Today's sampler takes us to Thailand where we meet up with Anna Leonowens, the inspiration behind The King and I.

She wrote a book, published in 1870, about her 6 years in the Siamese court. Great read!

Etc. Etc. Etc.

If you watched The Greatest Showman, the Jenny Lind that was portrayed was not the Jenny Lind I read about in the old books. Here is one such inspiring account of her life and accomplishments. 

Photo: Jenny Lind

There are so many commonplace things in our lives that have an interesting story behind them. I will never look at pepper the same!

Today's sampler is from the book Explorers and Settlers compiled by Charles Barstow, found in the Middle School Exploration section.

Today's daily sampler gives you a little background on Marco Polo. As I read his story, I thought how often what we think is something that is really horrible ends up being good. Marco Polo was captured and thrown in a prison--a horrible thing--but it was while he was in prison that he had his travels written down. And in turn, those writings awakened a desire in Columbus and others to push past their fears in search of the land Polo described of unfathomable riches, which led to the discovery of a "new world."

​What other lessons do you take away from his story?