Janey Levy

Many of the seals and sea lions that people are familiar with are appealing, cute animals, but no one is likely to use those words to describe male elephant seals. These enormous elephants of the sea have an inflatable trunk-like proboscis they use to produce booming noises that can be heard miles away. Engaged readers will learn this and more about the lives of these remarkable animals. Accessible text addresses important science concepts, while lively images dazzle the eyes. Fact boxes and a graphic organizer enhance the narrative.

Today, women can have careers in fields such as medicine, engineering, and politics, but it wasn't always that way. Women couldn't even vote when the United States was founded. Readers of this powerful volume will discover the history of women's rights through the words of women who fought for them, including Abigail Adams urging her husband to "Remember the Ladies," Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments," Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, and the contemporary #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Vivid images support this empowering narrative, and sidebars, fact boxes, and a graphic organizer enhance the reading experience.

Plants are the starting point in most food chains. Carnivorous plants, however, buck the natural order system. Bladderworts belong to this group of plants, and they have a unique method for capturing prey: a vacuum trap. Readers will discover intriguing facts about this unusual plant, including where it's found, how its trap works, and how fast the trap works. Age-appropriate text addresses important elementary science concepts, while colorful images enliven and support the narrative. Go-to fact boxes share fun tidbits and a graphic organizer helps readers visually digest the new information they're learning about this clever, interesting tree.

Aye-ayes belong to the animal group known as primates, which includes not only humans, but apes and monkeys. Aye-ayes lack the majesty of a gorilla or the cuteness of a monkey. Aye-ayes are so strange looking they were originally classified as rodents. Readers of this absorbing volume will discover fascinating facts about these odd animals, who have big eyes, enormous ears, and elongated fingers, and who use echolocation to find food. Accessible text addresses elementary science concepts, while colorful images dazzle the eyes. Fact boxes and a graphic organizer enrich the narrative.

Plants are the starting point in most food chains. Carnivorous plants, however, buck the natural order system. Bladderworts belong to this group of plants, and they have a unique method for capturing prey: a vacuum trap. Readers will discover intriguing facts about this unusual plant, including where it's found, how its trap works, and how fast the trap works. Age-appropriate text addresses important elementary science concepts, while colorful images enliven and support the narrative. Go-to fact boxes share fun tidbits and a graphic organizer helps readers visually digest the new information they're learning about this clever, interesting tree.

Many of the seals and sea lions that people are familiar with are appealing, cute animals, but no one is likely to use those words to describe male elephant seals. These enormous "elephants of the sea" have an inflatable trunk-like proboscis they use to produce booming noises that can be heard miles away. Engaged readers will learn this and more about the lives of these remarkable animals. Accessible text addresses important science concepts, while lively images dazzle the eyes. Fact boxes and a graphic organizer enhance the narrative.

Animals are a familiar part of most people's lives, from household pets to farm animals to backyard birds, but the animal world holds an enormous number of weird and freaky stories. This fascinating book is the second volume in this popular series to explore such stories. Readers will be thrilled to learn about animal oddities like creatures with night-vision goggles, organisms that are almost invisible, and even the swarm of bees that followed a car for two days to rescue their trapped queen. Absorbing text and vivid images will keep readers engaged. Captions, sidebars, fun facts, and a graphic organizer enrich the narrative.

Plants grow in the ground, and their roots absorb from the soil the water and nutrients the plants need to grow, right? You'd be surprised. Some plants seem to possess secret powers. They don't grow in the ground. They grow on a host plant, but they're not parasites. They get the water and nutrients they need from rain, debris on the host plant, and even the air. These amazing plants are called epiphytes, or air plants. Readers of this fun and engaging book will learn about these fantastic plants and how and where they live. Vivid photographs and facts that support important elementary science concepts fill this fascinating volume.

Disastrous consequences often follow the introduction of invasive plants species. The invasive species spread, altering habitats, driving out native plants and animals, and reducing biodiversity. But what secret powers do invasive plant species possess that allow them to do this? Readers of this engaging book will learn what invasive species are and discover how they spread across and alter habitats. This intriguing volume is filled with eye-catching photographs, graphics, and facts that support important elementary science concepts.

It's something many Americans are certain is a solid fact: Columbus discovered America. While he is not with us to prove or disprove this fact, we now know that Columbus just wasn't the guy. First, Columbus never landed on the North American mainland. Second, how can someone discover a place that's already home to millions of people? In this lively and engaging book, readers will uncover the truth behind many myths about explorers in the Americas. Accessible text addresses important elementary social studies topics. Vivid images enliven the design, while captions, fact boxes, and a graphic organizer enrich the main content.

How do plants make new plants? They make seeds and they make sure their seeds reach places with good growing conditions. With this engaging book, readers will discover how seeds form, why they need to spread away from the parent plant, and the many clever ways plants have developed to spread their seeds. Vibrant photographs, age-appropriate text, fact boxes, and graphic organizers all contribute to supporting important elementary science concepts.

Most people have some contact with small wild animals on a regular basis. Many people enjoy feeding wild birds and squirrels, but not all wild animals are friendly, and some are downright savage. Readers of this volume learn about some of the world's most aggressive animals, including some that may come as a surprise. The list of savage animals includes not only saltwater crocodiles, sharks, and bears, but also rhinos, elephants, and hippos. Age-appropriate text supports important elementary science concepts. Vivid, eye-catching photographs support the nonfiction narrative, and captions, fact boxes, and a graphic organizer enrich the main text.

Who doesn't enjoy a beautiful flower garden, an orchard filled with fruit trees, or a lush green forest? A surprising number of plants, even gorgeous and inviting ones, can be lethal. Readers of this engaging volume learn about some of Earth's deadliest plants, several of which are commonly found in gardens. They include the oleander, rhododendrons, rhubarb, castor bean plants, and deadly nightshade. Age-appropriate text highlights important elementary science concepts supported by colorful photographs. Captions, fact boxes, and a graphic organizer enrich the main text.

Most of us enjoy watching colorful butterflies flutter about, but the world is full of less beautiful insects, and an alarming number of them are deadly. Readers of this absorbing book learn about some of the world's deadliest insects. They include wasps, hornets, mosquitoes, ants, fleas, Africanized bees, and kissing bugs. Accessible text addresses important science concepts, supported by eye-catching, colorful images. Captions, fact boxes, and a graphic organizer also enrich the main text.