JUNIOR EDITION for Ages 6+
Nations: From Land to Wealth · Book 2

United States: The Land of Almost Everything

A country with almost everything — is that why it got rich?

In this book, you will find out…

When you grow up, you could…

Who is in the story

MeadowMeadowExplorer with a notebook and a bet to win.
GraceGraceBuilds drones. Drives the old blue car.
CharlieCharlieAsks one good question — then lets Meadow find out.
WarrenWarrenTurns up late. Thinks about a hundred years from now.

Today’s mystery

A country with almost everything — is that why it got rich?

Look for the clues. Try to guess the answer before Meadow does!

Chapter 1

The Bet

🔍 Is having lots of things enough?
Meadow's Japan pages were full. She felt very clever.
Meadow's Japan pages were full. She felt very clever.
MeadowLittle to dig up makes people clever. Done!
Charlie spun the globe. He stopped it on a giant land between two oceans.
Charlie spun the globe. He stopped it on a giant land between two oceans.
Plains. Rivers. Forests. Oil. A country with almost everything.
Plains. Rivers. Forests. Oil. A country with almost everything.
CharlieI bet you plenty is not enough.
Meadow took the bet.
Meadow took the bet.
MeadowRich land, rich country. Easy!
She landed in New York. Towers, taxis, noise.
She landed in New York. Towers, taxis, noise.
MeadowIt's so TALL. And so LOUD!
Chapter 2

Pancakes and Cereal

🔍 What does plenty look like?
A young engineer waved from a shiny diner.
A young engineer waved from a shiny diner.
GraceI'm Grace. I build drones. Hungry?
The pancakes came as a tower. The syrup came in a jug!
The pancakes came as a tower. The syrup came in a jug!
Food and faces from every corner of the world, all in one street.
Food and faces from every corner of the world, all in one street.
One shop had forty kinds of cereal. Meadow counted them all.
One shop had forty kinds of cereal. Meadow counted them all.
Meadow made a list. GIFTS on one side. WORK on the other.
Meadow made a list. GIFTS on one side. WORK on the other.
GraceTo get this country, we must drive.
They took an old blue car west. The radio hummed.
They took an old blue car west. The radio hummed.
They drove all day. They had crossed only a tiny bit of the map!
They drove all day. They had crossed only a tiny bit of the map!
MeadowHow BIG is this country?
Chapter 3

Nature's Jackpot

🔍 What gifts did the land give?
Wheat, wheat, wheat. Days of it. An ocean of grain.
Wheat, wheat, wheat. Days of it. An ocean of grain.
Grace crumbled the black soil. Some of the richest dirt on Earth.
Grace crumbled the black soil. Some of the richest dirt on Earth.
MeadowIt smells alive! Gift!
Then a river as wide as a lake. Boats carried grain like floating trains.
Then a river as wide as a lake. Boats carried grain like floating trains.
In Texas, metal birds nodded up and down, pumping oil.
In Texas, metal birds nodded up and down, pumping oil.
MeadowJapan had to BUY all this!
Two oceans. One on each side. Both open for ships.
Two oceans. One on each side. Both open for ships.
Meadow’s notebook
Gifts: soil, rivers, oil, two oceans. I'm winning the bet!
Grace laid soil, oil and wheat on a blanket like cards.
Grace laid soil, oil and wheat on a blanket like cards.
MeadowSo I win?
GraceCareful. That's the trap.
Chapter 4

The Trap

🔍 Why isn't plenty enough?
Grace told her that many nations lived here first. They knew this land deeply.
Grace told her that many nations lived here first. They knew this land deeply.
Then ships came, full of people looking for a new start.
Then ships came, full of people looking for a new start.
Neighbours built barns together in one day.
Neighbours built barns together in one day.
Then railways joined the two coasts. Meadow looked at the map a long time.
Then railways joined the two coasts. Meadow looked at the map a long time.
Meadow moved one word to the WORK side.
Meadow moved one word to the WORK side.
MeadowThe land was a gift. The railway was work!
🔎 Clue found!
A gift only helps when people work to use it.
At night, the map glowed. Rails and roads joined every corner.
At night, the map glowed. Rails and roads joined every corner.
MeadowWhy does joining it all matter?
Chapter 5

