WHATS GREAT ABOUT
M INNESOTA?
NADIA HIGGINS
Copyright 2015
by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
Content Consultant: Stephen Gross, Associate
Professor of History, University of Minnesota,
Morris
All rights reserved. International copyright
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Main body text set in ITC Franklin Gothic Std
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Typeface provided by Adobe Systems.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data
Higgins, Nadia.
Whats great about Minnesota? / Nadia
Higgins.
pages cm. (Our great states)
Includes index.
ISBN 9781467733885 (library
binding : alkaline paper)
ISBN 9781467747110 (eBook)
1. MinnesotaJuvenile literature.
I.Title.
F606.3.H48 2015
977.6dc23 2014003887
Manufactured in the United States of America
1 PC 7/15/14
CONTENTS
BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE
AREA WILDERNESS
IN THE HEART OF THE BEAST
PUPPET AND MASK THEATRE
WORLDS LARGEST
TWINE BALL
JEFFERS PETROGLYPHS
HISTORIC SITE
Minnesota Welcomes You!
Welcome to the Land of 10,000 Lakes! In this state, lakes sparkle under
open skies. Farmland stretches for miles. In dark forests, wolves howl
at the moon. Minnesota is a playground for outdoor lovers. Even in the
snow, youll see people out and about. They may even wear shorts in
winter! More than half of Minnesotans live in and around Minneapolis
and Saint Paul. The Twin Cities are famous for their tree- filled parks.
Downtown, skyscrapers tower next to old stone buildings. Youll find
world- class theater in the Twin Cities. Check out a funky bookstore. Grab
a cupcake from a food truck. Walk down Lake Street, and count how
many languages you hear. Theres so much to explore in Minnesota!
Read on to discover ten things that make the state great.
Explore Minnesotas cities
and all the places in between!
Just turn the page to find out
all about the LAND OF
10,000 LAKES.
BOUNDARY WATERS
CANOE AREA WILDERNESS
Wilderness rules in the Boundary Waters in northern
Minnesota. Here, there are no roads, no buildings, no
electricity, and no crowds. The only sounds you might
hear are those of birds, wind, and water. More than one
thousand lakes, rivers, and streams sparkle among the
pines. Youve never smelled air so fresh!
Fishers and canoers love this place. Boundary Waters
trips are hard work, though. You must purify your own
drinking water. Get ready to carry your gear on your back.
There are no cars to take your tent, food, toilet paper,
and garbage to and from your campsite.
But the hard work is worth the adventure. Drop a line in
one of the lakes. Maybe youll catch a walleye! Make a
small raft out of sticks. Then sail it from your canoe. Are
you good at finding your way in new places? You can be
in charge of the compass.
At night, stars fill the sky. Stay up late, and gaze at them
for hours. You will come home tired but wishing for more
time in the wilderness.
Set up camp on the shore of a
lake. Youll fall asleep listening
to the call of the loons.
MINNESOTA BIOMES
Minnesota has four main
biomes, or natural regions.
Forests with leafy trees cover
the southeast. Prairie grasses
stretch along the western
border. In the northwest lies
mixed prairie and woodland.
The Boundary Waters is part of
Minnesotas northern evergreen
forests. The trees keep their
needles all through winter.
Bears, moose, and wolves roam
these sweet- smelling woods.
IN THE HEART OF THE BEAST
PUPPET AND MASK THEATRE
Do you like puppet shows? Visit In the
Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask
Theatre in Minneapolis. Youll find all
types of puppets here! Huge creatures
dance across the stage. Birds fly by
on sticks or strings. Handheld puppets
pop out from a suitcase. Some puppets
appear as shadows on a cloth.
Artists make many of the puppets at
the theater. Come and join in the fun.
Use water, flour, a newspaper, and paint
to make your own mask or puppet.
In spring, show it off at the theaters
MayDay Parade. Youll see the streets
come alive with puppets!
At In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and
Mask Theatre, youll see all kinds of
puppets, from spooky skeletons to birds.
MINNESOTA THEATER
Minnesota is a destination for theater lovers in the
Midwest. The Twin Cities have more theater seats per
person than any other city outside of New York. The
world- famous Guthrie Theater (left) is a Minneapolis
landmark. Chanhassen boasts the nations largest dinner
theater. The Old Log Theater in Excelsior first opened in
1940. It is one of the oldest theaters in the nation.
WORLDS LARGEST TWINE BALL
Do you like weird wonders? Then the town of
Darwin is a must- see stop on your Minnesota
trip! In 1950, Darwins Francis Johnson had
an idea. It started with a piece of twine. He
began rolling up the twine. Johnson wondered
how big his twine ball could grow. For the next
twenty- nine years, he rolled twine for four
hours a day, every day. His creation grew to be
feet (3.7 meters) wide!
Today, visitors flock to the town of Darwin
to stare at the Worlds Largest Twine Ball
(rolled by one man). This amazing ball sits in