Best Selling Books by Melissa Stewart

Introduces the components of soil, patterns of change, and erosion.

Prolific, award-winning nonfiction author Melissa Stewart reveals the surprising ways seashells provide more than shelter to the mollusks that inhabit them. Young naturalists discover thirteen seashells in this elegant introduction to the remarkable versatility of shells. Dual-layered text highlights how shells provide more than a protective home in this expository nonfiction exploration. The informative secondary text underscores characteristics specific to each shell. Elegant watercolor illustrations create a scrapbook feel, depicting children from around the world observing and sketching seashells across shores.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Everyone loves chocolate, right? But how many people actually know where chocolate comes from? How it’s made? Or that monkeys do their part to help this delicious sweet exist? This delectable dessert comes from cocoa beans, which grow on cocoa trees in tropical rain forests. But those trees couldn’t survive without the help of a menagerie of rain forest critters: a pollen-sucking midge, an aphid-munching anole lizard, brain-eating coffin fly maggots—they all pitch in to help the cocoa tree survive. A secondary layer of text delves deeper into statements such as "Cocoa flowers can’t bloom without cocoa leaves . . . and maggots," explaining the interdependence of the plants and animals in the tropical rain forests. Two wise-cracking bookworms appear on every page, adding humor and further commentary, making this book accessible to readers of different ages and reading levels. Back matter includes information about cocoa farming and rain forest preservation, as well as an author’s note.

Once upon a time...children''s nonfiction books were stodgy, concise, and not very kid friendly. Most were text heavy, with just a few scattered images decorating the content and meaning, rather than enhancing it. Over the last 20 years, children''s nonfiction has evolved into a new breed of visually dynamic and engaging texts.In 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children''s Books , Melissa Stewart and Dr. Marlene Correia present a new way to sort nonfiction into five major categories and show how doing so can help teachers and librarians build stronger readers and writers. Along the way, they: Introduce the 5 kinds of nonfiction: Active, Browseable, Traditional, Expository Literature, and Narrative -;and explore each category through discussions, classroom examples, and insights from leading children''s book authorsOffer tips for building strong, diverse classroom texts and library collections. Provide more than 20 activities to enhance literacy instructionInclude innovative strategies for sharing and celebrating nonfiction with students.With more than 150 exemplary nonfiction book recommendations and Stewart and Correia''s extensive knowledge of literacy instruction, 5 Kinds of Nonfiction will elevate your understanding of nonfiction in ways that speak specifically to the info-kids in your classrooms, but will inspire all readers and writers.

Provides an overview of soil, discussing its formation, composition, and uses.

Explains what atoms are and how they are combined to form elements that are important to everyday life.

Introduces the characteristics and importance of the five senses through text, illustrations, and activities.

Explains the concept of motion and how it affects the things we do.

Fun and facts for children from one of the most trusted names in learning: the Smithsonian Institution.

"An examination of the phenomena and scientific principles behind plant growth"--Provided by publisher.

Identifies seven different butterflies through a series of questions and answers. On board pages.

Learn all about robots and how they are used.

Tells the story of how biologists unlocked the secrets of cells and revolutionized the way we look at living things.

"Explains to young readers how to tell the difference between insects and spiders"--Provided by publisher.

"Learn about everything from early arthropods to dinosaurs and early humans. Read jokes about all of these topics, and learn how to write your own"--Provided by publisher.

Your mouth contains more bacteria than a dog''s. Money is covered with germs that can make you sick. The germs in a sneeze travel only an arm''s length. You may have heard these common sayings or beliefs before. But are they really true? Can they be proven through research? Let''s investigate seventeen statements about the microscopic world and find out which ones are right, which ones are wrong, and which ones stump even the experts! Find out whether millions of tiny creatures are living under your bed! Discover whether bacteria cause the common cold! See if you can tell the difference between fact and fiction with Is That a Fact?

"Discover how different animals use their tails to keep their balance, swim, and more"--

Readers will learn some fascinating science facts about rocks, including gems, volcanoes, and mountains, then learn some seriously silly jokes. There is even a section of the book that teaches readers to write their own jokes about rocks, minerals, and soil.

Do your readers know that an elephant can use its trunk to pick up tree branches? Or that polar bears have the best sense of smell of any animal on Earth? Readers learn all about how animals use their noses to hunt, breathe, and stay safe.

"Discover how different animals use their eyes to hunt, scare other animals, or stay safe"--Provided by publisher.