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.
It's hard to believe that the delicious desserts shown in this book are nutritious as well! Kids will look at "sweets" in a whole new way once they taste these amazing desserts, which include the following: chocolate-dipped fruit, tofu berry cheesecake, caramel oranges, stuffed pears with chocolate sauce, fruit-and-cream parfaits, jumpin' juice jello, baked fruit compote, cookie sandwiches, trifle, puddings, and more. The whole family will love these recipes, which are high in taste and nutrients, low in fat and sugar, and contain no sweeteners or artificial ingredients.
Many school children prefer fast-food or packaged lunches to healthy lunches they can make at home. Lunch Munch explains the food groups, includes portion information, and has been designed with a good school day in mind! Children will love these fun recipes for making absolutely delicious and beautiful-looking healthy foods. Teachers and parents will also love these recipes, which include salads, pitas, soups, wraps, sandwiches, and healthy drinks.
Physical activity positively impacts the bodies, minds, and emotions of children, but unfortunately, most children are physically active only 15 minutes a day! Through fun, easy-to-follow activities, enhanced by photographs and illustrations, Active Kids will motivate children to get moving. Kids will learn about how the cardiovascular system works, the building blocks - cardio, flexibility, strong muscles, warming up and cooling down, safety guidelines, and how much is enough.
Breakfast means to "break" the "fast" between the evening and the morning. It is the most important meal of the day, but many children go to school without it or start their days with a sugar-filled substitute for the brain food they need to think and complete their school work. Breakfast Blast introduces great-tasting recipes that cover all the food groups and promote healthy choices. The recipes suggest alternatives and healthy cooking, while still maintaining the important taste appeal. The delicious foods will make children jump right in and start their day in a different way!
Extreme weather has increasingly played a destructive role on planet Earth. Thirteen kinds of disasters are featured in this amazing book, showing the process and science of each weather-related disaster from the conditions that triggered it to its dire consequences. Topics include hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and droughts. superstorms
From oil spills to water shortages, the world's natural habitats seem to be constantly under assault from both natural and human activity. Thirteen kinds of disasters are featured in this informative book, showing the process and science of the disaster from the action that triggered it to its dire consequences. Topics include global warming, ocean blooms, desertification, deforestation, over fishing, and waste pollution.
