief was published as a novel for adults in Australia and as a young adult novel in the United States, but Zusak doesn’t draw such distinctions. “What I wanted to do… was write someone’s favorite book,” rather than write for a specific audience, Zusak revealed in an interview. Author John Green reviewed the book in the New York Times, hailing it as “[b]rilliant” and “achingly sad,” and said of the heroine, “[t]he hope we see in Liesel is unassailable, the kind you can hang on to in the midst of poverty and war and violence.”

Zusak received many awards for The Book Thief, including the Michael L. Printz Honor and the Kathleen Mitchell Award (Australia). It was named a Best Book by the School Library Journal and the Young Adult Library Services Association, and was the Editors’ Choice in the Kirkus Review and Booklist. Zusak lives in Sydney, Australia and continues to write fiction.

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Gulliver's Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships is a 1726 prose satire by the Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift, satirising both human nature and the "travellers' tales" literary subgenre.

The book was an immediate success. The English dramatist John Gay remarked "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery." In 2015, Robert McCrum released his selection list of 100 best novels of all time in which Gulliver's Travels is listed as "a satirical masterpiece".

It is uncertain exactly when Swift started writing Gulliver's Travels. (Much of the writing was done at Loughry Manor in Cookstown, County Tyrone, whilst Swift stayed there.) Some sources[which?] suggest as early as 1713 when Swift, Gay, Pope, Arbuthnot and others formed the Scriblerus Club with the aim of satirising popular literary genres. According to these accounts, Swift was charged with writing the memoirs of the club's imaginary author, Martinus Scriblerus, and also with satirising the "travellers' tales" literary subgenre. It is known from Swift's correspondence that the composition proper began in 1720 with the mirror-themed Parts I and II written first, Part IV next in 1723 and Part III written in 1724; but amendments were made even while Swift was writing Drapier's Letters. By August 1725 the book was complete; and as Gulliver's Travels was a transparently anti-Whig satire, it is likely that Swift had the manuscript copied so that his handwriting could not be used as evidence if a prosecution should arise, as had happened in the case of some of his Irish pamphlets (the Drapier's Letters). In March 1726 Swift travelled to London to have his work published; the manuscript was secretly delivered to the publisher Benjamin Motte, who used five printing houses to speed production and avoid piracy. Motte, recognising a best-seller but fearing prosecution, cut or altered the worst offending passages (such as the descriptions of the court contests in Lilliput and the rebellion of Lindalino), added some material in defence of Queen Anne to Part II, and published it. The first edition was released in two volumes on 28 October 1726, priced at 8s. 6d.

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Where the Wild Things Are, illustrated children’s book by American writer and artist Maurice Sendak, published in 1963. The work was considered groundbreaking for its honest treatment of children’s emotions, especially anger, and it won the 1964 Caldecott Medal.

This story of 338 words focuses on a young boy named Max who, after dressing in his wolf costume, wreaks such havoc through his household that he is sent to bed without his supper. Max's bedroom undergoes a mysterious transformation into a jungle environment, and he winds up sailing to an island inhabited by frightening beasts, the Wild Things. After successfully intimidating the creatures, Max is hailed as the king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful romp with his subjects. However, he starts to feel lonely and decides to return home, to the Wild Things' dismay. Upon returning to his bedroom, Max discovers a hot supper waiting for him.

Sendak won the annual Caldecott Medal from the children's librarians in 1964, recognizing Wild Things as the previous year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It was voted the number one picture book in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers, not for the first time.

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How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD) is an American media franchise from DreamWorks Animation and loosely based on the eponymous series of children's books by British author Cressida Cowell. It consists of three feature films: How to Train Your Dragon (2010), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). 

The franchise follows the adventures of a young Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (voiced by Jay Baruchel), son of Stoick the Vast, leader of the Viking island of Berk. Although initially dismissed as a clumsy and underweight misfit, he soon becomes renowned as a courageous expert in dragons, beginning with Toothless (Randy Thom), a member of the rare Night Fury breed as his flying mount and his closest companion. Together with his friends, he manages the village's allied dragon population in defense of his home as leader of a flying corps of dragon riders. Upon becoming leaders of their kind, Hiccup and Toothless are forced to make choices that will truly ensure peace between people and dragons. Dean DeBlois, the director of the trilogy, described its story as "Hiccup's coming of age," taking a span of five years between the first and second film, and a year between the second and third film.

The film series has been highly acclaimed, with each film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, in addition to the first film's nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Score.

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