When you live in bear or cougar territory, you learn to lock your garbage cans indoors, keep your pets safe, and not feed wild animals. This exciting and highly illustrated book focuses on the “human avoiders,” animals that are sometimes found on the fringes of urban developments, where humans are the new kids on the block. Readers will gain an understanding of human-wildlife conflict, as well as key concepts in wildlife conservation of animals such as gray wolves, mountain lions, and gray foxes.
An estimated 70 million feral cats live in the United States alone—decimating bird populations and threatening public health. This informative book investigates the growing populations of "obligates"—abandoned pets, now wild and producing feral offspring, and introduced animals that live in urban and urban fringe areas. An examination reveals the impact these animals are having on resources, space, and native species. Additional content focuses on the charities and organizations that help care for and limit the numbers of feral animals.
From conflict-torn Somalia, to the massive Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya, and finally to a new home in Sweden, Fatuma’s family is used to constant change. Still, Sweden's cold winters and difficult language have required a lot of adjustment. There is hope, but also fear. Fatuma’s story gives readers a glimpse of how, even in countries that accept refugees, not everyone is fully accepting.
Baseema’s family was nearly torn apart by the terrorist violence of Boko Haram in her homeland of Nigeria. Forced to flee their farm, they relied on friends of her father for a home and support. Still unable to return, the family moves again to Kano, the second largest city in Nigeria, and struggles to survive. Baseema’s story gives a glimpse of how many refugees rely on extended networks of family and friends and how, with education disrupted, young women are often forced to marry early.
Zahra’s family left Iran because of political persecution and found a new home in Australia. She will never forget her early years as a refugee, from learning English to navigating transportation. But Zahra is now 100 percent Aussie, and keen to finish university and make her mark on her adopted home. The story includes details on how refugees contribute to their new homes culturally, socially, and financially.
Threatened by gangs and everyday violence, Benito’s family flees El Salvador to an uncertain but safer life in Mexico. They are later joined by Auntie Lara, who lost a son to gang violence and joined a migrant caravan heading to the United States. The story is interwoven with details on how violence in countries whose governments no longer function make a safe life impossible, continuing the cycle of refugees heading to Central and North America.
Etienne is a former child soldier from the Democratic Republic of Congo with a secret fear he will never be safe. His father and brother are missing and presumed dead. After he escapes his captors, his mother decides they have lost enough. They are lucky enough to have family in Canada and are reunited with them as refugees. The story is interspersed with facts about the trauma some refugees deal with and the uncertain welcome from countries struggling with opposition to refugees.
Andre's family was resettled in Ecuador after rebels stormed their village in Colombia. Although they were safe, life wasn’t easy and Andre’s father had a hard time finding work. Suffering discrimination in their country of refuge, and with the situation improved in Colombia since the 2016 peace deal, his family makes the decision to return home. There, they work hard to regain their life and are reunited with a brother and son who had been taken by rebels. Readers get vital insight into how some refugees return to their homelands when—and if—it is safe to do so.
Read about unusual animal journeys around the world, from wandering saltwater crocodiles to invasive insect species and outbreaks of Australian plague locust. Interesting facts, unexpected outcomes, and human impacts on the journeys are highlighted.
Read about extraordinary animal migrations by water, from tremendous upstream journeys by Pacific salmon to the extreme long-distance migration of the humpback whale. Interesting facts and obstacles are highlighted, and a sidebar details how humans impact each migration.
Read about extraordinary animal migrations by land, from the millions of red crabs that migrate at the exact same time on Christmas Island to the grueling journey of the pronghorn in North America. Interesting facts and obstacles are highlighted, and a sidebar details how humans impact each migration.
Read about extraordinary animal migrations by air, from the incredible migration of the godwit between Alaska and New Zealand to the long-lasting journey of the monarch butterfly across North America. Interesting facts and obstacles are highlighted, and a sidebar details how humans impact each migration.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Vikings? Find out how the Vikings built their longships and set sail from their homeland, forging a path across the sea on raiding and trading expeditions. Discover how their brilliant developments in navigation, transportation, government, and language still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began in the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages? These periods, stretching from the first ancestors of modern humans to the start of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, was a time of amazing developments. Find out how making fire and tools, farming the land, and writing down symbols to communicate transformed society and had a lasting impact on the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Romans? Find out how the Romans trained their soldiers, built their roads and buildings, and supplied their people with food and water. Discover how their brilliant developments in language, government, law, and entertainment still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Maya? Find out how the Maya built their cities to suit the landscape and population, traded their resources, and developed a complex system of writing. Discover how their brilliant developments in farming, astronomy, and cloth-making still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began in the Benin Kingdom in Africa? Find out how a collection of separate villages and communities grew into a strong, united kingdom and developed a network of successful trading relationships. Discover how their brilliant developments in town planning, language, art, and medicine still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Anglo-Saxons? Find out how the Anglo-Saxons farmed their land, built their houses, and organized their society. Discover how their brilliant developments in defense, law, language, and storytelling still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the ancient Greeks? Find out how the ancient Greeks organized their society, trained their soldiers, used their ships for trade and transportation, and built their temples. Discover how their brilliant developments in architecture, politics, art, medicine, theater, and sports still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the ancient Egyptians? Find out how the ancient Egyptians built their temples and pyramids, irrigated and farmed their land, and took care of their people during life and after death. Discover how their brilliant developments in farming, papermaking, timekeeping, and medicine still influence the way we live today.
Native to several mountain ranges and plateaus in south Asia and eastern Europe, the snow leopard has been threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and a reduced food source. Learn how collaborative programs across borders and with local people have helped the species populations in some areas remain steady, and also benefit the big cat's main food source, wild sheep and goats, whose numbers are reduced by hunters and competition for grazing from livestock.
The lesser long-nosed bat became the first bat species to be removed from the US endangered species list due to population recovery. This mammal plays a vital role as a pollinator in desert ecosystems in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Readers will learn about the collaborative efforts between the two countries, conservationists, tequila producers, and citizen scientists that are bringing back not only the lesser long-nosed bat, but the plants they rely on for food.
The black-footed ferret was once listed as extinct on the prairies of North America. Its population had been devastated by a disease that also reduced its main food source—prairie dogs. This book tells the fascinating story of the black-footed ferret's rediscovery in 1981 by a dog in Wyoming. Readers will learn how the find inspired a captive breeding program that is restoring not only this prairie species to the wild, but its essential food source as well, the prairie dog.
Martinez longs for the happy, stable home he had in Guatemala—before gang violence forced them to flee to Mexico. And now, he is being uprooted again. His mother has decided they must return to Guatemala to take care of the extended family. Martinez is scared to return—but the love of his family and support of his new rural community in Guatemala gives him hope for a future without violence. Paired with facts about the instability in Guatemala and the experience of displaced persons there, Martinez’s story offers a unique look at the fear—and resilience—refugees experience when they must return home.
Sonita has been a refugee for her entire life. Born in a refugee camp in Pakistan, Sonita had never seen her family’s homeland of Afghanistan—until, faced with discrimination in Pakistan and possible deportation, her parents decided to return. But despite the end of the war, Afghanistan is not the home Sonita’s parents and sister remember. Sonita must adjust to life in a homeland she has never known, and work hard to survive and thrive in a country still full of conflict and insecurity. Interwoven with facts about the conflict in Afghanistan, Sonita’s story gives a look at the experiences of Afghan refugees forced to return to a home that no longer exists.
