Gillian Houghton

Before the merging of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, traveling West was a perilous, time-consuming endeavor. Native Americans hunted vast herds of buffalo across the plains and a few hardy pioneers lived in scattered, isolated settlements. The construction of the transcontinental railroad would change all that, opening up the means for coast-to-coast travel, boosting private enterprise, and nearly destroying Native Americans for good. A feat of engineering genius and human endeavor, this timely volume illuminates the hardships, accomplishments, greed, and racial conflicts of one of America's greatest achievements.

Your readers will learn the basis of our economic system. This book explains commodity needs and wants in an approachable way, empowering your students to learn how to prioritize their purchases and manage their spending.

Follow the circulatory system as it carries nutrients and oxygen from the digestive and respiratory systems to the nerves, muscles, bones, and cells throughout the body.

Did you know that the turtle's top shell is an outgrowth of bone, and the scales on it are made of the same substance that forms our finger nails? Or that its nostrils are placed high on its head so that it can breathe without raising its head far above water? This fascinating book reveals these, and many little-known details about the turtle's body, inner working, geographical adaptations, genealogy, history, and endangered future.

This unique book penetrates the myths surrounding the owl to reveal its true nature--a swift and deadly animal perfectly adapted to the task of nocturnal hunting. Using lavishly illustrated spreads, the book shows the various adaptations that make the owl such an efficient hunter--its rotating head, large forward-set eyes, feathered camouflage, sharp beak, and keen hearing. Also examined in brilliantly illustrated diagrams are the owl's digestive, circulatory, reproductive, and skeletal systems.