In March 2011 the worlds second-largest nuclear disaster occurred on the eastern coast of Japan. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake caused a nearly 50-foot tsunami that flooded the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The devastating tidal wave caused equipment failures that led the nuclear reactors to overheat to the point of meltdown. Dangerous radioactive materials released into the air continue to threaten the health of the ocean and people around the world today. Topics include how movements in the earth's crust below water can cause seismic waves , the evacuation of more than 300,000 people from their homes near the power plant, contamination of crops and water, decontamination and repair work, and continued concern about leaking radiation from the power plant.
Can you imagine life without light? Well, actually... it's impossible, because without light there would be no life on Earth at all! Learn all about the most disgusting and dreadful aspects of light. From zit-zapping rays and night-vision goggles to spooky shadows and serious sunburn, this book is full of yucky, painful and fascinating facts. You can see the brilliance of light too, with some easy (and painless!) experiments.
Animals have become extinct for many reasons. The most famous example, the extinction of the dinosaurs, may have been the result of an asteroid hitting Earth or an Ice Age freezing them to death. Prehistoric mammoths and saber-toothed cats may simply have been hunted to extinction. Today, animals such as elephants, zebras, tigers and leopards, some wolves, and many kinds of primates may still face extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, hunting, poaching, and pollution. This fascinating book introduces and explains the designations of endangerment from extinct in the wild to vulnerable. Children are also introduced to fossils as a way of learning about animals that lived long ago.
Furry, creepy, and seemingly sneaky, rats have a bad reputation for spreading disease and stealing food from under our noses. They are quite comfortable living in a number of environments, from swamps, to mountains, to basements. Color images show different species of rats, while informative text explains what a species is. A special section on pest control explains how rats were controlled in the Middle Ages and how they are controlled today. A section on lab rats even explains how these mammal pests have helped humans fight disease.
Ever get the icky sensation that your skin is crawling? Like tiny little bugs are scampering over your arms, your legs . . . your face? Well there really may be bugs on you, ones that are too small for you to see. Feasting Bedbugs, Mites, and Ticks examines the tiny, sometimes microscopic, insects that make their homes in our homes and on our bodies. Vibrant text and macro images put these creatures into hyper focus. A special popular culture section explains the origins of the old adage: sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite.
Termites can literally eat you out of house and home! Carpenter ants will use your home like a wood lot, taking what they want when they want, but without paying! Termites and Other Home Wreckers examines pests that chew, build, and bore their way into homes. Creepy images show the insects at different stages of the life cycle, and a family tree section lets you know who is related to whom.
Imagine being struck by lightning. ZAP! You could be killed on the spot. So why do we have something as powerful and dangerous as electricity running through our homes? Because our modern lives now depend on it, that's why! Learn all about the most disgusting and dreadful aspects of electricity. From whizzing electrons and static shocks to frying flies and freaky frog legs, this book is full of yucky, painful and fascinating facts. You can even test your nerve with some easy (and painless!) experiments.
Imagine yourself falling... falling... falling and never reaching the ground. Well that's exactly what our planet is doing, and its taking you with it! Learn about all the disgusting and dreadful aspects of gravity. From blackouts caused by g-forces to toilet-troubles in space, this book is full of yucky, painful and fascinating facts. You can get your hands dirty too with some easy (and painless!) experiments.
This informative and beautiful book looks at apex or top predators - animals that are not eaten by other animals in their habitats - and why these animals play a very important role in keeping food chains in balance. Students are introduced to the energy pyramid, which shows that there are fewer top predators than other animals and gives reasons why many of these animals are endangered. Humans, the most powerful top predators, are the biggest threat to these essential endangered animals.
They feed on us, make their homes on us, and generally make our lives miserable. They are horrible guests, sometimes spreading deadly diseases. These blood-sucking parasites are lice and fleas and they are pests of the first order! This book delves into the tiny world of ectoparasites that prey on humans and animal hosts. Learn how lice and fleas cant live without us and how humans have been battling the itchy critters, often without much success, since the dawn of time. Special sections give information on the plague-producing history of rat fleas and how to combat the scourge of head lice.
