1.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
Nancy Drew
–
Nancy Drew is a fictional American character in a mystery fiction series created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer. The character first appeared in 1930, the books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Over the decades, the character evolved in response to changes in US culture, the books were extensively revised and shortened, beginning in 1959, in part to lower printing costs with arguable success. In the revision process, the original character was changed to be less assertive. In the 1980s, an older and more professional Nancy emerged in a new series, The Nancy Drew Files, the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series started in 1930, and ended in 2004. Launched that same year, the Girl Detective series features Nancy driving an electric vehicle. In 2013, the Girl Detective series ended, and a new current series called Nancy Drew Diaries was launched, illustrations of the character evolved over time to reflect contemporary styles. The character proves continuously popular worldwide, at least 80 million copies of the books have sold. Nancy Drew is featured in five films, two shows, and a number of popular computer games, she also appears in a variety of merchandise sold around the world. Nancy Drew is an amateur sleuth. In the original versions of the series, she is a 16-year-old high school graduate, in the series, she lives in the fictional town of River Heights with her father, attorney Carson Drew, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen. As a child, she loses her mother and her loss is reflected in her early independence—running a household since the age of ten with a clear-cut servant in early series and deferring to the servant as a surrogate parent in later ones. As a teenager, she spends her time solving mysteries, some of which she stumbles upon, Nancy is often assisted in solving mysteries by her two closest friends, cousins Bess Marvin and George Fayne. Bess is delicate and feminine, while George is a tomboy, Nancy is also occasionally joined by her boyfriend Ned Nickerson, a student at Emerson College. Nancy is often described as a super girl, in the words of Bobbie Ann Mason, she is as immaculate and self-possessed as a Miss America on tour. She is as cool as Mata Hari and as sweet as Betty Crocker, Nancy is well-off, attractive, and amazingly talented, At sixteen she had studied psychology in school, and was familiar with the power of suggestion and association. Nancy was a painter, spoke French, and had frequently run motor boats. She was a driver who at sixteen flashed into the garage with a skill born of long practice
3.
Children's literature
–
Childrens literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are enjoyed by children. Modern childrens literature is classified in two different ways, genre or the age of the reader. Childrens literature can be traced to stories and songs, part of an oral tradition. The development of childrens literature, before printing was invented, is difficult to trace. Even after printing became widespread, many childrens tales were originally created for adults. Since the 15th century, a quantity of literature, often with a moral or religious message, has been aimed specifically at children. The late nineteenth and early centuries became known as the Golden Age of Childrens Literature as this period included the publication of many books acknowledged today as classics. There is no single or widely used definition of childrens literature and it can be broadly defined as anything that children read or more specifically defined as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or drama intended for and used by children and young people. The International Companion Encyclopedia of Childrens Literature notes that the boundaries of genre. are not fixed but blurred, sometimes, no agreement can be reached about whether a given work is best categorized as literature for adults or children. Rowlings Harry Potter series was written and marketed for young adults, the series extreme popularity led The New York Times to create a separate best-seller list for childrens books. Despite the widespread association of childrens literature with picture books, spoken narratives existed before printing, seth Lerer, in the opening of Childrens Literature, A Readers History from Aesop to Harry Potter, says, This book presents a history of what children have heard and read. The history I write of is a history of reception, early childrens literature consisted of spoken stories, songs, and poems that were used to educate, instruct, and entertain children. It was only in the 18th century, with the development of the concept of childhood, that a genre of childrens literature began to emerge, with its own divisions, expectations. French historian Philippe Ariès argues in his 1962 book Centuries of Childhood that the concept of childhood only emerged in recent times. He explains that children were in the past not considered as different from adults and were not given significantly different treatment. Pre-modern childrens literature, therefore, tended to be of a didactic and moralistic nature, with the purpose of conveying conduct-related, educational, during the 17th century, the concept of childhood began to emerge in Europe. Adults saw children as separate beings, innocent and in need of protection, the English philosopher John Locke developed his theory of the tabula rasa in his 1690 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. A corollary of this doctrine was that the mind of the child was born blank, and he also suggested that picture books be created for children
4.
