Life in a Wetland
photos by Stephen K. Maka
Ecosystems in Action series
Lerner, 2003
grades 5 to 8, ISBN 978-0822546870

 “Life in a Wetland does a wonderful job explaining how all aspects of this fragile ecosystem interact. The rich, descriptive text and photographs help readers imagine they are on a very personal tour of the Everglades. . . . Readers will gain a good understanding of what a wetland is and how the various components of a wetland interact with and influence each other. Stunning wildlife photography supports the text. This book complements National Science Standard C for grades 5-8, particularly on populations and ecosystems. I would recommend this book to any teacher who covers biomes, food webs and food chains, or nutrient cycling as they relate to an ecosystem.”

—NSTA Website

Awards
Booklist starred review; National Science Teachers Association Recommended Title

Maggots, Grubs, and More:
The Secret Lives of Young Insects
Millbrook, 2003
grades 3 to 6
ISBN 978-0761326588

“The text is meticulous in its descriptions of individual species’ life cycles; it describes where and when the insects lay their eggs; the average time it takes them to hatch; the average number of molts, etc. Sharp color photographs accompany the text on every other page. This lucid, well-organized introduction will serve as an excellent [addition to any collection].”

—School Library Journal

Melissa wrote this book after her nephew, Colin, asked her to show him insects that were still growing up, just like him.

Awards
National Council for the Social Studies/Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People

How Animals Breathe
Discovery Links series
Newbridge Publishing, 2003
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4007-3786-4

Simple text and large, beautiful photos compare and contrast the ways in which a variety of animals breathe. Learn how mammals, fish, insects, and other creatures get the oxygen their bodies need.

Atoms (ISBN 978-0-7565-0971-2)
Fossils (ISBN 978-1-4034-0091-8)
Motion (ISBN 978-0-7565-0443-4)
Plants (ISBN 978-0-7565-0444-1)
Simply Science series
Compass Point Books, 2003
grades 3 to 5

Colorful photos and simple text illustrate the essential elements of our natural world. From the forces at work on Earth to the living things found in our yards, these books explain key scientific concepts in an easy to understand way. Each title includes a glossary, index, fun facts section, and suggestions for finding additional information or helpful organizations.

Uranus
Watts Library: Planets series
Franklin Watts, 2003
grades 5 to 7, ISBN 978-0531166161

Astronomer William Herschel first spotted Uranus in the late 1700s. What appeared as a featureless blue-green disk turned out to be a fascinating planet with at least twenty moons, eleven rings, and an unusual tilt. This book looks at the characteristics and exploration of Uranus, from Herschel’s first peek through his telescope to NASA’s Voyager II fly-by in 1986 to recent scientific discoveries. Readers catch the spirit of scientific inquiry as they see how a combination of patience, persistence, and advanced technology has lifted the shroud of mystery from this faraway planet.

Cells to Systems (ISBN 978-1-4007-3727-7)
Producers (ISBN 978-1-4007-3645-4
Shorebirds (ISBN 978-1-4007-3636-2)
Ranger Rick series
Newbridge Publishing, 2003
grades 5 to 7, at your library

This series covers a wide range of science concepts with standards-based content and spectacular real-world photography. In Cells to Systems, young readers learn about the discovery of cells; compare the cells of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria; and explore the in workings of the cell and how it functions in your body.

Using the process of photosynthesis, plants and other producers make their own food. They in turn provide food for nearly all of Earth's other life forms. Learn about these amazing creatures in The Producers.

Shorebirds reveals the secrets of some of North American most fascinating birds. Learn how they fly, find food, migrate, and reproduce. And find out what you can do to protect them from environmental threat.

Antelope (ISBN 978-0516221984)
Elephants (ISBN 978-0516221991)
Hippopotamuses (ISBN 978-0613542425)
Rhinoceroses (ISBN 978-0516222011)
Zebras (ISBN 978-0613544061)
True Books: African Animals series
Children’s Press, 2002
grades 3 to 5

“This collection of five books is well written and contain many outstanding photographs. They do an excellent job of describing the [African] animals, especially in pointing out any unique characteristics. Public schools and libraries would do well to own these books. They are sure to excite readers, young and old, to visit a zoo, to learn more about the animals, and to think about ways to protect the dwindling populations of rare and endangered species.”

—SBF

Melissa was inspired to write these books after spending three weeks on safari in East Africa. She was fortunate enough to see all the animals she wrote about in their natural habitats.

Awards
Science Books & Films Editors’ Choice Award, 2003

Crystals (ISBN 978-1403400901)
Fossils (ISBN 978-0431143712)
Igneous Rocks (ISBN 978-0431143729)
Metamorphic Rocks (ISBN 978-0431143736)
Minerals (ISBN 978-1588102584)
Sedimentary Rocks (ISBN 978-0613458283)
Soil (ISBN: 978-1403400963)
Rocks and Minerals series
Heinemann Library, 2002
grades 3 to 5

Learning about rocks and other earth materials is even more fun than collecting them with this highly appealing and authoritative group of books. Readers encounter a breathtaking terrain covering rock types, mineral composition, volcanic activity, fossil fuels, soil erosion, and much more. Thanks to dynamic descriptions, diagrams, and photos, the reader’s natural curiosity is firmly grounded in rock-solid information.

