Amazing photographs give young readers a fun-filled look at what makes Earth so beautiful. Topics include what are landforms, how different landforms are created, a look at land-shaperswind, water, fire, and ice, different kinds of erosion, how erosion shapes the land, and how some animals form islands.
Human negligence, engineering miscalculation, mechanical failure - human activity has been responsible for some of the gravest harm to people and the world. Thirteen famous disasters are featured is this fascinating book. Each one became well-known for the unique scientific process that led to the destruction, as well as for the structural changes and safety measures proposed in its aftermath. Topics include the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown, the sinking of the Titanic, the Russian submarine Kursk explosion, the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge collapse, the Hindenburg airship explosion, and the Twin Towers collapse.
The natural forces of planet Earth have been responsible for some of the world's greatest devastation, such as the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan in 2011 and the Indian Ocean in 2004. Thirteen kinds of disasters are featured in this amazing book, showing the process and science of each disaster from the action that triggered it to its dire consequences. Topics include volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, avalanches, landslides, and mudslides.
They say that in space no one can hear you scream... and its true! In the emptiness of space, nothing makes a noise. But on Earth... our ears are constantly pounded by sounds. Learn all about the most disgusting and dreadful aspects of sound. From flatulent whoopee cushions to glass-smashing opera singers and music-loving pigs, this book is full of yucky, painful and fascinating facts. You can get your ears tuned into some easy (and painless!) experiments, too.
A koala lives most of its life alone, eating and sleeping high up in the eucalyptus trees of Australia, and yet it is recognized and loved around the world. The Life Cycle of a Koala looks at the life of this ancient marsupial and explains how marsupials are different from other mammals, the birth of the koala and its life in its mothers pouch, the growing koala and how it feeds, life outside the pouch but close to mother, and the dangers faced by koalas.
As the world's largest land animals, elephants inspire awe in all of us - an awe that has led to myths of might and memory. Despite its immense strength, however, the elephant is a timid creature that uses its power only to defend itself against predators. Kids will learn many facts about these gentle pachyderms, including the social structure of elephants, in which the female is the leader, the animal's many dexterous uses for its trunk, the history of the elephant's even larger ancestors, including woolly mammoths, and the dangers that poaching, loss of habitat, and the ivory trade pose to the elephants future.
This up-to-date new book describes the alarming events of 2010 after an oil rig toppled over in the Gulf of Mexico releasing millions of gallons of oil into the water. The largest accidental oil spill in history, it killed untold numbers of wildlife, poisoned over a hundred miles of coastal land, and devastated the commercial fishing and tourism industries in an area still reeling from the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Katrina.
Lush, moist, and teeming with life, rain forests are one of Earth's biome wonders. Peel back the corners of the rain forest to discover what lives within one of the planets busiest environments, from wolves and porcupines to monkeys and poison dart frogs. Learn how each organism functions within its rain forest ecosystem and how it survives in one of the most predatory biomes on Earth. Find out, too, how rain forests are found all around the world and what you can do to help protect these precious resources.
Piloting experimental aircraft is more dangerous than most other types of flying. Test pilots are generally military aviators who fly new and modified aircraft, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated. In the 1950s, test pilots were being killed at the rate of about one a week, but the risks have shrunk to a fraction of that, thanks to the sophistication of aircraft technology, better ground-testing, and simulation of aircraft performance. Despite their image as fun-loving daredevils, these pilots have to be ruthlessly precise and professional when flying. This intriguing book looks at what type of people become test pilots, how they train, what the job includes, how it feels to be the first person to fly a new design, the aircraft they fly, and how they analyze and report on each flight.
The mind is a powerful instrument. It influences everything we do and say. We all talk about a sixth sense, or ESP. This book examines mind over matter, looking at claims that brain power alone can bend spoons, identify things without having seen them, or even read the minds of astronauts!
When the heat gets turned up in a conflict, support helicopter pilots are called upon to bring in additional troops and equipment or even provide battle support from the air. In modern warfare, the helicopter's agility and hovering ability have made it indispensible to the army, navy, air force, and marines for tactical support. This book describes the different missions support helicopter pilots undertake and the dangerous circumstances they must usually fly under.
More than 2,300 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato wrote about a glorious ancient city that sank without trace beneath the waves. Ever since that time people have wondered where this lost city, Atlantis, might be and whether it actually existed. Students will thrill as they learn about the different theories of, and search efforts for, this mythical city.
