Kerry Shale

Trade explores the civilizing effect of buying and selling goods. In particular, the Indus Valley Civilization – on the borders of modern-day India and Pakistan – was seemingly created with the single purpose of encouraging the free flow of trade. The knock-on effects were massively beneficial - an increase in wealth, co-operation and trust.

Cities investigates the symbiotic link between urban living and civilization - there have been no cities without civilization, no civilizations without cities. The world's first settlements were in Mesopotamia, where the emergence of farming created the calories necessary for people to feed themselves on a permanent basis. This led to an exponential increase in population and a blossoming of innovation – civilization itself.

As early humans spread out across the world, their toughest challenge was colonizing the Americas - because a huge ice sheet blocked the route. It has long been thought that the pioneers, known as Clovis people, arrived about 13,000 years ago, but an underwater discovery in Mexico suggests people arrived earlier than previously thought - and by boat, not on foot. How closely related were these First Americans to today's Native Americans? It's a controversial...

What happened when early humans ventured out of Africa and into Asia? Where did they go and whom did they meet along the way? The latest evidence suggests they left far earlier than previously thought and interbred with other types of ancient human - Homo erectus, Neanderthals and also the Denisovans, whose existence was established only five years ago when geneticists extracted DNA from a tiny fragment of finger bone. Because these ancient humans...

Tad is a bored construction worker dreaming of a life of adventure until one day he is mistaken for a famous archeologist and that dream comes true. Whisked to Peru holding a sacred key, Tad helps Professor Lavrof and his beautiful daughter Sara as they race against evil treasure hunters in search of the Lost City of Paititi.

Collects eleven stories and one novella featuring Jack Reacher, including "Too Much Time." Together these twelve stories shed new light on Reacher's past, illuminating how he grew up and developed into the wandering avenger who has captured the imagination of millions around the world.

200,000 years ago we took our first steps in Africa. Today there are seven billion of us living across the planet. How did our ancestors spread from continent to continent? This is a global detective story, featuring the latest archaeological discoveries and genetic research. On each continent, we track down the earliest members of our species, Homo sapiens. Who were these First Peoples? What drove them to the ends of the earth?

Percy's sheep escape, as Den and Dart fear working apart. James can't handle the slip coaches, while Salty's imagination has him running scared. When Percy loses control, he bravely faces his fears with a little help from his friends.

The engines are hard at work to build a new Search and Rescue Center. When Thomas helps a friend in need, he is rewarded with an exciting trip to the mainland. Along the way, he gets lost at sea and finds himself on the mysterious Misty Island, where he meets new friends Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand. Together they discover secret hideouts and try to help Thomas find his way home.

Rheneas picks the perfect Christmas tree when he finally stops to smell the evergreen. Charlie knows how fun snow can be and discovers that teamwork in the snow is the most fun of all. Edward gets Salty just what he asked for, the perfect story to re-tell and Emily learns the best way to be really useful.