Hardcover
–
A hardcover or hardback book is one bound with rigid protective covers. It has a flexible, sewn spine which allows the book to lie flat on a surface when opened, following the ISBN sequence numbers, books of this type may be identified by the abbreviation Hbk. Hardcover books are printed on acid-free paper, and are much more durable than paperbacks. Hardcover books are more costly to manufacture. If brisk sales are anticipated, an edition of a book is typically released first. Some publishers publish paperback originals if slow hardback sales are anticipated, for very popular books these sales cycles may be extended, and followed by a mass market paperback edition typeset in a more compact size and printed on shallower, less hardy paper. In the past the release of an edition was one year after the hardback. It is very unusual for a book that was first published in paperback to be followed by a hardback, an example is the novel The Judgment of Paris by Gore Vidal, which had its revised edition of 1961 first published in paperback, and later in hardcover. Hardcover books are sold at higher prices than comparable paperbacks. Hardcovers typically consist of a block, two boards, and a cloth or heavy paper covering. The pages are sewn together and glued onto a flexible spine between the boards, and it too is covered by the cloth, a paper wrapper, or dust jacket, is usually put over the binding, folding over each horizontal end of the boards. On the folded part, or flap, over the front cover is generally a blurb, the back flap is where the biography of the author can be found. Reviews are often placed on the back of the jacket, bookbinding Paperback How to make a simple Hardcover book
5.
OCLC
–
The Online Computer Library Center is a US-based nonprofit cooperative organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the worlds information and reducing information costs. It was founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the largest online public access catalog in the world. OCLC is funded mainly by the fees that libraries have to pay for its services, the group first met on July 5,1967 on the campus of the Ohio State University to sign the articles of incorporation for the nonprofit organization. The group hired Frederick G. Kilgour, a former Yale University medical school librarian, Kilgour wished to merge the latest information storage and retrieval system of the time, the computer, with the oldest, the library. The goal of network and database was to bring libraries together to cooperatively keep track of the worlds information in order to best serve researchers and scholars. The first library to do online cataloging through OCLC was the Alden Library at Ohio University on August 26,1971 and this was the first occurrence of online cataloging by any library worldwide. Membership in OCLC is based on use of services and contribution of data, between 1967 and 1977, OCLC membership was limited to institutions in Ohio, but in 1978, a new governance structure was established that allowed institutions from other states to join. In 2002, the structure was again modified to accommodate participation from outside the United States. As OCLC expanded services in the United States outside of Ohio, it relied on establishing strategic partnerships with networks, organizations that provided training, support, by 2008, there were 15 independent United States regional service providers. OCLC networks played a key role in OCLC governance, with networks electing delegates to serve on OCLC Members Council, in early 2009, OCLC negotiated new contracts with the former networks and opened a centralized support center. OCLC provides bibliographic, abstract and full-text information to anyone, OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat—the OCLC Online Union Catalog, the largest online public access catalog in the world. WorldCat has holding records from public and private libraries worldwide. org, in October 2005, the OCLC technical staff began a wiki project, WikiD, allowing readers to add commentary and structured-field information associated with any WorldCat record. The Online Computer Library Center acquired the trademark and copyrights associated with the Dewey Decimal Classification System when it bought Forest Press in 1988, a browser for books with their Dewey Decimal Classifications was available until July 2013, it was replaced by the Classify Service. S. The reference management service QuestionPoint provides libraries with tools to communicate with users and this around-the-clock reference service is provided by a cooperative of participating global libraries. OCLC has produced cards for members since 1971 with its shared online catalog. OCLC commercially sells software, e. g. CONTENTdm for managing digital collections, OCLC has been conducting research for the library community for more than 30 years. In accordance with its mission, OCLC makes its research outcomes known through various publications and these publications, including journal articles, reports, newsletters, and presentations, are available through the organizations website. The most recent publications are displayed first, and all archived resources, membership Reports – A number of significant reports on topics ranging from virtual reference in libraries to perceptions about library funding
6.
