Kathy Furgang

How many times does your heart beat per minute? That depends on what you are doing. This informative book about the heart shows how blood pumps throughout the body. It explores the work of the atria and ventricles as they pump throughout the chambers and valves, bringing oxygen to the body's system. Colorful photographs and diagrams help make the concepts clear for readers, while a final activity encourages them to put their new knowledge to use as an authentic learning exercise.

Most volcanoes just look like mountains, until bam They erupt with either smoke and ash or lava. Engaging and accessible text describes and illustrates some of the most common ways that volcanoes form and erupt. Readers will be able to see how Earth's crust moves as plates, revealing the fierce activity of the layer below. Diagrams and cross sections of volcanic activity make the subject clear and easy to grasp. In a simple follow-up activity, readers model a volcanic hot spot in Earth's crust, mimicking the formation of the Hawaiian Islands.

Why follow young YouTuber Bethany Mota as she puts on her makeup, shows her new fashion purchases, and discusses the contents of her purse? Because Mota is one of today's most successful and influential internet celebrities. She has more than 10 million followers on YouTube and more than 5 million on Instagram. This insightful and inspiring account of Mota's rise to fame includes how her experiences being bullied as a pre-teen led to her eventual influence on today's business model of online advertising and branding.

A single error in a line of code can cause a computer program to go haywire or stop working entirely. Luckily coding has a process for dealing with errors: debugging. Debugging consists of finding and fixing errors in code. You don't have to work as a coder to develop your debugging skills, though. The simple activities in this book help readers develop their logic skills and an eagle eye for spotting errors, both of which are indispensible in coding and helpful in many other areas as well.

At age ten, Elon Musk taught himself to write computer code. Two years later, he used that code to write and sell a video game to a magazine. What does a young entrepreneur like that do when he grows up? Musk went on to be one of the wealthiest investors and business people in the world. This engaging book describes Musk's childhood growing up in South Africa and his moves to Canada and the United States as a young adult. Full-color photographs and direct quotes from Musk himself accompany this intriguing look at the founder of Tesla and SpaceX.

We often look at mountains as something beautiful to admire. This informative book describes the processes that create mountains over time. It examines plate movements along faults, volcanic activity, and other actions that have formed Earth's mountains over billions of years. Photographs, diagrams, and step-by-step explanations guide readers to a deeper understanding of the processes that shape our planet. In a fun follow-up activity, readers use available materials to model a mountain-building process on their own.

A single error in a line of code can cause a computer program to go haywire or stop working entirely. Luckily coding has a process for dealing with errors: debugging. Debugging consists of finding and fixing errors in code. You don't have to work as a coder to develop your debugging skills, though. The simple activities in this book help readers develop their logic skills and an eagle eye for spotting errors, both of which are indispensible in coding and helpful in many other areas as well.

How were some of the world's most magnificent canyons formed? It's a long story that goes back millions of years. This compelling book about Earth's canyons provides students with the geological basics that will spark their interest in the forces of wind and water over time. Color photographs and fun facts enhance the engaging text, which allows readers to travel the world learning how some of the most familiar canyons formed. They'll also explore how wind and water shaped Tsangpo Canyon in Tibet, the world's deepest canyon. In a follow-up activity, kids can get their hands dirty and model some of Earth's processes themselves.

One of the most important things about living in today's modern world is the ability to travel. Bridges are one of the most important aspects of our modern transportation system. Since the beginning of civilizations, simple bridges have been used to get people over rivers, across valleys, and even across mountains. Today, technology allows engineers to design the most amazing architectural marvels in the world. This resource explores the fascinating history of bridge building and focuses on the engineering accomplishments that will allow safe and sustainable transportation today and far into the future.

The Brown v. Board of Education decision comes to mind whenever the topic of landmarks of the American civil rights movement is discussed. The 1954 Supreme Court decision declared it unconstitutional to segregate public school students, opening the door for many other civil rights advances after that. This thoughtful and informative book details the history of the case as well as its impact on the quickly changing America of the 1950s and 1960s. The book also describes how schools and civil rights have changed since this important Supreme Court case.

We take it for granted every day, but clean water is one of the most important resources we have. This behind-the-scenes look at where our water comes from and where it goes after we use it gives readers a fascinating look at how our cities and towns are structured. Readers will be given a stimulating look at our sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants, which track the water through the system. A follow-up activity encourages readers to track their water usage for a week to emphasize the importance of clean water.

When we flick on a lamp switch, we rarely think of the science and engineering behind the light. This straightforward and accessible text informs readers about the interconnected network that electricity takes as it moves from suppliers to users. From power stations and voltage switches to the power lines that lead to our homes, readers will gain a greater understanding of the energy we use every day. A follow-up activity utilizes a maze that allows readers to trace the correct path of electricity through a power grid.

When we flick on a lamp switch, we rarely think of the science and engineering behind the light. This straightforward and accessible text informs readers about the interconnected network that electricity takes as it moves from suppliers to users. From power stations and voltage switches to the power lines that lead to our homes, readers will gain a greater understanding of the energy we use every day. A follow-up activity utilizes a maze that allows readers to trace the correct path of electricity through a power grid.

In 1956, the United States celebrated the opening of its first interstate highway. Since then, the country has been connected from one end to the other with a matrix of highways and superhighways. This compelling book introduces readers to the engineering feat of building the superhighways that have allowed us to live more connected lives. Readers will learn about the fascinating challenges that engineers face when building superhighways over waterways and roads, underground, and with the latest safety features. A follow-up activity provides students with a road map and encourages them to write directions from one city to another.

Anyone with an internet connection has the potential to reach millions of people with a single message using Twitter. The 140-character updates and posts, called tweets, allow people to reach as many followers as they can get. Students can use Twitter to their advantage, far beyond talking about favorite sports teams or rock stars. They can use it for creative expression and academics, from research to reporting to a college search. Young entrepreneurs can use Twitter to promote a business. Twenty activities help readers create a portfolio and build a digital footprint that can open doors professionally, academically, and creatively.

READING FUNDAMENTALS The fun way for kids to sharpen their comprehension skills! Reading is fundamental to kids’ success in school. So keep them on track with these colorful, engaging workbooks. This FLASH KIDS series combines fascinating topics, eye-catching photographs, and a bright, appealing design children will love. Created to adhere to the Common Core State Standards that most US states have adopted, each book presents young readers with nonfiction passages that cover a range of topics, including science, history, and geography. Questions following each passage test key comprehension skills.

Start kids off right with reading—and keep them on track with this colorful, engaging workbook! It combines fascinating topics, eye-catching photographs, and a bright, appealing design children will love. Created to adhere to the Common Core Curriculum standards that most US states have adopted, Reading Fundamentals: Grade 3 presents young readers with nonfiction passages that cover a range of topics, including science, history, and geography. After each passage, a range of questions—fill-in-the-blank, short answer, true/false, multiple choice, and matching—test key comprehension skills.

Lively and information-packed, this book is bursting with mind-blowing animal records. The fastest, the biggest, the most poisonous--it's all here for kids to discover. It's a visual feast of colorful photographs surrounded by swirling, expanding, and climbing bits of information in a high-energy design -- as dynamic as the animal world it celebrates.