New Releases by Adrienne Mason

It’s not just humans combating global warming. Meet one of Earth’s “ecosystem engineers”! In this fascinating and unique book, a marine biologist reveals how whales are “ecosystem engineers” — animals that create, modify or maintain a habitat or ecosystem. Whales do this by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They store loads of carbon in their bodies for decades, even centuries; when they die, they sink to the ocean floor, taking their carbon with them. More carbon in the ocean means less carbon in the atmosphere. And it’s all thanks to whales! Now kids get one more reason to love these amazing creatures! Whales are helping the planet!

Young readers can learn how to be modern-day Noahs and protect the world’s plants and animals from extinction not by building a giant boat, but by making small changes in their everyday lives - from planting trees to turning off the tap - to help preserve the world’s biodiversity. Planet Ark is part of CitizenKid, a collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

Each year, more than a million people visit the spectacular sweep of sand that stretches along Vancouver Island's west coast between Tofino and Ucluelet to watch waves crash ashore on a series of beaches-essentially one long beach separated by small rocky headlands, a shoreline steps away from howling wolves and towering red cedars. In Long Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada's Rugged Western Shore, local resident Adrienne Mason uses her intimate knowledge of the area and a selection of historic and contemporary photos to explore the region's rich natural and cultural history. Mason shows how Long Beach was shaped by many forces, including volcanoes, glaciers, and torrents of water. She describes how the deposits of gravel and silt that this tumult left behind allowed offshore kelp beds and sea otters to thrive and supported the growth of countless other organisms, from lichens and ferns to waterfowl and deer. She also describes how First Nations people found inspiration and sustenance in the area for thousands of years, hunting whales on the open ocean using harpoons with mussel-shell blades and great lengths of cedar bark rope. As well as describing the traditions of the area's First Nations, Mason

A one-stop sourcebook to answer kids' tricky questions about the physical sciences.

In this Level 2 first reader, the Dog Detectives go undercover to solve a mystery.

At the carnival, Lu and Clancy foil a robbery at the scary ride called the Drop of Doom.

Annotation This special 10th-anniversary edition reexamines our place in the natural world in light of sweeping environmental changes and recent advances in scientific knowledge. Since The Sacred Balance was first published in 1997 global warming has become a major issue, with alarming effects being observed on all continents and in the world's oceans. Scientists have also made significant discoveries in various realms, including the state of world ecosystems, the science behind the mother/baby interaction, and the workings of the brain. In this new and extensively revised and amplified edition of his bestselling book, David Suzuki reflects on these changes and examines what they mean for our place in the world. His basic message remains the same: we are creatures of the Earth, utterly dependent on its elements, which are not just external factors, but incorporated into our very essence. All royalties from The Sacred Balance go to the David Suzuki Foundation.

This book in the Primary Physical Science series is full of surprising facts and hands-on activities to help kids explore solids, liquids and gases.

Learn all about skunk growth and change, skunk habitats and communities in this exciting book in the popular Kids Can Press Wildlife Series.

- no wild snakes live in New Zealand, Ireland, Newfoundland or many other islands- a few snake species can glide through the air- the venom of baby snakes can be stronger than that of their parents- a snake's tongue helps it tell if food, enemies or other snakes are nearby

A simple look at motion.

This book in the Primary Physical Science series is full of surprising facts and hands-on activities to help kids explore the world of materials.

Learn about owl growth and change, owl bodies, how owls hunt and more in this book in the popular Kids Can Press Wildlife Series.

How bats use their senses is just one of the thirteen topics in this clearly written look at the two main kinds of bats --- megabats and microbats. Kids find out where bats live, what they eat, how they move and much more. Easy-to-read text and accurate, detailed illustrations meet the research needs of young children and satisfy their curiosity about these unusual mammals.

From record-breaking tea clippers to rum runners and sea monsters, life on the west coast has never been dull. Rich in seafaring legend and adventure, these stories will take you on a voyage of discovery into the past.

Lu and Clancy can't wait to head to the carnival and go on their favorite ride, the Drop of Doom. The only problem is that Lu's annoying cousin, Jake, is tagging along. While Jake takes part in a magic show, Clancy uncovers more than hocus-pocus when he overhears two crooks planning a robbery at the Drop of Doom. Now the crime-fighting canines must stop the heist -- but first they have to get Jake off their case! In this engaging activity storybook, kids help the dog detectives foil the crooks' plot while discovering the secret to doing simple magic tricks.

Explores the physical characteristics and behavior of spiders, discusses their role in myth and legend, and describes their use in scientific research.

"A marine biologist takes young readers under the sea for an engaging look at its warmblooded inhabitants - from sea otters to blue whales. Black and white illustrations reinforce the text" Cf. Our choice, 2000.

Dog detectives Lu and Clancey show readers how to use more than 20 codes.