These army pilots fly the most demanding helicopter in existence, a machine so complex to operate that its known as Riding the Dragon. Only 3% of existing army helicopter pilots qualify to fly it. Trainees have to learn to train their eyes to work independently of each other while the right eye sees flight and weapons information in the helmet's monocle, the left eye is free to look outside the aircraft and scan for threats and other obstacles. And, flying the helicopter is only half the battle - its purpose is to provide firepower from the air to protect soldiers on the ground. This book lifts the lid on what life is like for these men and women: their training; the aircraft; the missions, and what its actually like to be under fire while flying.
Changing Weather: Storms is an exciting book that introduces kids to the kinds of storms that take place each year. Large, full-color images of storms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and blizzards accompany clear explanations of how different storms develop and the kinds of effects these storms have on the lives of people and animals. Kids will also learn about storm safety and ways they can help their families be prepared. Changing Weather: Storms provides detailed information on three important elements of most storms: clouds, precipitation, and wind, the water cycle and its part in the development of storms, the role of updrafts and downdrafts in the creation of thunderstorms and many other storms, and the ways in which meteorologists study storms and how their knowledge can help save lives.
Many animals are carnivores, but some eat mainly insects. Insect eaters, known as insectivores, can be as small as insects or as large as giant anteaters. Spiders, frogs, lizards, bats, and other mammals are insect eaters, but not all insectivores are animals.This book is loaded with fascinating photos and information that will delight kids of all ages.
This informative title introduces readers to four of the states that make up the Southwest region of the United States: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Southwest has many people of Hispanic descent as well as Native-American people from nations such as the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Apache. Readers will discover how the climate, population distribution, history, and culture of this region make it distinct.
What is that annoying whine? How about those disgusting worms crawling in the dogs dish? What made those horrible bites that itch like crazy? The answer to these creepy questions is FLIES, one of the worlds most important creatures. Fantastic full-color macro images bring readers inside the world of a common housefly. Designed for kids doing research and those wanting a ready source of creepy information, Buzz off, Flies! offers information on life cycles, family trees, and the fly's unique relationship with humans.
In this compelling title, students are encouraged to dig in and discover how different plant fossils unlock clues to the Earth's past. Through full-color photographs and thought-provoking questions, students will investigate how plants fossils form, how they are excavated, and how paleobotanists study them to learn about life millions of years ago.
For centuries the human brain was a mystery. Scientists only started to unravel its secrets over the past few decades, but there is still a great deal that we don't yet understand. This fascinating book describes experiences common to many people that our brains tell us are happening but which can't be proven by science. Read about deja vu, premonitions, near-death experiences, hypnotism, memories of past lives, and more!
From card tricks to reading minds, the art of magic lies in the magician's or illusionist's ability to deceive the audience. Read about the mysteries that lie behind some of the most spectacular magic tricks and illusions ever performed, including slight of hand, escapology, levitation, sword swallowing, and more!
Why would the ghosts of two crewmen who died in a 1972 air crash in the Everglades appear to other aircrafts flying the same route? This book tells the stories of the people who believe they have met these ghosts of the airways!
Snacks often consist of potato chips or candy bars and soda-pop. Kids need great tasting choices that are alternatives to salty, fatty, or sugary snacks. Super Snacks offers recipes for nutritious and scrumptious foods and drinks that kids will love to make and eat. It may help change the eating habits of a whole family or classroom! Recipes include individual pizzas, veggie dips, yummy bread spreads, yogurt parfaits, baked fruit delights, flavored popcorn treats, and oh-so-delicious smoothies.
This colorful cookbook offers step-by-step healthy recipes from the following countries or areas of the world : Mexico, Thailand, Italy, China, Japan, India, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Africa, and more. Multicultural Meals also gives children a basic understanding of nutrition and the importance of drinking water and looks at the staple foods, cooking methods, and spices used by various peoples. The recipes are kid-tested and fun to make and eat. They include: how to set up an Italian pasta bar and Mexican fajita station and how to make the following: Indian curry with a twist, Thai coconut soup, oodles of Japanese noodles, Chinese lemon chicken, Moroccan couscous, and many more.
For centuries, sailors have told tales of sea monsters and serpents that have attacked their ships. Many stories tell of giant squids with their tentacles wrapped around the trapped vesselsbut what is the truth behind these tales? Are there such monstrous creatures that live in the deepest and darkest waters?
Strange objects have been reported in the skies for centuries bright objects, moving shapes, lights traveling in formation. In 1952 alone, there were 1,500 reports of UFO sightings! This book examines the evidence and questions whether these are real UFOs.
