Most sightings of unidentified flying objects can be explained--but not all of them. Those that cannot be are the focus of investigation by UFO researchers. They use video cameras, binoculars, radar, and other technology together with eyewitness accounts to try and identify strange objects in the sky. Students who read this title will find themselves later wondering: what is that strange object in the sky?
About 120,000 pounds of space dust falls to Earth every day. All of this dust comes from asteroids! Asteroids are chunks of rock and metal that orbit around the sun, but some venture near Earth from outside the solar system. Through detailed photos and fact-filled graphics, this title introduces readers to the phenomenon of asteroids.
Reports of Bigfoot go back to the early 1800s. Since then, several footprints, films, and pictures have been used as evidence that Sasquatch roams the Pacific Northwest. This title examines the history of Bigfoot reports, the tools and technology used by researchers, and considers whether or not Bigfoot exists.
The action of the big screen--car crashes, torrential rainfall, ships sinking--is the work of special effects! Directors and crews use anything they can to create a real and captivating experience. Enormous models, airplane engines, controlled fires, and much more create the excitement we all crave! Young readers will marvel over this behind-the-scenes look at how movies are made.
During the filming of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter’s scar was painted on 5,800 times! About 2,000 of those were painted on Daniel Radcliffe who played Harry Potter. This title explores the makeup, tools, and effects used to create everything from the scariest of monsters to the most elegant ladies.
Tom Cruise performed his own stunts for the film Mission Impossible: The Ghost Protocol, which included dangling 1,700 feet from the world’s tallest building! Students will explore the extreme amount of planning, equipment, training, and expertise that goes into the stunts performed in films as they dive into this action-packed title.
Costumes and props fill the sets of films! From tiny, frozen blueberries in The Hunger Games to a 108-pound gown in the 1938 film Marie Antoinette, they take on many shapes and sizes. Today, some are even created through 3D printing! This title weaves through the costumes and props of our favorite films while captivating readers with relevant photos and riveting film facts.
Is it a space adventure or slit scan? The camera technique slit scan has been used to create the illusion of flying through space in movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Young readers will read about the camera tricks and special equipment used to create the jaw-dropping effects of motion pictures in Camera Tricks.
Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor. Though space machines, NASA’s shuttles were all named after famous ships. This low-level title fuels reading interest for the most reluctant students by presenting an assortment of fun facts about the shuttles that took astronauts on famous space adventures.
It was an Earth satellite that started the space race between Russia and the United States. Russia sent Sputnik 1 into space in 1957, and the U.S. responded with Explorer 1 in 1958. In this high-interest title, reluctant readers will learn all about the machines that first signaled the space age.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a lens for discovering the hidden secrets of outer space. The tool has zoomed in on unknown galaxies! This book gives young readers a close-up of the Hubble Space Telescope, showing off its mirrors, cameras, solar panels, and more.
Explorers of the fourth planet from the sun, Mars rovers collect rock and soil samples with their robotic arms. They also snap pictures of the Red Planet. Curious young readers can wander around with rovers in this book to look for signs of life on Mars.
Did you know that more than 70 probes have been sent to the moon in the past 50 years? Their missions have included orbiting the moon to take pictures and gathering samples of moon material. This children’s title maps the probe-driven progress on making the moon a base for space exploration.
Robonauts have been built to be substitutes for astronauts. They are made to look and move much like humans so they can take over time-consuming or dangerous space work. This high-interest book lays out the similarities and differences between astronauts and their high-tech doppelgangers.
The largest space machine to ever orbit Earth is the International Space Station. It is essentially a giant science lab for astronauts. Interested young readers are invited to enter the International Space Station in this title and defy gravity like the astronauts inside.
Exploring the universe greatly depends on space robots. They go where astronauts cannot go and survive where astronauts cannot survive. Food, water, sleep, and oxygen are not required for them to function, and radiation exposure is not a concern. Young readers curious about space will gravitate toward this high-interest title.
Soldiers regularly put themselves in harm’s way to promote peace and protect freedom. This means they have great appreciation for their robotic stand-ins— PackBots. The remote-controlled robots especially save the day when they find hidden bombs! This book puts kids on a reading mission to discover how robots serve the military.
The MQ-1 Predator drone served the U.S. military well for over two decades. The flying robot’s early missions were surveillance and reconnaissance. But in time, the drone became armed with Hellfire missiles for attack missions. This STEM-aligned title shows interested readers robots that don’t stay grounded.
General Motors brought the first factory robot to life in 1961. The 4,000-pound assembly-line robot was named Unimate. It proved it could build cars twice as fast as humans could! In this children’s tech title, the behind-the-scenes robots that make factory work fly get much-deserved attention.
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, started the internet company out of his garage in 1994. The company began as an online bookstore selling around one million titles. Since then, Amazon has grown into one of the largest online retailers in the world! This title for young readers highlights the history and innovations of this popular brand.
Planes have emergency exits, oxygen masks, and inflatable flotation devices for a reason. Major equipment failure, an extremely severe storm, or another unexpected happening can sometimes take a plane down. This high-interest title expands on the safety demonstration that flight attendants are so famous for making.
Being stranded on a desert island is a classic survival situation of countless books, movies, and cartoons. But would you know where to find water or how make fire if it happened to you? Young readers can learn these skills and more in this high-interest title of ultimate survival.
A hurricane warning was just issued! Hurricane dangers include more than just strong winds and rain. Are you prepared? Young readers learn how to be ready for when a storm hits and stay safe through floods and other possible dangers after the all clear is called in this exciting title.
When the weather on a mountain turns quickly, an afternoon activity can turn into a matter of life or death. Don’t be caught unaware! Read about how to protect yourself from wild animals and thin air to survive until rescue groups find you in this exciting book for students.
Scientists estimate that about 500,000 detectable earthquakes shake the earth each year. But the majority of them go unnoticed, as most register at the bottom of the 8.0+ magnitude scale. In this hi-lo title, kids will learn how to react to the dangerous quakes that can be felt.
