Susan Kelley, age 9, of Huntsville, Alabama, for her question:

Why are there no East and West Poles?

We are lucky to have the North and South Poles because we can use them to figure out east, west and all the other directions. We have the North and South Poles because the round earth spins around like a top. And the Big Ball spins around a line straight through the middle. This line is called the earth's axis. Its two opposite ends reach the surface at the North and South Poles. These two pinpoints do not spin around    but the rest of the round globe turns around and around them.

The earth turns always toward the east. It never stops turning or pauses to rest. Its North and South Poles stay fixed. But the place where you stand is always moving from the west toward the east. So there can be no fixed east and west poles. However, the North and South Poles can always help a person find the east and west directions. Facing north, the west is on your left side and the east on your right. Facing south, the east is on your left and the west on your right.