When Professor Lidenbrock discovers a 16th-century manuscript that reveals a route to the earth's core, he can't resist the chance to investigate. Together with his whiz-kid nephew and an Icelandic guide, the professor heads for the crater of an extinct volcano. Tension builds as the trio descends: What bizarre creatures may lurk below? Will the supplies last, and how will the group return to the surface? Meanwhile, the explorers find themselves traveling backward through geologic time to encounter a living past that holds the secrets to the origins of humanity. The grandfather of modern science fiction, Jules Verne published this gripping tale of adventure in 1864. Verne's skillful storytelling blends realism and romanticism, and his gift for predicting future technological trends adds to the freshness and vitality of his novels. In addition to its action-packed excitement, Journey to the Center of the Earth offers the allure of a psychological quest, in which the trek itself is as important as the destination. AGES: 8 to 12 AUTHOR: "The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived." - Arthur C. Clarke. Jules Verne started out composing librettos, but the French-born author's passion for travel and exploration compelled him to turn to adventure tales, creating the prototype for today's science fiction. One of the most translated authors in the world, Jules Verne is best known for his classics Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days.