Author Archives: Mikki Gibson

Children of the Fifty-Sixers: Growing up in Hungarian Chicago

Author Rebecca Makkai reflects on how her father’s escape from Communist-controlled Hungary in 1956 still echoes in her life in the United States.

Family Farmers Fighting Climate Change

Climate change isn’t only about cars; find out what farmers are doing to help the planet.

Selfie-esteem: Teens say selfies give a confidence boost

Whether you find selfies annoying or empowering, they serve some important social purposes.

Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots

Learn about this global organization that helps young people identify the challenges they can address in their own communities.

Our Storied Lives: The Quest for ‘Something More’

Each of us is the hero of our own story in the making. Learn about a project meant to capture those stories, and click the link at end of the article to find out how one story turned out.

Solar Wind’s Effect on Earth

The sun obviously affects us everyday, bringing light and warmth from 93 million miles away. But it’s not as constant and helpful as it might appear. Learn about the cycles of storms on the sun and how they affect all aspects of life on earth.

What Makes Siblings Bond?

A sibling can be both an arch-enemy and an ally, often on the same day! Jeffrey Kluger, author of the book The Sibling Effect, discusses what makes our connection to siblings so strong.

10 Rare Salvador Dali Illustrations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet may not seem like an obvious pairing, but these 1975 illustrations vividly bring the tension and tragedy to life.

Shakespeare in Scotland: What did the author of Macbeth know and when did he know it?

Some scholars have long maintained that someone other than William Shakespeare authored some of the Bard’s best-known works. This article explores the idea that a writer with a deeper knowledge of Scotland than Shakespeare could have had must have penned Macbeth.

Brother Outsider

Bayard Rustin was the mastermind behind the March on Washington. Watch the trailer for this PBS documentary and learn about the honors belatedly conferred on this little-known hero of the civil rights movement.

X-Ray Vision Archaeology Reveals Holocaust Escape Tunnel

The Holocaust nearly obliterated the once-vibrant Jewish population of Lithuania. Learn about how a small band of prisoners made a daring escape so that they could bear witness and how modern researchers have found proof of this event.

How a Technology That Helped Settle the West Became Known as the “Devil’s Rope”

As American settlers moved westward into the Great Plains, conflicts arose between cattle ranchers and farmers. Learn what role barbed wire played and how this change to the landscape affected this new nation’s bison population.

Movies may cause special effects on the body

Watching movies doesn’t just affect our brains; it also affects our bodies. Find out how the effects of horror movies compare with those of other genres.

The Diary of Anne Frank Introduction

Why is Anne Frank’s diary so popular, over 7 decades after it was written? What makes it different from other books written during or about the Holocaust? It turns out it’s a lot more than just a diary.

6 Things to Know About Gen Z

If you’re reading this, you’re probably part of “Gen Z.” Find out how you compare with the generations before you, like the Millennials, and ask yourself whether you think this list is accurate.

Robert Smalls: A Daring Escape

An enslaved man named Robert Smalls went undercover for one of the most daring escapes of all time. Find out how he saved himself and saved dozens of other enslaved people as well!

Stuck Between Two Cultures

Natalie Cardenas is like a lot of teenagers in the U.S. today — she feels wedged between two cultures. Natalie feels a strong connection to both her Peruvian heritage and her American identity, but somehow still feels a bit rejected by both.