Melinda Hamberg, age 12, of Columbus., Ohio, for her question:

Where is the Isle of Wight?

We tend to think that the southern shores of England are banked in steep white chalk cliffs. This makes us wonder how the big ocean liners can put into the big ports of Portsmouth and Southampton. These safe harbors are made possible by the small Isle of Wight. It looks like a rather ragged square of land broken off from the shoreland to the north, The shoreline around it is steep and jagged, making for good harbors.

One corner of the Isle of Wight points towards a groove in the shore, making two deep channels, one on either side. This channel area is the Solent, a narrow strip of calm water into which come the big liners that have sailed the stormy Atlantic. It is well marked with buoys and beacons, but the ocean pilot turns his ship over to a local channel pilot to avoid going aground in the narrow waterway.

The Isle of Wight sits comfortably in the warmish waters of the English Channel. Most of it is beautiful green pasture land and the shores are given over to summer resorts. Watch racing is a popular sport, especially from the towns along the northern shores.