Book excerpt: The Great Wall of China is a man-made wonder, spanning thousands of miles. It spreads from the Pacific Ocean in the East to the Gobi Desert and beyond in the west. Much of it has stood for hundreds of years, with some portions over 2000 years old. The Great Wall stood as a wall of defense for many years, against the warring states to the north. Then, in 1271, the Mongols invaded. Suddenly work on the wall came to a halt. While many parts of the wall are now in disrepair, many other parts have been restored or reconstructed. It still stands today as a great wonder of the world. Do you know: How old is the oldest part of the Great Wall? How long did it take to build the first Great Wall? How many workers died during construction of the Great Wall? Which dynasty built the longest wall? When was the wall we see today built? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 10 and up. All measurements in American and metric. Reading Level: 6.6 LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.