Synopsis: In a helicopter with no doors, she hovers over a lava lake the size of two football fields --- then lands! She runs through clouds of scalding steam, dodging lava bombs, to photograph glowing hot lava as it pours into the sea. She sets up camp on the edge of a volcano's cone, only to be hit with hurricane-force winds, poisonous gases and acidic ash.Witness a typical day in the life of Donna O'Meara --- volcano researcher, writer and photographer…

Synopsis: Americans have always been a people on the move. Journeys in Time maps twenty journeys that have shaped our national past. In these twenty two-page spreads packed with information, young historians are introduced to stories of change--of pilgrims and pioneers, soldiers and children, explorers and adventurers building new lives and finding new worlds. From a cabin boy who sailed with Columbus to a Union soldier and a young migrant farm worker,…

Synopsis: A 2005 Sibert Honor Book National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery and award-winning photographer Nic Bishop team up for an amazing excursion into the world of working scientists studying Earth's biggest and hairiest spiders: tarantulas! Sam Marshall loved animals but disliked school. Then, on his first college research project, he set out to study tarantulas, and everything changed. Now Sam's a spider scientist extraordinaire,…

Synopsis: "As a child, shapes often driftedin and out of Georgiabs mind.Curved and straight, round or square, she studied them, and let them disappear."Growing up on a Wisconsin farm, Georgia began gathering all sorts of objects -- sticks and stones, flowers and bones. Although she was teased for her interest in unique shapes and sizes, young Georgia declared: bSomeday, Ibm going to be an artistb -- and that is exactly what she became.Jen Bryantbs story…

Synopsis: The extraordinary true story behind Ernest Shackleton's harrowing expedition to Antarctica on the Endurance—the ill-fated ship that became trapped in ice and sank to the ocean floor. Defying the odds, the crew made it back alive, bringing with them the astounding collection of photographs included in this critically acclaimed, timeless book.In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his crew sailed from England on the Endurance in an attempt to…

Synopsis: NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The acclaimed author of Red at the Bone tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing poems.A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK • WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARD • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOK OF THE CENTURY“Moving and resonant . . . captivating.”—The Wall Street JournalI am born in Ohio butthe stories of South Carolina already runlike riversthrough my veins.Raised in…

Synopsis: From a multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winning author comes the story of a brilliant girl that no one knows about because she cannot speak or write. "If there is one book teens and parents (and everyone else) should read this year, "Out of My Mind" should be it.O--"Denver Post."

Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Tilly saved lives in Thailand by warning people that a tsunami was coming. Fifteen-year-old Malika fought against segregation in her Alabama town. Ten-year-old Jean-Dominic won a battle against pesticides--and the cancer they caused in his body. Six-year-old Ryan raised $800,000 to drill water wells in Africa. And twelve-year-old Haruka invented a new environmentally friendly way to scoop dog poop. With the right role models, any…

Synopsis: Some animals defend against predators by fighting toe to toe. Others rely upon armor and other physical defenses.However, sometimes the best defense of all is to stay out of sight. Readers (Grades 3-5) will learn all about animal camouflage, from species that simply blend into the background to others that mimic more dangerous animals. They will also discover how these species have developed their camouflage over time and how even powerful…

Synopsis: For countless generations, Native American storytellers have watched the night sky and told tales of the stars and the constellations. The stars themselves tell many tales--of children who have danced away from home, of six brothers who rescue a maiden from the fearful Rolling Skull, of the great wounded sky bear, whose blood turns the autumn leaves red, and many more.

Synopsis: "A wonderful illustration of what a great game baseball is and how it brings families together. Brothers at Bat is a story any baseball fan will enjoy and one that we all should know." --Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. "A captivating story, impeccable layout, and glorious illustrations make this historical account an unqualified winner." --New York Times Book Review The amazing true story of the longest-running all-brother team in history! Full of…

Synopsis: “Sutton’s large-scale illustrations help children to visualize microorganisms and processes that are too small to see. . . . A handsome and rewarding picture book.” — Booklist (starred review)All around the world—in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body—there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant’s antenna. They’re busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and…

Synopsis: A modern fable with an urgent message for young environmentalists. "Spectacular." (School Library Journal) Lynne Cherry journeyed deep into the rain forests of Brazil to write and illustrate this gorgeous picture book about a man who exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest's residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how "all living…

Synopsis: Winner at the 2011 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards The Word Collector is a magical, heart-warming story about a young girl who shares her love of words to help people feeling lost and blue. Luna lives high, high up in the sky. So high that her homeland couldn't be seen from the ground. She is an extraordinary little girl, one of a kind. Luna has the most special endearing pastime: she likes to collect words. She prefers beautiful words, funny…

Synopsis: "A charming and informative story about a pipistrelle bat. . . . Offers vivid descriptions of the animal's flight, its navigational skills, and the hunt for food." — School Library JournalNight has fallen, and Bat awakens to find her evening meal. Follow her as she swoops into the shadows, shouting and flying, the echoes of her voice creating a sound picture of the world around her. When morning light creeps into the sky, Bat returns to the…

Synopsis: There is always enough room on your child’s bookshelf for this rollicking alphabet chant that has been a children’s favorite for over thirty years!A told B, and B told C, “I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree” In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no—Chicka Chicka Boom! Boom! Countless children—and their parents—can joyfully recite the familiar…

Synopsis: In Knots on a Counting Rope, Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault tell a poignant story about a boy’s emerging confidence in facing his blindness in this beautiful children’s picture book illustrated by Ted Rand.By the warmth of a campfire beneath a starry night sky, a Navajo youth named Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses listens to the tale of his birth from his grandfather. Although blind, the boy learns that he has the strength to cope with his…

Synopsis: Children can test their math skills and learn the Pythagorean Theorem alongside young Pythagoras in this STEM adventure.  Pythagoras’ curiosity takes him from Samos to Alexandria, where he meets a builder named Neferheperhersekeper, who introduces him to the right angle. While building, Pythagoras uses geometry to learn how to measure angles and discovers all he needs to know about right triangles. With playful puns and wordplay Ellis creates…

Synopsis: Winner of the Christopher Award An ILA-CBC Children’s Choices Book A NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Welles Crowther did not see himself as hero. He was just an ordinary kid who played sports, volunteered at his local fire department, and eventually headed off to college and then Wall Street to start a career. Throughout it all, he always kept a red bandanna in his pocket, a gift from his father. On September 11, 2001, Welles was working…

Synopsis: Who's that walking along the Ohio? It's Johnny Appleseed! He walks across the land, planting trees wherever he goes. So, everyone, clap your hands for Johnny Appleseed!