Great Plains National Instructional Television Library.

A boy who is mad about science and is being sent to summer camp to broaden his horizons, gets his campmates involved in his passion. LeVar Burton takes viewers on a ride aboard the giant roller coaster at New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park and talks about the scientific approach to things.

After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother. LeVar discovers a mysterious and fascinating world of nocturnal animals, and explores the not-so-silent world of slumber and dreams.

Presents a reading of Susan Meddaugh's Martha speaks, in which Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating alphabet soup. A variety of dogs also appear.

And still the turtle watched: A turtle carved in rock on a bluff over the Hudson River by Native Americans, watches the river below. Over the span of time it observes many ecological changes with a great deal of sadness. Turtle, wolf & bear: See turtles, wolves and bears in their natural habitat. LeVar shares some Native American lore about these animals as well. The Sutton Center: Scientists at Sutton Avian Research Center work to save the bald...

The making of "Show ways," or quilts which once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves, is a tradition passed from mother to daughter in the author's family. LeVar shares a picture of author Jacqueline Woodson with a quilt from her family, and also shares some of his family keepsakes. Kids talk about the connection they have to family keepsakes. A Jewish grandmother shares how as a youngster she survived the Holocaust, and why it's important...

In Alejandro's gift, by Richard E. Albert, Alejandro creates an oasis at his house in the desert as a gift for all of the animals that live near him. Also, in this program, host LeVar Burton discovers an oasis in the California desert and travels to Niagara Falls. The books It rained on the desert today, by Ken and Debby Buchanan, The desert alphabet book, by Jerry Pallotta, and Water, water everywhere, by Mark J. Rauzon and Cynthia Overbeck Bix are...

A girl, whose parents are divorced, doesn't see her father very often but frequently thinks about him and treasures the time they have together. Other segments include: Family day picnic: LeVar joins a family day picnic and shares how he grew up in a single-parent family ; Love to go around: meet a single parent family and see how these four children and their father manage their lives together by sharing lots of love ; A special bond: a boy who doesn't...

Host LeVar Burton introduces the book Appelemando"s dreams by Patricia Polacco about a little boy who uses his dreams to create colorful images that brighten the world for himself and his friends. He also introduces artists who work with paint, clay, wire, and chalk and demonstrates fun and creative ways to spark the imagination and inspire the artist in all of us. Other books mentioned include, The little painter of Sabana Grande by Patricia Maloney...