Question Quest

A magician sends a melancholic maiden on a rescue mission in Hell in this humorous fantasy adventure by a New York Times–bestselling author. As one of the trouble-making twins of Castle Zombie, Lacuna used to have so much fun when she was a little girl. But now at thirty-four, she’s bored stiff and wonders where her life went horribly wrong. To escape her funk, she heads to Good Magician Grey to pose a question. Of course, in Xanth, getting an answer is far from simple . . . Grey sends Lacuna to Hell in a handbasket . . . literally. There, she meets Good Magician Humfrey, who’s spent the last ten years waiting to get his wife back from a terrible demon. With her magical talents—and a few gorgons—Lacuna just might be able to help Humfrey, escape Hell alive, and fix her boring life, once and for all.

The design and functioning of an information system improve to the extent that the system can handle the questions people ask. Surprisingly, however, researchers in the cognitive, computer, and information sciences have not thoroughly examined the multitude of relationships between information systems and questions -- both question asking and answering. The purpose of this book is to explicitly examine these relationships. Chapter contributors believe that questions play a central role in the analysis, design, and use of different kinds of natural or artificial information systems such as human cognition, social interaction, communication networks, and intelligent tutoring systems. Their efforts show that data structures and representations need to be organized around the questioning mechanisms in order to achieve a quick retrieval of relevant useful information.

This title comprises all the best bits from the Question Time series, offering lively, informative answers to many of the WHAT, HOW, WHY and WHICH questions that young children ask about the world around them. The book asks a variety of questions such as How do caterpillars grow up?, why are whales such whoppers?, how can a shark drown? and what is a rainforest? plus hundreds more. Containing information taken from Question Time titles Creepy Crawlies, Mammals, Reptiles, Birds, Sharks, Seashore and Rainforest. covers a wealth of popular natural history subjects that should stimulate children's curiosity. The topics are explored in great detail with engaging text, and supported by colourful illustrations that bring the natural world to life. Further information is supplied alongside photographs, amazing facts appear eye-catching cartoons and a Now I Know feature reinforces the facts that have been explained.

Youth is Wasted on the Young Being grown up is a drag . . . or so thinks Lacuna, one of the michievous Castle Zombie twins. So she makes the Good Magician Grey an an offer he can't refuse. Thirsty for a taste of the Elixir of Youth, she'll help him outwit the evil Com-Pewter if he'll send her to Hell (in a handbasket, no less) to find Humphrey, the missing sorcerer. And while there, she'll learn the True History of Xanth (simplified) and help rescue a blushing Rose from the demon X(A/N) . . . with the help of a gorgon or two.