The Secret of the Old Clock
–
The Secret of the Old Clock is the first volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. It was first published on April 28,1930 and revised in 1959 by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, Nancy Drew is an eighteen-year-old high school graduate. Her father, Carson Drew, is a criminal defense lawyer. The Drews reside in River Heights and employ a housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, in early editions, she is depicted as a mere servant, later in the series she becomes more of a family member. In 2001, the novel ranked 53rd on Publishers Weeklys list of the all-time best-selling hardcover childrens books in English, eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew wishes to help the Turners, who are struggling relatives of the recently deceased Josiah Crowley. Aided along the way by chum Helen Corning, she becomes interested in the case because she dislikes his snobbish nouveau-riche social-climbing heirs presumptive, a nasty encounter at a department store allows Nancy to discredit the Topham sisters when they break an expensive imported vase. Interviewing various Crowley relatives and friends, Nancy learns from an old lady that Crowley hinted that the clue to his will would be found in the family clock. When Helen gives Nancy charity tickets to sell, she sells them to the Tophams to gain entry to their home, Nancy then joins Helen at summer camp to investigate the Topham summer-home nearby. There she is overpowered by the burglars who stole the Crowley Clock and she is imprisoned in the vacant house while the caretaker is locked in a shed nearby. She is able to obtain the clock while the burglars drink heavily at a wayside inn. Nancy is depicted as intentionally hiding stolen evidence from the police, a climactic scene, inserted before the denouement and epilogue, sees Nancy delighted to take the money from the Tophams and see it distributed to destitute family and friends. Nancy comes across as very strong-willed, but also competitive with the Tophams, although charitable and altruistic to the poor heirs, she enjoys seeing others in River Heights society lose their status earned by new money rather than character. Helen now appears older, perhaps in preparation for her eventual write-out after Volume 4 of the series to introduce Bess. Readers have noted two figures illustrated in the vein as the cousins appear in a 1959 illustration at a girls camp). Action is increased significantly and is faster-paced, greater detail is given to develop Nancy and her home. When Crowley dies, promises of being included in his will appear moot as the will, held by the Tophams, eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew is prompted to help the Crowley kin by her affection for Crowleys distant niece, little Judy, whos being raised by the elderly Turner sisters. While looking for the Hoover sisters, Nancy happens upon their farm during a downpour, in the original version the sisters wanted to improve their hatchery and dressmaking skills, here, Allison Hoover wants to take singing lessons. Nancys encounter with the undeserving Topham sisters now centers around a torn evening dress instead of a broken vase, Nancy catches up with the thieves when they stop to dine, instead of drinking illegal-era alcohol
7.
Paperback
–
A paperback is a type of book characterized by a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover or hardback books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, inexpensive books bound in paper have existed since at least the 19th century in such forms as pamphlets, yellowbacks, dime novels, and airport novels. Modern paperbacks can be differentiated by size, in the US there are mass-market paperbacks and larger, more durable trade paperbacks. In the UK, there are A-format, B-format, and the largest C-format sizes, Paperback editions of books are issued when a publisher decides to release a book in a low-cost format. Cheaper, lower quality paper, glued bindings, and the lack of a cover may contribute to the lower cost of paperbacks. Paperbacks can be the medium when a book is not expected to be a major seller or where the publisher wishes to release a book without putting forth a large investment. Examples include many novels, and newer editions or reprintings of older books, first editions of many modern books, especially genre fiction, are issued in paperback. Best-selling books, on the hand, may maintain sales in hardcover for an extended period in order to reap the greater profits that the hardcovers provide. These paper bound volumes were offered for sale at a fraction of the historic cost of a book, the Routledges Railway Library series of paperbacks remained in print until 1898, and offered the traveling public 1,277 unique titles. The German-language market also supported examples of cheap books, Bernhard Tauchnitz started the Collection of British. These inexpensive, paperbound editions, a precursor to mass-market paperbacks. Reclam published Shakespeare in this format from October 1857 and went on to pioneer the mass-market paper-bound Universal-Bibliothek series from 10 November 1867, the German publisher Albatross Books revised the 20th-century mass-market paperback format in 1931, but the approach of World War II cut the experiment short. The first released book on Penguins 1935 list was André Maurois Ariel, Lane intended to produce inexpensive books. He purchased paperback rights from publishers, ordered large print runs to keep prices low. Booksellers were initially reluctant to buy his books, but when Woolworths placed a large order, after that initial success, booksellers showed more willingness to stock paperbacks, and the name Penguin became closely associated with the word paperback. In 1939, Robert de Graaf issued a similar line in the United States, the term pocket book became synonymous with paperback in English-speaking North America. In French, the term livre de poche was used and is still in use today, de Graaf, like Lane, negotiated paperback rights from other publishers, and produced many runs. His practices contrasted with those of Lane by his adoption of illustrated covers aimed at the North American market, in order to reach an even broader market than Lane, he used distribution networks of newspapers and magazines, which had a lengthy history of being aimed at mass audiences
8.
