Explore the science behind the food we eat the most of!

What's on your dinner table?

You probably have some form of maize, wheat, rice, potatoes. From London to Lagos to Los Angeles, these staple foods dominate our breakfast bowls, lunch boxes, and dinner tables. In today's world, more than half of the calories that we consume come from maize, wheat, and rice alone. How did this happen?

In The Science of Seeds: Why We Eat Maize, Wheat, Rice, and Potatoes with Hands-On Science Activities for Kids, readers aged 9 to 12 learn about how humans co-evolved alongside these foods. In this journey that spans continents and time periods, young scientists come to see these crops as the building blocks of the world as we know it. Focusing on the ever-changing relationship between humans and plants, we'll dive deep into the science of botany, the importance of biodiversity, and the complex dynamics of feeding a growing world. Plus, learn to cook with some great recipes!

Delve into the how and why of what we eat as we examine the future security of our food systems! Look at these issues through the lens of myth, folklore, food cultures, and real-life examples of agricultural visionaries. Find information about cultural cross-pollination in world history, as we trace the path of maize and potatoes across oceans. Climate-concerned kids will learn about the impact of monoculture on ecosystems and explore global efforts to save seeds, farm smarter, and build edible ecosystems.

Throughout The Science of Seeds, hands-on STEM activities, entertaining illustrations, essential questions, and fascinating sidebars illuminate the topic and engage readers further. In addition, The Science of Seeds integrates a digital learning component by providing links to primary sources, videos, and other relevant websites.

Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?

In Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition, readers seek answers to these questions by comparing and contrasting the cultural, spiritual, and geographical underpinnings of five different religions. By developing a better understanding of the similarities and differences among religions of the world, readers gain a strong foothold in a dialogue that has continued for thousands of years.

Combining hands-on activities with theology, history, geography, world cultures, art, and architecture, Comparative Religion encourages deeper understanding of the world's religions. Entertaining graphic art, fascinating sidebars, and links to primary sources bring the topic to life, while key questions reaffirm foundational concepts.

Activities include conducting an interview with a rabbi, comparing the story of Abraham and Isaac in three sacred texts, studying the architecture of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, studying the Hindu practice of yoga and meditation, and examining how religious doctrines shape the behavior of believers.

Rocketry: Investigate the Science and Technology of Rockets and Ballistics introduces students to the fascinating world of rocketry and ballistics. Readers discover the history of rocket development, from the earliest fire arrows in China to modern-day space shuttles, as well as the main concepts of rocketry, including how rockets are launched, move through the atmosphere, and return to earth safely. Exploring the science behind rocket flight, kids learn how the forces of thrust, gravity, lift, and drag interact to determine a rocket's path, then imagine new uses and technologies in rocketry that are being developed today and for the future.

Combining hands-on activities with physics, chemistry, and mathematics, Rocketry brings fun to learning about the world of rocket science. Entertaining illustrations and fascinating sidebars illuminate the topic, while Words to Know highlighted and defined within the text reinforce new vocabulary.

Projects include building a pneumatic blast rocket and launcher, testing a rocket recovery system, and designing a rocket model of the future. Additional materials include a glossary, and a list of current reference works, websites, and Internet resources.

This title meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in science and technology; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

Have you ever wondered what makes up everything in the world around you? Or what exactly is the difference between solids, liquids, and gases? Have you wanted to know what causes two substances to react or change?

Chemistry: Investigate the Matter that Makes Up Your World introduces readers 12 through 15 to the fascinating world of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Learn how these molecules combine to form ordinary objects such as the chair you're sitting on, the water in your glass, even you! Through hands-on, investigative projects, readers delve into the world of chemical reactions and changing matter, learning how these principles are used in many areas of science, from biochemistry to nuclear science.

Combining hands-on science inquiry with chemistry, mathematics, and biology, projects include building models of molecules and bonds, identifying acids and bases, investigating the effect of temperature on reaction rate, and observing how a chemical reaction from vinegar, water, and bleach can accelerate the rusting of steel. Chemistry offers entertaining illustrations and fascinating sidebars to illuminate the topic and engage readers further, plus integrates a digital learning component by providing links to primary sources, videos, and other relevant websites.

Why do children resemble their parents and siblings? Introducing young readers to the fascinating world of genetics, this educational resource presents the main concepts of the science, including what a chromosome does, how DNA is structured, and how genetic inheritance works.

In Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA students learn about new discoveries in the field of genetics and how those discoveries have helped to cure or even prevent certain diseases, as well as examine controversial issues in genetics such as genetically modified foods and stem cell research. Combining inquiry-based, age-appropriate activities with biology, Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA features graphic novel illustrations, fascinating sidebars, and a glossary of important vocabulary to illuminate the complex world of genetics and bring it to life. Projects include building 3D DNA double helix models, extracting DNA, using a Punnet Square to predict an offspring's probability of inheritance, and evaluating the benefits and risks of genetically engineering a new species. Additional materials include a list of current reference works, websites, and Internet resources.

Genetics meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

Learn physics on the fly with this activity-based book for ages 12 to 15 that explores the connections between science, sports, and entertainment!

Why are you able to jump so much higher from a trampoline than from the ground? What forces are at work when you do an ollie on a skateboard? How does a counter rotation work on a snowboard?

The answer is: physics! In The Physics of Fun, kids ages 12 to 15 explore the science behind awesome activities that kids love. What do skateboarding, snowboarding, trampolining, singing in a band, and playing video games all have in common, besides being fun? They are all made possible with physics! From Newton's laws of motion to the behavior of electrons, the science of physics is an integral part of any amusement park, play center, trampoline park, or home gaming center.

The Physics of Fun offers detailed explanations of the science behind five familiar pastimes, along with hands-on investigations that use the scientific and engineering design methods to enable kids to apply their learning to a wide array of science challenges. Projects include using a skateboard to demonstrate inertia, investigating the transfer and conservation of energy on a trampoline, observing sound waves with water, and building a guitar to explore the sound waves made by its strings.

Links to online media, discussion questions, and career connections offer middle schoolers the chance to do some real, hands-on science around activities they already love to do! Additional materials include a glossary, index, and a list of current reference works, websites, and internet resources.

This encyclopedia carefully examines the US government, providing information on everything from the founding of the US government to the writing of the Constitution, all the way to information on the Biden administration. Readers will learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and spotlight features highlight key individuals who have shaped the US government. Features include a glossary, additional resources, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Encyclopedias is an imprint of Abdo Reference, a division of ABDO.