Books published by publisher Pacific Learning

In a series of four short stories, Sherlock Holmes uses his extraordinary intelligence, instincts, and observation skills to solve mysteries. In the first tale, he discovers that a terminally ill father has killed a man to save his daughter from the horrible fate of being a pawn in a blackmail scheme. In the second, he learns that a wicked hotel employee has stolen a valuable blue gem and hidden it in a goose that he then lost, all the while framing another man for his crime. In the third, he hunts down both a missing horse and the killer of a racehorse trainer, only to find that the missing horse killed the man in self-defense. Finally, he saves a young woman from danger as she is hired to impersonate a kidnapped heiress. Text Type: Classic Fiction, MysteryTheme/Topic: Adventure, Conflict and Challenge

David and Chris are partners on a fact-finding field trip at the museum. David is annoyed with Chris, because Chris is too busy making stupid jokes to get any of their assignment done. Suddenly the peace of the museum is shattered -- the dinosaur skeletons have come to life, and an ancient asteroid appears to be the cause of it all. David and Chris find that it is up to them to save the planet from the destruction of a judgmental alien race, and somehow Chris's sense of humor does the trick. Main Characters: David, ChrisText Type: Fantasy FictionTheme/Topic: Earth Science, Adventure

-Ever since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I've spent my while life dodge death and danger... I've fought my way through some of the wildest times in America's history.- Jim Beckwourth was a legend in his own lifetime. He was the son of a white landowner and an African-American slave. Beckworth lived and incredible life, exploring, trapping, blazing trails, living among Native Americans, and leading wagon trails. Text Type: Biography, RecountTheme/Topic: Conflict and Challenge, Connections with Native People

Mani has never seen a white man before. For him, white is the color death. His grandfather then explains that these men are explorers, traveling across Australia. This story is about an early white explorer of Australia named Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (1813-1848). Text Type: ExplanationTheme/Topic: World Connections: Australia, Connections with Native People

Puzzles! Strange tapping sounds, mysterious messages, signs and signals! How can you unlock the secret and decipher the message? You need skill, patience, and, sometimes, a stroke of luck, if you want to be successful at cracking the code. This book describes the history and variety of codes, from earliest to the latest. What has been the effect of codes on society? How have codes impacted the lives of people throughout history?Text Type: Expository, Explanation, ReportTheme/Topic: Media and Communication, Physical Science

Do you want to be a movie star? Or a famous movie director? Find out how! This book walks through the various stages of movie making, from writing the story to casting actors, making the set and creating special effects. Learn how a movie goes from a written story to the big screen.Text Type: Explanation, ExpositoryTheme/Topic: Math addition, division