The Haunted Bridge
–
The Haunted Bridge is the fifteenth volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was originally published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1937, nancys father Carson Drew is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves, and asks her to assist him in his pursuit. The trail leads to a resort area. Before Nancy has a chance to work on her fathers case. In the dense woods nearby is an old wooden footbridge guarded by a ghost, intrigued by the caddys story, Nancy decides to investigate. Several riddles confront the young detective as she attempts to solve the mystery of the haunted bridge and track down a woman suspected of being a key member of the gang of the jewelry thieves
9.
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk
–
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk is the seventeenth volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. It was first published in 1940 by Grosset & Dunlap, the Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk is sure to please everyone, not only the tween girls it is aimed towards. Nancy plans a trip to South America by boat, along with chums George and they have joined a tour being conducted by an exclusive girls school. To Nancys amazement, the mother of one of the students protests Nancys presence on the tour, Nancy must also unravel the mysteries of smuggled jewelry, and purloined documents from an African government. The 1940 cover art depicts Nancy and George attempting to stop Nancys trunk from being removed from the ship, the 1962 art was updated by Rudy Nappi, and depicts Nancy, Bess and George in the same scene, wearing Kennedy suits. For the revised story in 1976, Nappi presents Nancy against a background of brown, with a montage of images, including a jewel cache
10.
The Hidden Staircase
–
The Hidden Staircase is the second volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, published in 1930 and revised in 1959. In the beginning of the edition of “The Hidden Staircase, ” Nancy is home alone while her father and their housekeeper. The doorbell rings and Nancy is introduced to the visitor, Nathan Gomber. When his persistence irritates and insults Nancy, she grows impatient and angrily tells him to leave, soon after, Nancy is surprised at her house by Allie Horner, whom she aided in The Secret of the Old Clock. Allie knows who Nathan Gomber is by reputation and because he stole eggs from her farm. When Carson Drew arrives home, he explains his history with Gomber, Gomber signed over his land to build a railroad, the following day, Abigail Rowen introduces Nancy to the Turnbull sisters, Rosemary and Floretta. They ask Nancy to help them learn the cause of the hauntings of their mansion in Cliffwood. Nancy stays overnight with the Turnbull sisters for over a week to determine the source of their problems and she goes alone and has her own bedroom. Before she leaves, her father gives her a revolver from his desk to protect herself and he explains that he will be out of town on business in Chicago for a few days but no more than a week. They decide that when he knows the day of his back in River Heights. Before Nancy leaves for Cliffwood, she receives a letter telling her to stay away from the Turnbull mansion. While she is there more items are stolen and at one point they find a couple of flying about the mansion. Likewise, they explain that none other than Nathan Gomber owns the stone mansion. Armed with this knowledge, Nancy is certain that Nathan Gomber is the culprit behind the thefts, and is determined to prove it. Meanwhile, her father, who sent a telegram to Nancy to pick him up on a day at the station for their meeting. Nathan confuses Carson and leads him to believe that Nancy has had an accident near Gombers mansion and is waiting there, distraught and believing Gomber, Carson Drew rides back to Gombers mansion, where he is then held prisoner. Nancy never receives the telegram from Carson Drew and worries that something is wrong since she cannot reach him, while she is running through the rain, she sees Gomber walking toward the Turnbull mansion. She decides that this is her opportunity to get into his house
11.
