Most Popular Books by Mary Kay Carson

As concern for the welfare of species like honey bees and monarch butterflies grows alongside awareness of the impact of climate change, inspiring the next generation of citizen scientists is more important than ever. With Wildlife Ranger Action Guide, kids can make the world better for the animals and insects they love, starting right in their own backyards. Dozens of hands-on activities and habitat creation projects, such as making a frog pond from a kiddie pool, planting a pollinator garden for bees, painting a bat house, and building a lodge for lizards, encourage children to learn about and take an active role in protecting local wildlife. Lively photographic field guides covering 78 North American wildlife species teach kids about the habits and habitats of each and include tips for providing the plants and food needed for their survival.

Cratered Mercury is the smallest and fastest planet in the solar system. Temperatures there vary more than on any other planet. Learn lots of far-out facts about the closest planet to the Sun. This book features a center spread with fast facts, perfect for report writing.

"Adapted from Haunted Cheyenne by Jill Pope"--Title page.

Tracing the evolution of humankind''s pursuit of astronomical knowledge, this resource looks deep into the furthest reaches of space. Children will follow along as the realization that the Earth is not at the center of the universe leads all the way up to recent telescopic proof of planets orbiting stars outside the solar system. In addition to its engaging history, this book contains 21 hands-on projects to further explore the subjects discussed. Readers will build a three-dimensional representation of the constellation Orion, see how the universe expands using an inflating balloon, and construct a reflecting telescope out of a makeup mirror and a magnifying glass. It also includes small biographies of famous astronomers, a time line of major scientific discoveries, a glossary of technical terms, and dozens of full-color images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Discover the truth about life on Mars in this level 2 reader! Mars is a cold, desert planet with no water. But it wasn''t always like this. Could there once have been living things there? Find out in this new level 2 reader all about life on Mars. Includes the most stunning and up-to-date photographs from NASA.

From the everyday phenomena of wind and clouds to the awesome, destructive power of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes, children can explore weather in detail with this fascinating science activity book. Throughout the text instructions for building weather-measuring tools—barometers, psychrometers, anemometers, wind vanes, rain gauges, and thermometers—allow the reader to assemble them into a working weather station. More than 40 weather projects are included, such as building a model of the water cycle, creating a tornado in a bottle, calculating dew point, and reading a weather map. Most of the experiments also include ideas for expanding them into full-fledged science fair projects. Weather-related environmental issues are also addressed, such as global climate change, ozone depletion, and acid rain, as well as profiles of scientists working in the field of meteorology.

At a scorching 462°C, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system—and poisonous clouds of gas surround it. Spacecraft from Earth have visited Venus. Learn about the amazing missions and the scientists who plan them This book features a center spread with fast facts, perfect for report writing.

Looks at the history of Mars, summarizes our current knowledge, based in part on the Mariner and Viking space probes, compares its features with Earth''s, and discusses future plans for Mars.

In July of 2015 a robotic spacecraft reached Pluto after a nine-and-half-year journey. New Horizons is the first spacecraft mission to Pluto and revealed its five moons as never before seen. Images from the mission show a reddish surface covered in ice-water mountains, moving glaciers, and hints of possible ice volcanoes and an underground ocean. Pluto is geologically alive and changing! This addition to the Scientists in the Field series goes where no person or spacecraft has ever gone before. Follow along with the team of scientists as they build New Horizons, fly it across the solar system, and make new discoveries about a world three billion miles away.

Winner of the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Book Alexander Graham Bell invented not only the telephone, but also early versions of the phonograph, the metal detector, airplanes, and hydrofoil boats. This Scottish immigrant was also a pioneering speech teacher and a champion of educating those with hearing impairments, work he felt was his most important contribution to society. Bell worked with famous Americans such as Helen Keller and aviators Glenn Curtiss and Samuel P. Langley, and his inventions competed directly with those of Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers. This unique biography includes a time line, a list of online resources, and 21 engaging hands-on activities to better appreciate Bell''s remarkable accomplishments. Kids will: Construct a Pie Tin Telegraph and a Pizza Box Phonograph "See" and "feel" sound by building simple devices Communicate using American Sign Language Send secret messages using Morse code Investigate the properties of ailerons on a paper airplane Build and fly a tetrahedral kite And more!

Earth is the only planet in our solar system that is suitable for life. It has liquid water, oxygen, and enough gravity to hold its own atmosphere. But did you know that Earth is always changing? Scientists have used spacecraft and satellites to learn more about our planet. They can better predict natural disasters like hurricanes, and monitor volcano eruptions and climate changes. Learn lots of far-out facts about our home planet.

All the facts you need, and lots more, are included in this up-to-date book. Learn about the amazing missions to Neptune, the dedicated scientists who plan them, and more far-out facts about the eighth planet from the Sun.

Jupiter is bigger than any other planet in our solar system. It has rings and centuries-old storms. It has more than sixty moons, too—some with underground oceans! Featuring a center spread with fast facts, this great addition to the FAR OUT GUIDE TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM series will tell you everything you need to know about the biggest planet—including missions and the scientists who planned them, and the spacecraft they used to do so.

Saturn—the jewel of the solar system—has seven mysterious and beautiful rings. These rings, made of ice, dust, and rock, range in size from a snow crystals to a house. Learn about the amazing spacecraft missions to Saturn, the dedicated scientists who plan them, and more far-out facts about the sixth planet from the sun.

Earth has many satellites, but the Moon is Earth''s only natural satellite. Spacecraft and astronauts have visited the Moon to learn more about it. From the Apollo missions to the most current robotic spacecraft, this book highlights our adventures in studying our neighbor in space.

Earth''s neighbor Mars likely once had an environment that could have supported life. Now it has underground frozen water in many places. Spacecraft from Earth have visited Mars and taught us a lot about this dusty red planet. Featuring a center spread with fast facts, this book tells readers about the missions, the scientists who plan them, and more far-out facts about the fourth planet from the Sun.

In the Arizona desert, scientists conduct studies and experiments aimed to help us better understand our environment and what sort of things are happening to it due to climate change. The location is Biosphere 2, an immense structure that contains a replica ocean, savannah, and rainforest, among other Earth biomes. It’s a unique take on the Scientists in the Field mission statement — in this case, the lab is a replica that allows the scientists to conduct large-scale experiments that would otherwise be impossible.

Discover the history of space exploration including some very recent finds.