Take a closer look at nature's amazing insect architect--the hornet Each year, a young female hornet queen selects just the right spot and designs a nest of six-sided cells. Every cell is made from a paper-like material she creates by mixing wood with her own saliva. Once she has a small structure, she lays an egg in each cell and raises her young. Soon the queen has a whole family of workers, which continue to build more cells and increase the size of the hive. These workers also hunt insects for food, care for the queen and her young, and protect the nest. In this exciting book, you can learn what makes hornets similar to and different from other insects. Close-up diagrams reveal extraordinary details about hornets' bodies, both inside and out. And you can perform an activity that helps you understand how a female hornet queen creates the paper-like material for her nest. Learn more about this exciting member of nature's fascinating Insect World

The facts about natural disasters are so big and devastating they could make your head explode! You hear about huge costs (like the $360,000,000,000 in damage caused by the 2011 tsunami in Japan), huge speeds (the fastest-moving tsunami waves have been recorded at 500 miles per hour), and even huger mysteries (where, exactly, the danger zones are for natural disasters).

How can all these big numbers and concepts make more sense? Infographics! The charts, maps, and illustrations in this book tell a visual story to help you better understand key concepts about natural disasters. Crack open this book to explore mind-boggling questions such as:
- How can scientists accurately predict natural disasters?
- What were some of Earth's biggest, freakiest, and deadliest disasters?
- How can you protect yourself in the event of a volcano, an earthquake, or a tsunami?

The answers are sure to shake you up!

Get a close-up view of the life of a pumpkin.

A basic overview of the life cycle of a salamander.

How does grass help cows make yummy milk? Follow each step in the food production cycle--from cows eating grass to ice-cold milk--in this fascinating book

Prime material for budding gearheads and mechanics.--School Library Journal

Monster trucks are huge and strong. How do their tires help them bounce? And how do people drive these giant vehicles? Find out how monster trucks work, the special equipment they need, and how they crush puny cars under their enormous tires. From the engine to the cabin to the oversize rims, this book delivers details that will captivate monster truck fans.

Learn about how different vehicles work in the How Vehicles Work series--part of the Lightning Bolt Books(TM) collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt Books(TM) bring nonfiction topics to life!

See how homes in the United States have changed over the years.

Our homes give us shelter and keep us safe, but homes have changed over time. Long ago families used oil lamps for light and kept food cold in iceboxes; now we use electricity to light our homes and refrigerators to keep our food cold.

Historical and modern-day photographs interspersed throughout clearly illustrate how aspects of daily life change over time, while simple text shows readers how to compare and contrast ideas. Timelines in the back of each book give readers perspective by listing key inventions and developments that have modernized our lives.

Kwanzaa traces its origins to the American Civil Rights era. Critical thinking questions and fast facts prompt young readers to engage with this fun narrative and learn all about Kwanzaa.

You push a swing. Your brother pulls a wagon. Forces are at work all around you. But what exactly is a force? And how do forces act on different objects? Read this book to find out Learn all about matter, energy, and forces in the Exploring Physical Science series--part of the Lightning Bolt Books(TM) collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt Books(TM) bring nonfiction topics to life

See how communication has changed over the years

Communication is sharing ideas and news, but it has changed over time. Long ago, people tapped messages on a telegraph, now people call on a telephone.

Historical and modern-day photographs interspersed throughout these books clearly illustrate how aspects of daily life change over time, while simple text shows readers how to compare and contrast ideas. Timelines in the back of each book give readers perspective by listing key inventions and developments that have modernized our lives.

See how transportation has changed over the years

Transportation carries people from one place to another, but it has changed over time. Long ago airplanes began to fly in the sky, now airplanes fly very high and far.

This book looks at how transportation has changed over the years

Historical and modern-day photographs interspersed throughout these books clearly illustrate how aspects of daily life change over time, while simple text shows readers how to compare and contrast ideas. Timelines in the back of each book give readers perspective by listing key inventions and developments that have modernized our lives.

See how schools in the United States have changed over the years.

We go to school to learn and see friends, but school has changed over time. Long ago schools only had one room; now schools are large buildings with many rooms.

This book includes such topics as transportation, supplies, and subjects taught.

Historical and modern-day photographs interspersed throughout clearly illustrate how aspects of daily life change over time, while simple text shows readers how to compare and contrast ideas. Timelines in the back of each book give readers perspective by listing key inventions and developments that have modernized our lives.

How does wheat turn into bread? Follow each step in the food production cycle--from planting wheat seeds to eating toast with jelly--in this fascinating book

Many plants depend on animals to help move pollen around so that the plants can reproduce. Readers will see how hummingbirds, mice, bats, and other animals play a big role in pollination. Simple text and supportive photos and diagrams help readers understand key ideas and details about this important science concept.

Come along as a girl maps her neighborhood to show her visiting grandmother where everything is. Simple text takes early readers step by step through the types of features a neighborhood map needs to have.

Although he is credited with changing history through his invention of printing, Johann Gutenberg remains mysterious. In Fine Print, author Joann Johansen Burch pieces together Gutenberg's amazing story. When Johann was a child in the early 1400s, books were rare and sometimes very expensive. Each book had to be copied by hand, letter by letter. Gutenberg loved to read, and he often grew impatient waiting for the time-consuming bookmaking process to be completed. Young Gutenberg dreamed of finding a better way to make books. From his childhood in strife-torn Mainz through the many years of setbacks and bankruptcies, Gutenberg persevered in his belief that books could be made quickly and inexpensively. This is the story of the man who invented movable type and the printing press and gave the world the gift of books.

Carefully leveled text and vibrant photos engage young readers in learning about the basics of the sport of baseball. Age-appropriate critical thinking questions and a photo glossary help build nonfiction learning skills.

Ice cubes clink in a glass. Steam rises from a pot of boiling water. Solids, liquids, and gases are all around you. But what exactly are solids, liquids, and gases? And how do you tell them apart? Read this book to find out

Day follows night. Night comes after day. What makes this cycle of days and nights happen?

Through beautiful photos and spare text, beginning readers will learn about the basic patterns of the Sun and Earth and what causes day and night.

Come along with me and learn all about reading Brian P. Cleary's wacky sentences and Jason Miskimins's colorful art will make phonics fun Find activities, games, and more at www.brianpcleary.com.