The stories were written for intelligent middle school children, who have a sense of sophisticated humor and who like adventure. There are elements of surprise and adventure with much scientific materials, some of which is true and some not true. The reader should be motivated to find out for themselves. For example, (1) there was certainly a massive eruption in Krakatoa (the survival of the Viven beetle is entirely fictitious) and (2) there is a Yucca plant pollinated by a moth.