Ten Thousand Kettles

🔍 Why does joining it all matter?
Grace explained that inside the country there are no walls. One set of rules. One money.
Grace explained that inside the country there are no walls. One set of rules. One money.
A factory made ten thousand kettles, all the same.
A factory made ten thousand kettles, all the same.
MeadowWhy so MANY?
Meadow guessed before Grace could say it.
Meadow guessed before Grace could say it.
MeadowMake lots, and each one is cheap!
GraceExactly.
The giant store proved it. Mountains of things. Tiny prices.
The giant store proved it. Mountains of things. Tiny prices.
On the river, one tug pushed forty boats of grain. Cheaper than any truck!
On the river, one tug pushed forty boats of grain. Cheaper than any truck!
🔎 Clue found!
One giant market makes things cheap.
Then they saw a tractor driving all by itself.
Then they saw a tractor driving all by itself.
MeadowWho is driving the FARM?
Chapter 6

One Farmer, a Hundred Plates

🔍 How can so few farmers feed so many?
A machine poured grain in a golden arc. A whole field in an hour.
A machine poured grain in a golden arc. A whole field in an hour.
Today, one farmer feeds more than a hundred people.
Today, one farmer feeds more than a hundred people.
MeadowOne person feeds a HUNDRED?
Special colleges studied seeds, soil and machines. Then they taught every farmer.
Special colleges studied seeds, soil and machines. Then they taught every farmer.
Meadow worked it out on her fingers.
Meadow worked it out on her fingers.
MeadowThen ninety-nine people are free to do other jobs!
In a corn maze taller than her head, Meadow got happily lost.
In a corn maze taller than her head, Meadow got happily lost.
Meadow’s notebook
Science on the farm freed lots of hands. WORK side!
So what did all those free hands do? Grace drove to a university.
So what did all those free hands do? Grace drove to a university.
Chapter 7

Garages and Attempt Nine

🔍 Where do new ideas come from?
A giant library. All the world's ideas, free to borrow.
A giant library. All the world's ideas, free to borrow.
Long ago, a man flew a kite into a storm. On purpose! He was testing lightning.
Long ago, a man flew a kite into a storm. On purpose! He was testing lightning.
And always, somewhere, a garage. Two kids. A workbench. A wild idea.
And always, somewhere, a garage. Two kids. A workbench. A wild idea.
In her lab, Grace patted a half-built drone.
In her lab, Grace patted a half-built drone.
GraceAttempt number nine!
MeadowEight failures?
Grace grinned. Here, failing is allowed. You learn. You try again.
Grace grinned. Here, failing is allowed. You learn. You try again.
Then she held up a shiny chip.
Then she held up a shiny chip.
MeadowSand again! Just like Japan!
At the airport, people arrived from everywhere.
At the airport, people arrived from everywhere.
MeadowWho are they all?
Chapter 8

The Talent Magnet

🔍 Who brings the ideas?
In one lab, five accents worked on one experiment.
In one lab, five accents worked on one experiment.
At the street fair: dumplings, tamales, pierogi. Every homeland brought a treasure.
At the street fair: dumplings, tamales, pierogi. Every homeland brought a treasure.
Grace opened an old album. Her grandmother had fixed planes long ago.
Grace opened an old album. Her grandmother had fixed planes long ago.
GraceSame sky. I build drones.
Meadow spread her list on the car. The WORK side was longer!
Meadow spread her list on the car. The WORK side was longer!
Meadow felt the click.
Meadow felt the click.
MeadowThe gifts helped. But people did the work!
The road ended on a quiet street in Omaha, by a porch.
The road ended on a quiet street in Omaha, by a porch.
Charlie's old friend was rocking on the porch.
Charlie's old friend was rocking on the porch.
WarrenWill it still be rich in a hundred years?
Meadow watched neighbours weeding a garden together.
Meadow watched neighbours weeding a garden together.
MeadowOnly if they keep looking after it.
At home, she put the Japan pages next to the USA pages.
At home, she put the Japan pages next to the USA pages.
MeadowI lost the bet. Charlie was right!
The globe spun again. It stopped on a tiny island at the tip of Asia.
The globe spun again. It stopped on a tiny island at the tip of Asia.

All the clues

  1. A gift only helps when people work to use it.
  2. One giant market makes things cheap.

So… A country with almost everything — is that why it got rich?

The gifts helped: soil, rivers, oil and two oceans. But people did the work — joining the land into one giant market, using science, and welcoming new ideas from everywhere.

OmahaIndia Junior · a simpler version of Book 1 for readers aged 6-8