The Bungalow Mystery
–
The Bungalow Mystery is the third volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. It was the last of three books in the breeder set trilogy, released in 1930, to test-market the series and it was the final volume edited by Edward Stratemeyer before his death. His daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, extensively revised the novel in 1960, Laura Pendleton rescues Nancy Drew and her friend Helen, who cant swim, when their rowboat capsizes during a sudden, severe storm on Moon Lake. The girls from River Heights befriend the orphaned Laura, who has come to the area to meet her new guardian, Jacob Aborn. Mr. Aborn seems somewhat boorish to the River Heights girls, and Nancy, upon returning home, receives a call from Laura. He expects her to do chores and cook, which seems natural. Laura escapes, and this leads Nancy back to the Aborn house, Nancy eventually enter the bungalow but is quickly hit on the head and knocked unconscious. However, when Nancy comes too, she soon exposes an imposter, the plot is similar, but the mystery takes longer to develop, unusual, in that revised versions of Nancy Drew typically reduce detail and speed up the action. Nancy and Helen meet Laura after she rescues them on the lake, Nancy finds the Aborns gauche but friendly. Nancy is called home to aid injured Hannah Gruen, as in the original, she encounters a tree on the road, but this time a brother and sister appear, upon returning home, Nancy looks after Hannah and takes over the housekeeping chores. Carson Drew assigns her to investigate a long list of individuals suspected of involvement in investment-securities fraud, Nancy tackles this by dressing more maturely and going door-to-door for charity as a ruse to meet the suspects. This subplot adds time and depth to the story, Laura contacts Nancy surreptitiously to ask for her help, and then escapes from her locked room at the Aborn residence to seek refuge at the Drews. Mrs. Aborn had ordered Laura to hand over valuable jewels and they are the couple Nancy couldnt locate in River Heights, who committed the banking crimes her father was investigating. Laura discovers that the real Aborns are wonderful people who would be caring guardians, to reward Nancy for helping her and rescuing her valuables, Laura presents the sleuth with her mothers favorite ring—an aquamarine, a reminder that their friendship began on water. The original 1930 artwork—Nancy peeking into the abandoned bungalow—was created by Russell H. Tandy, in 1937, the three internals were omitted. In 1943, Tandy executed a completely new pen-and-ink drawing for the frontispiece instead of updating earlier illustrations, in 1950, Bill Gillies created new cover artwork, showing Nancy spying on Stumpy Dowd. This artwork was retained for the 1960 revision, which added a frontispiece. In 1965, the cover was updated by Rudy Nappi to show Nancy dressed in a dress, contrasting with the current mod look
12.
The Mystery at Lilac Inn
–
The Mystery At Lilac Inn is the fourth volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1931 under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, mildred Wirt Benson was the ghostwriter for the 1931 edition. In 1961, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams extensively revised the novel, creating a different story. Ethnic slurs and opinions were removed, the story involves Nancy Drew helping her friend Emily Crandall find out who stole her heirloom jewels. In the meantime, Nancy must hire a maid in the absence of Mrs. Gruen. Nancy uncovers the thief, Mary Mason, one of the applicants for the position of maid and she then tracks Mary Mason to a gang, which includes Marys brother, Bud. Nancy is bound and gagged and left aboard the sinking cabin cruiser to die. In the end, Nancy captures the jewel thief, exonerates the guardian, how did you and Helen paddle that canoe up here so fast from River Heights. Cried Doris Drake in astonishment, is the line of the book. Nancy and chum Helen vacation at historic Lilac Inn, recently purchased by friend Emily Willoughby, Nancy quickly discovers that an impersonator is operating and forging her signature to rack up bills back in River Heights. In the meantime, Emily gives reports of strange happenings, including mysterious apparitions in the lilac grove, Nancy is attacked while scuba diving alone, when Dicks best man, John, fails to keep a date. And Emilys inheritance, a fortune in diamonds, is stolen during a dramatic blackout. An explosion and cabin fire, an attack by the woman in the grove. Her sleuthing leads to recognition of a looking for money at Lilac Inn. Nancy must soon meet her evil twin face to face on the river, the novel was extensively rewritten and published in 1961, partially because the original novel featured elements of racism that were considered unacceptable. In the original story, Nancy uses racial terms as far as describing potential replacement housekeepers whom she has rejected, also the character of Mary Mason, the novels central villain, is described as an impudent, dark-complexioned girl, perhaps hinting at her ethnicity. Nancy only realizes that Mary is involved in the theft after seeing her at an exclusive, Nancy comments in particular, upon seeing Mary in the store, Surely a girl in her circumstances cannot afford to buy dresses at such a place as this. The book was printed with a jacket and four glossy illustrations
