Most Popular Books by Meish Goldish

In Prison Puppies, young readers will meet the hardworking dogs in the Puppies Behind Bars program. This organization teaches prison inmates to raise puppies that will later work as service dogs for people living with disabilities. The prisoners teach the dogs the skills they’ll need to assist their future owners, from basic commands like “come here” and “sit,” to more complicated tasks like opening doors and turning lights on and off. The puppies teach the prisoners, too! Working with the dogs teaches prisoners patience, responsibility, and cooperation, and gives them a chance to contribute to society in a positive way. Packed with real-life stories and dramatic, full-color photos of prison pups, this book is sure to be a favorite of dog lovers everywhere.

One morning in September 2011, a large crowd gathered at the shore in Huntington Beach, California. The people had come to watch dozens of surfers ride the rolling ocean waves. This wasn’t just any surfing competition, however—the surfers were dogs! With more than a thousand fans cheering the competitors on, an English bulldog named Sir Hollywood rode a long wave and was declared one of the winners. Surf dog competitions are fairly new, but dogs have been riding surfboards with their owners for fun since the 1920s. In Surf Dog Miracles, kids will meet the talented dogs that learn to balance on a surfboard, recover if they almost fall off the board, and even surf backward. Some surf dogs raise money for charity, while others can help people with disabilities ride a wave. Packed with real-life stories and full-color photos of these special animals, this book is sure to be a favorite of dog-lovers everywhere. Surf Dog Miracles is part of Bearport’s Dog Heroes series.

Explores how horses, donkeys, and mules are used in the military; introduces Reckless, a horse used by the Marines during the Korean War; and discusses the training for both the soldiers and the animals.

Describes how the hagfish oozes sticky slim when it faces danger.

The Leveled Readers are easy-to-read selections that give children additional reading experiences with tested vocabulary and targeted comprehension skills, as well as a variety of literary genres. Skills reinforced in this book: Vocabulary: another, bottle, cage, wheel; Comprehension skill: compare and contrast."--Verso.

Examines what wildlife rehabilitators do, discusses how they help the animals, and explores how someone can become one.

A grasshopper can jump 20 times the length of its body. If people had legs that strong, they could easily hop over two school buses in one jump! This is just one of the many surprising facts children will discover as they explore the fascinating world of these little leapers. Large, eye-popping photos and clear, grade-appropriate text will engage emergent readers as they learn about the natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and behavior of this unique invertebrate.

Describes the natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, life cycle, and behavior of the brown bear, the biggest meat-eater on land.

ntroduces wolf spiders, describing their physical characteristics, life cycle, habitat, diet, and behavior.

Explores how sea lions help the Navy, discusses why they are used to retrieve military equipment from the ocean, and describes their training.

Would wolves ever live in Yellowstone National Park again? The animals had once roamed freely there for thousands of years. Yet by 1926, hunters and ranchers had killed the entire population. The situation seemed hopeless. In 1995, however, scientists had a plan that could change the course of the animal’s history. Would it succeed? In Gray Wolves: Return to Yellowstone, children follow the harrowing and heartfelt history of the gray wolf in America. From the animal’s once thriving population to its near extinction, children witness the inspiring and heroic efforts of people who stepped in to save this remarkable creature when all seemed lost. Full-color photographs and a habitat map enrich this dramatic story of conservationism and courage.

From rescuing six baby wild turkeys at the bottom of a storm drain to capturing a ten-foot-long (3-m) boa constrictor slithering through a Florida neighborhood, animal control officers are devoted to protecting animals and ensuring the safety of people. In this gripping new book, young readers will meet the fearless animal control officers who share a selfless dedication to helping animals that are trapped, abandoned, or abused. Through action-packed stories, including the heart-pounding rescue of a black lab from an icy pond, young readers will learn how these everyday heroes use their quick thinking and expert skills to come to the aid of an animal at a moment’s notice. In addition, readers will get an inside look at how animal control officers prepare for their job so that they are always ready to help and protect animals and people. Large, full-color photos and dramatic real-life stories will keep kids turning the pages to learn more.

A warehouse in a large city catches fire late at night. The flames spread to every floor, and nearby buildings are in danger of being caught up in the blaze. Suddenly, ear-piercing sirens fill the air. Trucks speed down a busy street. They stop in front of the warehouse, and firefighters rush out to contain the deadly blaze before anyone gets hurt. In City Firefighters, dramatic, true stories will keep readers turning the pages as they learn firsthand how these tough, brave firefighters use their strength, quick thinking, and expert skills to battle deadly blazes. In addition, readers will go behind the scenes to learn how city firefighters train for their job so that they are ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

Omar Rivera, an office worker who is blind, and his guide dog, Salty, were on the 71st story of the World Trade Center’s North Tower on the morning of September 11, 2001 when terrorists hijacked two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers. Omar’s coworkers raced to the stairway to escape the burning building. With chaos all around, Omar told his dog to guide him down the stairs. Would Salty be able to lead his owner to safety? In this book, young readers will meet the brave dogs that helped people during and after the deadly terrorist attack. From guide dogs that calmly led their owners to safety, to the 300 search-and-rescue dogs that used their powerful sense of smell to try to find survivors in the rubble, these incredible animals were part of the largest canine rescue operation in U.S. history. With true stories and full-color photographs of dogs working at Ground Zero, this book is sure to appeal to dog lovers everywhere.

Introduces the physical characteristics, habitat, behavior, and life cycle of the longest snake in the world.

Was it too late to save the red wolf? For hundreds of years, these remarkable creatures had roamed freely across North America. Yet by the 1960s, red wolves were pushed to the brink of extinction by hunting, habitat destruction, and disease. Could scientists and wildlife officials find a way to restore red wolves to the wild? In Red Wolves: And Then There Were (Almost) None, children relive the inspiring and heroic efforts of people who stepped in to save red wolves when all seemed lost. Through this true tale of wildlife survival, kids discover the bold and creative ideas that Americans and their government have used to protect and care for the country’s endangered wildlife.

Introduces the praying mantis, describing its physical characteristics, life cycle, habitat, diet, and behavior.

Describes the behavior, physical characteristics, habitat, and life cycle of emperor penguins.

Describes the physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior of this huge marine mammal.

What happens when a jumping spider sees an insect that it wants to eat? First, the spider quietly creeps near it—like a cat. Then it leaps through the air and pounces on the victim. Jumping spiders can leap up to 40 times the length of their bodies. If people could do that, they would be able to jump over six school buses parked end to end! These are just some of the surprising facts that young readers will discover as they explore the unusual world of these hairy spiders. Large, eye-popping photographs and fascinating, grade-appropriate text will engage emergent and early readers as they learn about the natural habitat, diet, physical characteristics, and behavior of this unique invertebrate.