A dirty slip of parchment falls from the pages of an ancient manuscript. Deciphered by the indefatigable Otto Liedenbrock, professor of geology, and his reluctant nephew, Axel, the parchment's coded message is a wild assertion made by a medieval alchemist: Inside a volcano in Iceland is a passageway to the center of the earth. Impossible, says Axelthe temperature of the earth's core is far too high for any human being to go near it. That is one theory,...

When Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan boy to help them tend their farm on Canada's Prince Edward Island, they are shocked when and eleven-year old girl is sent to them instead, the spirited and fanciful Anne Shirley. Despite their initial disappointment, the Cuthberts are quickly won over by her charm, spunk, and wit. Anne adapts to her new family and finds a place for herself on the island - befriending neighbors, attending...