Books with author Karen Arrington

When Sir Edmund Hillary made his famous comment about climbing Mount Everest ‘because it was there’, he summed up the raison d’être behind every explorer’s drive to leave safe boundaries and tackle the unknown. The thrill and honor of being the first to explore any geographical region outweighed the enormous risks for those with a special brand of courage and imagination. Adventurers from Strabo, the Roman explorer in the Mediterranean, to Marco Polo in China, David Livingstone in Central Africa and Robert Falcon Scott in the Antarctic all shared the common traits of bravery, valor and perseverance in their endeavors to make known the unknown. They became the envy of others and won a place in history, their tales of adventure and hardship at once fascinating, fulfilling, and strangely perplexing. Historical Atlas of Expeditions brings this pioneer breed of men, and women, to life in thrilling detail.

Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret.Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-hair balloon, her new friend Rama Khan--and maybe even the heroes of the Texas Revolution--can she find the courage to change?