By the time Superstorm Sandy had hit New York City on October 22, 2012, it had left a trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard of the United States. Affecting 24 U.S. states, Sandy is the second-costliest superstorm in United States history. This informative book follows the timeline of the superstorm and features personal accounts by those who experienced the destruction in many New York City and New Jersey neighborhoods. Topics include how Superstorm Sandy developed, the response by state and federal relief agencies, the effects on air travel, subway transit, electricity, and the New York Stock Exchange, and the recovery and rebuilding.
This intriguing book looks at the remarkable abilities of plants and animals, which need to be studied to make our environment more sustainable. People have already used birds as models for constructing airplanes, but there are so many other models that have not been replicated. Living things live at the depths of oceans and at the tops of the highest mountains, harness the energy of the sun to make food, make oxygen from carbon dioxide, walk on water, build structures that are air-conditioned, and make materials stronger than steel without ever polluting or damaging the environment. They have done all the things we wish we could do. This book will make young scientists aware of the super powers of nature and may inspire some to find ways to change the future of Earth!
All living things die. Fortunately, nature has cleaners that eat decomposing things. Scavengers, detrivores, and decomposers are three groups of living things that use the leftover energy in things that have died. From hyenas and vultures eating carcasses, to mushrooms feeding on rotting wood, to dung beetles rolling in animal waste, this book has it all in vivid color!
Camouflage is blending into a natural environment, but mimicry is pretending to be another living thing to survive. Mimics use shape, pattern, sound, smell, and/or behavior to fool predators or prey. This amazing book will thrill readers of all ages with photographs of some of the masters of mimicry. Some are simply unbelievable! Mimics such as mantises, leaf insects, snakes, frogs, butterflies, and ocean animals will make readers wonder if what they are seeing is truly real!
Introduces facts about reticulated pythons, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and threats to these rainforest creatures. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis.
Introduces facts about hornbills, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and threats to these rainforest creatures. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis.
Introduces facts about red-eyed tree frogs, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and threats to these rainforest creatures. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis.
Introduces facts about spider monkeys, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and threats to these rainforest creatures. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis.
Introduces facts about harpy eagles, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and threats to these rainforest creatures. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis.
Introduces facts about poison dart frogs, including physical features, habitat, life cycle, food, and threats to these rainforest creatures. Photos, captions, and keywords supplement the narrative of this informational text. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis.
What is a watershed? Why are watersheds important? What is it like to live where there is no clean, safe water supply? Read this book to find out more about the importance of watersheds and how you can help in the fight to keep Earth's freshwater sources clean and safe.
Kids will be shocked to learn that arthropods outnumber all other animal species combined! They will also be fascinated by the variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and behaviors found among these invertebrates. Labeled diagrams and startling close-up photography will introduce concepts including the similarities and differences among insects, arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans, the functions and features of an exoskeleton, molting, metamorphosis, and other interesting body facts, and the crucial function of arthropods in food chains and webs.
Marsupials are the only mammals that have a pouch on their body in which they carry their young. Most of these amazing animals live in Australia, where they have adapted to the harsh conditions of life in the outback. In What is a Marsupial? children will learn astounding facts about marsupials, including the important differences between marsupials and placentals, how kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, opossums, and bilbies are related, how marsupials reproduce and raise their young, the ways in which they hunt and feed, and why some marsupials are in danger.
Whales, manatees, seals, dolphins, and sea otters are just some of the many mammals that have evolved over time in order to survive in the water. From Arctic waters to tropical seas, vivid photographs and surprising facts about these salt water mammals reveal how these air breathing creatures have adapted to the water, their underwater senses, what they eat and how they raise their young, what cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea otters, sirenians, and polar bears are, marine zoos, and the dangers of pollution, commercial fishing, and poachers.
Amphibian means two lives since these animals spend the first part of their lives underwater and the rest on land. From flying tree frogs to slithering caecilians, kids will be captivated by this slimy animal group in What is an Amphibian? Young readers will discover the amphibian family tree, an amphibian's body, special skin and senses, how they move and what they eat, water- versus land-dwelling species, their life cycle and parental care, and defending themselves.
