Best Selling Books by Donna Latham

Investigating a variety of biomes and today’s natural and human threats to their preservation, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. Four distinct environments are explored in detail, showcasing the assortment of plants and animals that inhabit these outdoor communities as well as how they have adapted to their surroundings. Offering fascinating facts on each ecosystem along with vocabulary-building sidebars, these guides show budding scientists how they can contribute towards ongoing conservation efforts. Exploring the vast biome of the savannas and grasslands, this reference highlights the problems of disease and invasive species, outlining how this beautiful setting across the world can be saved.

Investigating the planet’s biomes and examining the modern threats to each ecosystem, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. With compare-and-contrast facts and vocabulary-building sidebars, each engaging guide reveals how environmental threats—both human and natural—affect plants and animals.Showcasing the diverse woodland of deciduous forests, this resource reveals how many of its threats come from humans. Covering topics such as deforestation, acid rain, disease, and invasive species, this engaging guide shows how, in the complicated web of life in the forest, even natural threats can be made worse by human activity.

Canals and Dams: Investigate Feats of Engineering invites children ages 9 and up to explore the innovation and physical science behind the amazing waterways and barriers our world depends on. Trivia and fun facts illustrate engineering ingenuity and achievements from ancient aqueducts to the Suez Canal and the Hoover Dam. Readers will discover that engineers and builders alike put their lives on the line to advance civilization, experiencing triumphs and tragedies in building big. Through dazzling success and heartbreaking failure, they developed increasingly sophisticated tools and building methods. Activities and projects encourage children to explore the engineering process and to try, try again through trial and error. They''ll engage in hands-on explorations of buoyancy, Newton’s third law of motion, and forces that push and pull structures. They’ll create a paper-cup zip line, build an arch, and simulate a tsunami, while experimenting with gravity, hydroponics, and velocity. In Canals and Dams: Investigate Feats of Engineering, children will gain an appreciation for the important field of engineering as they develop their own building skills.

Investigating the planet’s biomes and examining the modern threats to each ecosystem, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions affect the planet''s health. With compare-and-contrast facts and vocabulary-building sidebars, each engaging guide reveals how environmental threats—both human and natural—affect plants and animals.Detailing the largest biome, this guide surveys the environmental threats to the earth’s oceans. Teaching students about coral reefs—the rainforests of the ocean—this educational resource explores topics such as the connection between increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the bleaching of the reefs. By comparing the size of an island of floating plastic and other trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the state of Texas—and how that floating island impacts ocean life—the guide shows young environmentalists why consuming less plastic is important.

Investigating a variety of biomes and today’s natural and human threats to their preservation, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. Four distinct environments are explored in detail, showcasing the assortment of plants and animals that inhabit these outdoor communities as well as how they have adapted to their surroundings. Offering fascinating facts on each ecosystem along with vocabulary-building sidebars, these guides show budding scientists how they can contribute towards ongoing conservation efforts. The majesty of the earth’s alpine biome is captured in this guide that discusses threats such as acid rain, climate change, and habitat destruction, clearly depicting how these factors affect the world’s mountains.

Investigating the planet’s biomes and examining the modern threats to each ecosystem, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. With compare-and-contrast facts and vocabulary-building sidebars, each engaging guide reveals how environmental threats—both human and natural—affect plants and animals. Evaluating the coldest biome, this resource examines how the living things found in the tundra coexist harmoniously with the harsh landscape. Explaining how environmental change threatens life in this biome, this instructive guide leaves readers with a greater understanding of the importance of conservation and preservation efforts.

Investigating the planet’s biomes and examining the modern threats to each ecosystem, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. With compare-and-contrast facts and vocabulary-building sidebars, each engaging guide reveals how environmental threats—both human and natural—affect plants and animals. Examining this growing biome, this guide shows that the desert is more than just a giant sandbox. Discussing desertification and how environmental change—such as ranching, overdevelopment, and cactus collection—in this area can threaten life outside the desert, this resource instructs students on the need to treat the desert with care.

Investigating a variety of biomes and today’s natural and human threats to their preservation, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. Four distinct environments are explored in detail, showcasing the assortment of plants and animals that inhabit these outdoor communities as well as how they have adapted to their surroundings. Offering fascinating facts on each ecosystem along with vocabulary-building sidebars, these guides show budding scientists how they can contribute towards ongoing conservation efforts. The diverse woodland of coniferous forests is revealed in this detailed resource, covering topics such as the dangers of deforestation, over hunting, and forest fires, illustrating the rapid decline of this ecosystem’s biodiversity.

Young readers learn about the plants, animals, microbes, and more that live in the dirt, water, and air."--Provided by publisher.

Investigating a variety of biomes and today’s natural and human threats to their preservation, this interactive series challenges young readers to look at how their own actions influence the planet''s health. Four distinct environments are explored in detail, showcasing the assortment of plants and animals that inhabit these outdoor communities as well as how they have adapted to their surroundings. Offering fascinating facts on each ecosystem along with vocabulary-building sidebars, these guides show budding scientists how they can contribute towards ongoing conservation efforts. Showcasing one of the environment’s most valuable biomes, this overview centers on the planet’s rain forests, reviewing the greenhouse gases and the accelerating extinction of species that jeopardize this vital ecosystem’s future.