As a child, Melissa enjoyed collecting rocks at an old lead mine near her home. When she was in third grade, her impressive rock collection won second prize at a school science fair.

Life in a Lake
Ecosystems in Action series
Lerner, 2002
grades 5 to 8, ISBN 978-0822521389

 “Deep, cold Lake Superior is the model for Life in a Lake, an attractive and readable reference on aquatic ecosystems. The volume covers the biotic and abiotic factors in each layer of the lake, and the delicate balance that exists in this ecosystem. The treatment is detailed and complete enough for secondary research, with a reading level that would be comfortable for middle school and motivated elementary students. Maps and insets about specific organisms support the text. Human impacts, from the arrival of the first navigators in the 1600s to today’s efforts to save the lake from logging, exotic species, and pollution, are explained.”

—NSTA Website

Awards
National Science Teachers Association Recommended Title

Small Birds (ISBN 978-0-7614-1397-4)
Perfect Pets series
Benchmark Books, 2002
grades 2 to 4, at your library

This warmly written, informative title explains how to choose and keep a small bird as a pet. Accompanied by engaging photographs, the text provides practical information as well as fascinating history and folklore.

Amphibians (ISBN 978-0516220376)
Birds (ISBN 978-0516220390)
Fishes (ISBN 978-0516220383)
Insects (ISBN 978-0516220406)
Mammals (ISBN 978-0516220352)
Reptiles (ISBN 978-0516220369)
True Books: Animal Groups series
Children’s Press, 2001
grades 3 to 5

“The six books in this truly outstanding series of nature books for beginning readers are extremely well written and superbly illustrated. Each book gives a good description of the unique features of the anatomy, life history and development of the animal mentioned in the title, as well as of its economic importance.”

—Science Books and Films

Awards
Science Books & Films Editors’ Choice, 2002

Rachel Carson: Scientist and Writer
ISBN 978-0-89434-368-1
Tim Berners-Lee: Inventor of the Word Wide Web
ISBN 978-0-89434-367-4
Career Biographies series
Ferguson Publishing, 2001
grades 7 to 12

“The straightforward prose covers the details of [Carson’s] childhood near Pittsburgh, PA, through her working years in Washington and summers in Maine, to literary success and controversy, and her untimely death.”

—School Library Journal

“Berners-Lee not only developed the Web, but also the browser, server, HTML, etc. The text explains how the Web has continued to evolve and impact society. This interesting combination of biography and career guide should have strong appeal for students.”

—School Library Journal

Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses
Animals in Order series
Franklin Watts, 2001
grades 3 to 5, at your library, ISBN 978-0-531-11887-0

This book focuses on the physical characteristics and behaviors that make seals, sea lions, and walruses unique from other animal groups. It also includes stunning photos and interesting facts about marine mammals living all over the world.

Science in Ancient India
Science of the Past series
Franklin Watts, 1999
grades 4 to 6, at your library, ISBN 978-0-531-11626-5

"This attractive title begins with the great ancient cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa and a brief overview of Indian history. A chronology places the various empires and cultures in. Succeeding chapters look at medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and physics, with an emphasis on how much Indian scientists and philosophers understood and practiced in these areas centuries before their counterparts in Western Europe. Theories and techniques of ayurveda (the science of long life), yoga, and surgery are related with quotes from the ancient writings describing them. Stewart pinpoints the earliest origins of our counting system in ancient India, citing later developments in higher math and an understanding of Earth's place in the universe and its nature as a spinning sphere as much as 1,000 years before those ideas were accepted in the West. Indian scientists and mathematicians are named and quoted whenever possible. Overall, a useful and unique resource."

—School Library Journal

Life Without Light:
A Journey to Earth’s Dark Ecosystems
Foreword by Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan
Franklin Watts, 1998
grades 7 to 12, ISBN 978-0531115299

“After an explanation of a lake’s food chain and the place of photosynthesis in the evolution of life on Earth, this book steps out of the sunlight and into dark habitats. Research on hydrothermal vents, caves, aquifers, and rocks has revealed creatures previously unknown to science, including a microbe that appears to live on water and rock, ‘strong evidence that an ecosystem can, in fact, exist without the Sun.’ Stewart’s well-researched book ends with a discussion of the nature and origins of life on Earth. Given the quality of writing and the lack of books for young people on this subject, [librarians should] make room for this intriguing book.”

—Booklist

Awards
New York Public Library’s Best Book for the Teen Age, 1999;  Science Books & Films Best Books for Children, 1999