At the White House for Kids, V.I.P. stands for Very Important Pet. Socks the Cat is it, and he's your personal guide for a great tour of the most important home in the country. Getting to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is as easy as clicking on www.whitehouse.gov/
kids . Have you heard about Buddy, the new dog at the White House? There were a lot of other presidential pets making messes on the White House lawn before Buddy came along! And there were lots of kids before Chelsea Clinton to play with those official animals. Check out the history of White House pets (from ponies to puppies) and the 'First Children' who played in the halls of this amazing mansion. Oh, and while you're at the White House, don't forget to send an e-mail to the president!

Sure, those dusty old encyclopedias are important for learning about American history. But the Web makes using that knowledge a whole lot more fun! Check out what one second grade class did with their voyage into the world of the Undergound Railroad. Make your stop at www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/tubman.html to see how these kids put history into action. After reading about the life of Harriet Tubman, they put together a great interactive site. Learn all about this conductor of the Underground Railroad through the eyes of kids, with illustrated timelines, fun quizzes and crossword puzzles. Even better, maybe this great class project will inspire you to start a Web site of your own. There's a lot you can do with historyÐwhy not share it with other cyberkids?

If you think pyramids exist only in Egypt, then grab your boots and head south of the border. Inspiring photographs of ancient ruins, tropical jungles and pristine lakes await you in Thresholds at www.thresholds.net . You can almost hear the exotic sounds of the jungle's parrots and monkeys as you click through the rivers and roads of backwoods Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Be sure not to miss the author's hair-raising tale that will take you through a long series of glittering cascades coursing over miles of verdant valleys in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountains. Take in the scenery and enjoy the adventure!

You would like to go to France, oui? Well, maybe you won't be jumping on a plane anytime soon, but you can jet to a French palace right this minute via a click of your mouse! Just knock on the door at http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage for admission to the grand halls of the Versailles palace, one of the world's most famous historical sites. See what it was like to live like a king in centuries past. The royal art collection will knock your beret off! And you're sure to be surprised to find out which famous people visited the palace in past decades. Don't depart without taking in the full view through fabulous panoramic shots of the palace grounds. Au revoir!

If ever a military battle captured the imaginations of war buffs worldwide, it would be the Invasion of Normandy. As the landing phase of Operation Overlord during World War II, it was the scene of great strategy, honor and sacrifice. Join the Allied victory in progress at Britannica Online's Normandy Web site, which chronicles the battle from the earlier European hostilities to the liberation of the French. Get ready to storm the beach at www.britannica.com/dday and immerse yourself in international politics, airborne attacks and military conspiracies. The comprehensive site has audio clips of speeches, films of the fighting inland, and biographies of leaders like Eisenhower and Churchill. Plus, you'll have the chance to decipher secret code messages and inspect battle documents. Charge!!!