Off the coast of Perú, gentle giants swim beneath the waves. Thanks to the work of Kerstin Forsberg, giant manta rays have become a symbol of hope for ocean conservation in the region. Mantas are a flagship species, and when they're protected, the whole ocean ecosystem benefits.

Kerstin, who founded the organization Planeta Océano, has taken a new approach to ocean conservation. Previous conservation projects were often led by scientists from other places who didn't work with the local people. When Kerstin decided to help manta rays, she sought the opinions of local fishers and educated them about the dangers of overfishing, bycatch, and poaching--things that affect both manta rays and fishers. She also involved local schools and teachers.

With the help of teachers, students, and fishers, Kerstin launched a project to identify and track manta rays and protect them, making the ocean a better place for all creatures. Dive in with author Patricia Newman and explore how taking care of the ocean can benefit everyone!

Some people are scared of sharks. Not Cristina Zenato.

As a little girl, Cristina dreamed of making friends with the sharks deep in the ocean. When she grew up, she made those dreams come true, becoming a diver, conservationist, and shark advocate. But Cristina discovered that sharks--the sleek, strong, powerful guardians of the ocean--need our help. She started diving in a protective suit and, as she built trust with sharks, they began coming to her with fishing hooks stuck in their bodies. Did she have the courage to remove the hooks?

Sharks Unhooked is the true story of how one woman is exploring the ocean, helping our ecosystem, and forming incredible bonds with animals beneath the rolling surf.

A mighty river. A long history.

For thousands of years, the Elwha river flowed north to the sea. The river churned with salmon, which helped feed bears, otters, and eagles. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, known as the Strong People located in the Pacific Northwest, were grateful for the river's abundance. All that changed in the 1790s when strangers came who did not understand the river's gifts. The strangers built dams, and the environmental consequences were disastrous.

Sibert honoree Patricia Newman and award-winning illustrator Natasha Donovan join forces to tell the story of the Elwha, chronicling how the Strong People successfully fought to restore the river and their way of life.

Books like this one help lead the way to a better climate future for all inhabitants of Mother Earth. We are all in this together! -- Jeff Bridges, Academy Award winner and environmentalist

A little more than 70 percent of Planet Earth is ocean. So wouldn't a better name for our global home be Planet Ocean?

You may be surprised at just how closely YOU are connected to the ocean. Regardless of where you live, every breath you take and every drop of water you drink links you to the ocean. And because of this connection, the ocean's health affects all of us.

Dive in with author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley--visit the Coral Triangle near Indonesia, the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic Ocean at the top of the world. Find out about problems including climate change, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution, and meet inspiring local people who are leading the way to reverse the ways in which humans have harmed the ocean.

Planet Ocean shows us how to stop thinking of ourselves as existing separate from the ocean and how to start taking better care of this precious resource.

Zoos take care of animals and welcome visitors of all ages, but that's not all zoos do. Author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley bring readers behind the scenes at three zoos to meet scientists working to save endangered animals.

Meredith Bastian's experiences studying wild orangutans help educate both zoo visitors and the zoo workers who care for captive orangutans. Jeff Baughman breeds black-footed ferrets and reintroduces them into the wild. And Rachel Santymire examines poop from black rhinoceroses at the zoo and in their natural habitat to benefit all black rhinos. Find out how zoo scientists are helping us learn more about these remarkable, at-risk species before it's too late!

A Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book
A Green Earth Book Award Winner
This up-close look at a fascinating scientific discovery highlights the critical role predators such as sea otters play in keeping ecosystems healthy.
In Elkhorn Slough, an inlet on the California coast, seagrass grows healthy and strong in the shallow water. This healthy seagrass baffled marine biologist Brent Hughes. The scientist expected this estuary to be overrun with algae, causing the seagrass to die. Why was the seagrass thriving?
As Brent investigated, signs pointed to an unexpected player helping to keep the seagrass healthy: sea otters! What do these top predators have to do with an aquatic grass at the opposite end of the food chain? Brent's amazing discovery gave scientists insight into the delicate balance of ecosystems. Follow science in action as Brent conducts the research that led to this major discovery.

Deep in the Central African Republic, forest elephants trumpet and rumble along with the forest's symphony. And scientists are listening.

Scientist Katy Payne started Cornell University's Elephant Listening Project to learn more about how forest elephants communicate and what they're saying. But the project soon grew to be about so much more.

Poaching, logging, mining, and increasing human populations threaten the survival of forest elephants. Katy and other members of the Elephant Listening Project's team knew they needed to do something to protect these majestic animals. By eavesdropping on elephants, the Elephant Listening Project is doing its part to save Africa's forest elephants and preserve the music in the forest.

Author Patricia Newman takes readers behind the scenes to see how scientists are making new discoveries about elephant communication and using what they learn to help these majestic animals, with QR codes linking to audio of the elephant sounds. Follow along and listen to the elephants as scientists learn what they are saying.

Plastic: it's used to make everything from drink bottles and bags to toys and toothbrushes. But what happens when it ends up where it doesn't belong--like in the Pacific Ocean? How does it affect ocean life? Is it dangerous? And exactly how much is out there?

A team of researchers went on a scientific expedition to find out. They explored the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where millions of pieces of plastic have collected. The plastic has drifted there from rivers, beaches, and ocean traffic all over the world. Most of it has broken down into tiny pieces the size of confetti.

For nearly three weeks at sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms. These samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean. Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch--and what alarming discoveries they made.

Deep in the Central African Republic, forest elephants trumpet and rumble along with the forest's symphony. And scientists are listening.

Scientist Katy Payne started Cornell University's Elephant Listening Project to learn more about how forest elephants communicate and what they're saying. But the project soon grew to be about so much more.

Poaching, logging, mining, and increasing human populations threaten the survival of forest elephants. Katy and other members of the Elephant Listening Project's team knew they needed to do something to protect these majestic animals. By eavesdropping on elephants, the Elephant Listening Project is doing its part to save Africa's forest elephants and preserve the music in the forest.

Author Patricia Newman takes readers behind the scenes to see how scientists are making new discoveries about elephant communication and using what they learn to help these majestic animals, with QR codes linking to audio of the elephant sounds. Follow along and listen to the elephants as scientists learn what they are saying.

The visionary, Robert St. John, devoted his life to observing the healing powers of the body. His work as a Reflexologist evolved into Prenatal Therapy, where he became aware that we inherited traits at conception from our parents and ancestors, which more recent studies have proven.

This book clearly outlines the ease in which Metamorphosis can be given and received by others and oneself. Robert St. John recognized that the practitioner was merely a catalyst while the body healed itself, making this safe and suitable for all ages at all levels of well-being. By applying a gentle, non-invasive touch to specific reflex points on feet, hands, head or spine, blocks may be released on all levels (behaviour, emotional, mental, physical), allowing the True Self to emerge.

From there, his work expanded into a worldwide recognized healing art known as Metamorphosis.

'Metamorphosis is a philosophy; it is a way of understanding the nature, the structure and the function of life in all things on this planet; but, particularly, in the human.'

Robert St. John