Book excerpt: Europe: a beautiful continent with a fascinating history. It has produced many of the world's famous scientists, inventors, artists and composers, as well as popular entertainers and successful sports people. For centuries Europe was plagued by wars and divisions. But in the last 50 years or so, the countries of this old continent have at last been coming together in peace, friendship and unity, to work for a better Europe and a better world. This book for children (roughly 9 to 12 years old) tells the story simply and clearly. Full of interesting facts and colourful illustrations, it gives a lively overview of Europe and explains briefly what the European Union is and how it works. Each chapter links to an online quizz, and there are games on the 'Europa Go' website. Have fun exploring!