The United States boasts a rich musical diversity. Colonial Americans integrated European traditions with new cultural influences to compose a unique musical identity. African traditions influenced hymns and folk songs that connected people to religion and to the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Patriotic tunes created unity in wartime. America’s jazz, blues, rock, and hip-hop continue to evolve from their African-American origins. Music: Investigate the Evolution of American Sound invites kids ages 12 and up to explore the roots of American music genres as they investigate the social, political, and religious influences that inspire musicians. Activities encourage readers to inquire into the art and science of music. Readers can engage in a hands-on exploration of the physics of sound vibrations, decibel levels, and acoustics, or use vocal styling to improvise and discover the rhythm of their bodies to create a beatbox. Music encourages readers to analyze lyrics, their meanings, and rhythms, and then use that analysis to write their own songs. This title 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.

Over centuries and across cultures people have defied gravity in a quest to build the tallest, grandest structures imaginable. Skyscrapers: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects invites children ages 9 and up to explore the innovation and physical science behind these towering structures. Trivia and fun facts illustrate engineering ingenuity and achievements from the ancient pyramids to the Empire State Building. Readers will develop an understanding of how our modern, sophisticated building techniques and materials evolved over time. Activities and projects encourage children to explore the engineering design process. They will engage in hands-on explorations of wind, test Newton’s laws of motion, and experiment with the strength of different shapes. In the process they will learn about gravity, inertia, oscillation, and static electricity. Using various materials and engaging in trial and error, readers will construct their own towers and skyscrapers. Skyscrapers 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.

Amazing Biome Projects You Can Build Yourself takes kids ages 9 and up on a circumnavigation of the globe to learn about Earth''s terrestrial and aquatic biomes. Kid''s will wander through forests, sizzle in deserts, shiver in the tundra, plunge beneath the seas to explore coral reefs, and slog through marshy waters. Along the way, kids will encounter flora and fauna adapted for survival in each unique climate zone. They''ll learn about gnarly krumholz trees, bioluminescent sea creatures, camouflage, carnivorous plants, and blubbery marine critters. In each biome, people who use science in their jobs are highlighted, whether at the site of a disastrous oil spill or an oh-so-cool mastodon dig.

Bridges and tunnels are lifelines. People have tackled seemingly insurmountable obstacles, including vast canyons and mountain ranges, to design and construct these amazing passageways. Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering invites children ages 9 and up to explore the innovation and physical science behind structures our world depends on. Trivia and fun facts illustrate engineering ingenuity and achievements. Activities and projects encourage children to learn about the engineering process and to embrace trial and error.

Provides a history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and details the events that occurred during the GM FlexFuel 250 race in 2006.

A discussion of cells, tissues, and organs, with illustrations, charts, graphs, and a timeline, covering the work of scientists such as Robert Hooke and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and various terms and concepts related to circulation, nerves, and the respiratory system.

In this book for middle school, readers journey across the planet and visit the world́U+0099s nine terrestrial and aquatic biomes to learn about the distinctive climates, geologies, resources, and organisms that can be found there.

Informative text, photographs, illustrations, and science activities and projects examine biomes, including deserts, the tundra, freshwater regions and more and discusses related topics, such as adaptation and the Tollund Man.

A comprehensive introduction to ecology for young readers that discusses the effects of alien species on an ecosystem, symbiosis, competition between species, extinction, pollution, and more.

Discusses respiration and photosynthesis, revealing how these functions allow plants to grow and produce energy. Includes facts boxes, sidebars, charts, captions, and hands-on activities.

Where does your trash go when you throw it away? Find out in Garbage: Follow the Path of Your Trash with Science Activities for Kids! Middle schoolers will track their trash as it travels from waste basket to its final resting place, whether that''s a landfill, compost bin, or a new life as a different product. Essential questions, fun facts, and hands-on STEM experiments make this book a fully immersive learning experience!

Ten years after the assassination of her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln is pronounced insane by a sea of men, receiving a court-ordered commitment to Bellevue Place, a posh, private sanitarium in Illinois. There, Mary hoards trunks of her possessions and vials of poison, waging a great battle with John Wilkes Booth and other ghosts of the past while endlessly mourning the death of her husband and sons. Through any means necessary, Mary is determined to end her suffering-and her life.

Tells of the hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas on Sept. 8, 1900, and still remains the worst natural disaster in U.S. hisotry.

No further information has been provided for this title.

Exploring the vast biome of the savannas and grasslands, this book discusses the landscape and climate of grasslands and savannas, the types of grasslands found around the world, and the animals and plants that live in them. It also highlights the problems of disease and invasive species, outlining how this beautiful setting across the world can be saved.

An introduction to the physical characteristics and behaviors of bats.

Encourage reluctant and struggling readers to read and learn important physical science content with Sci-Hi. With a magazine look and feel that appeals to teens, each title takes on a key area of content found in U.S. national science content curriculum standards and delivers that information using colorful illustrations, photos, quizzes, charts, graphs, and summaries, allowing for a greater sense of interactivity and easier readability.

In Superfast Trucks, racing fans will jump into this thrilling, high-action narrative of racing trucks breaking new speed records. Children will meet Mark Martin, who accelerated into the lead of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in February 2006. Though a last-minute entry, Martin proved a skilled racer in full command of his revved-up truck.

Our story takes place long ago, when Brother Sun and Sister Moon still lived on land. They love each other dearly, but the siblings just can''t live together. They are as different as, well, as day and night. Gadabout Sun shines a dazzling personality over endless friends. Contemplative Moon, an artist, finds inspiration within. The two struggle to live with their differences, until Sun''s love for his watery new friend Marina changes everything. Inspired by traditional tales of Nigeria and Senegal, including "How the Sun and Moon Came to Be" and "How the Sun and the Moon Came to Live in the Sky."

Includes easy stories for beginning readers with controlled vocabulary, unobtrusive leveling and a measured rate of new word introduction.