New Releases by Ruth Owen

Thereu0092s more to making St. Patricku0092s Day crafts than the color green! Of course, this craft book with a St. Patricku0092s Day theme features plenty of green, but readers are also led through making shamrock necklaces and bracelets, leprechaun hats filled with candy gold coins, and a u0093reach the rainbowu0094 marble maze game made from Q-tips! Each project includes detailed step-by-step instructions and lots of opportunities for readers to use their own creativity to make designs that are special and individual.

When an abandoned 20-story building needs to be safely demolished and reduced to 80,000 tons of rubble, who do you call? Master blasters! These are the engineers who use precisely placed explosives to blast new subway tunnels under cities and demolish skyscrapers, towers, and bridges. Readers will discover how explosives engineers use science, math, and technology to plan and execute intricate sequences of explosions in demolition and construction projects. Told in a lively narrative style, this book includes firsthand accounts of the daily work of master blasters, entertaining anecdotes, cool facts, and behind-the-scenes images. Readers will also get the chance to try out fun math and engineering projects.

Readers will wow their friends and family with mind-boggling magic tricks! This book holds all the tips and secrets behind amazing magic tricks from disappearing coins to floating ketchup. No special equipment is needed—only close reading of the instructions and lots of practice. The directions are clear and easily accessible for beginner magicians, while pictures of each step allow readers to visualize the process. This book is perfect for creative illusionists who want to add a bit of magic to their day!

In ancient Rome, highly trained gladiators faced each other in the Colosseum and fought to the death—for the entertainment of thousands of spectators. How did a man, or sometimes a woman, become a gladiator, though? How were gladiators trained? What weapons and equipment did they use? And is it true that some gladiators became famous—just like today''s top sports stars?

Though people don’t often think of plants as needing to defend themselves, this book will illuminate the many ways that plants have developed defense mechanisms through subtle change over time. From prickly cactus spines to color changing and camouflage, varied adaptations of several plant species are covered. The illustrative labeled photos bring this fascinating topic to life and reinforce the concepts readers have learned.

Flowers are more than just beautiful, fragrant objects for our enjoyment. Pink petals, green stems, dark unfurling leaves: though we have seen them countless times, do we truly know what they are there for? In this title, readers will learn in detail the many parts of a plant.

Millions of miles from Earth, a very unusual scientist is hard at work exploring the freezing, dusty surface of the planet Mars. Curiosity, the robot geologist, is one in a long line of robots that have visited some of our solar system''s most inhospitable places. In this fascinating title, we look at space robots from the past and those at work today. What are their missions? What tasks can they do? And how does it feel to be the human here on Earth who controls a high-tech robot on a faraway planet?

We crunch up fruit, cereal, pizza, vegetables, and many other foods. And then, somehow, all that food gives us energy. From chewing to digesting, to going to the bathroom, our teeth, stomach, intestines, and many other body parts work together to turn food into fuel for our bodies. In What Happens When I Eat? the body parts and processes involved in eating and digestion are explored through a child''s everyday actions and experiences. Fascinating facts are woven into lively, accessible step-by-step explanations delivering solid science in a way that''s perfectly suited to the book''s Grade 2 readership.

We get warm and cozy under a quilt and drift off to sleep. As we rest, however, our bodies are still hard at work, processing dinner, repairing damaged skin, and growing bones and muscles. All night, every night, as we sleep and dream, our lungs keep breathing in and out, blood races around our body, our brains are busy organizing thoughts and experiences from the day, and repairs are being made ready for whatever tomorrow brings. In What Happens When I Sleep? the body parts and processes that keep on going all night are explored in detail. Fascinating facts are woven into lively, accessible step-by-step explanations, delivering solid science in a way that''s perfectly suited to the book''s Grade 2 readership.

Astronomers have been studying the night sky for thousands of years. Today, technology including space telescopes, rovers, and deep-space probes makes astronomy a truly exciting field. Young readers may be inspired to help solve the mysteries of our universe when they grow up.

Could half-human, half-ape creatures really roam the Himalayan Mountains and the forests of North America? If tales of Bigfoot, Yeti, and Sasquatch are just stories, why do so many people report seeing these monsters in remote areas around the world? What would it be like to come upon a footprint of the Abominable Snowman or catch sight of Mothman, and how can you tell if the creature lurking down the path is part human and part beast? In Half-Human Monsters and Other Fiends, young readers will read historical stories and modern-day accounts of encounters with half-human monsters. Kids will get all the facts they need to help them spot Bigfoot, Mothman, ghouls, and other supernatural creatures. Children will also investigate the truth behind the stories, exploring the fears and superstitions of different cultures and looking at the scientific facts that might explain the seemingly unexplainable. If you love a nerve-racking story but also want to investigate the truth behind the myths, this is the book for you!

Looks at the history of vampire lore, famous vampires, and possible explanations.

Could a human being really come back from the dead to feed on human flesh and brains? If myths about zombies and other walking dead are just fictional stories, why have so many people claimed to have witnessed the return of the dead from the grave? What would it be like to become a zombie, and how can you tell if the person stumbling toward you with glassy eyes and outstretched arms is one of the living dead? In Zombies and Other Walking Dead, children will read historical stories and modern-day accounts of zombie encounters and get all the information they need to protect themselves from these frightening creatures. Children will also investigate the truth behind zombie stories and examine how the fears and superstitions of different cultures might explain the origins of zombie myths. Kids will also look at the scientific facts that might explain the seemingly unexplainable. If you love a spine-tingling horror story but also want to investigate the truth behind these myths, this is the book for you!

Apes are fascinatingu0097whether theyu0092re swinging from the trees or making crude tools to gather food. Readers will discover many informative, fun facts about apes with easy-to-follow text. Bright, colorful photographs will engage even the most reluctant of readers.

Step-by-step instructions for origami Easter decorations.

Describes how galaxies are formed and their different types, with details on the Milky Way and other well-known galaxies which have been seen through the Hubble Telescope.

Presents information about orangutans and how they demonstrate intelligence by using tools, finding food, using plants for medicine, and imitating humans.

Reveals the human body as a habitat for an array of organisms that are both helpful and harmful.

These cat-sized bundles of fur with big, bushy tails are as adorable as they are smelly! Skunk families make their dens in hollow logs, in holes they’ve dug underground, or sometimes they just decide to live under houses or in sheds. They tend to live in forested areas but also inhabit towns and cities throughout North America. And if anyone has a problem with that, they get a quick spray of skunk juice! Through gorgeous pictures and simple text, readers will see how the cute little kits learn about hunting and how to live on their own in this coming-of-age introduction to baby skunks.

The North Pole is home to few mammals—it is far too cold for most to survive. Luckily, polar bears have a thick layer of fat and a heavy fur to keep them warm in this climate. In this unforgiving world, the bears dig dens in the snow to survive each winter. Inside, where they stay until spring, the mother bear’s cubs are born. When the weather has warmed up enough for the bears to come outside, the mother takes her cubs along as she hunts for food. Readers will see how the cubs learn to wait by holes in the ice for seals to pop up, or swim through the icy water to find their prey—and eventually learn to live and hunt on their own. Combining colorful photos and clear, simple text, this coming-of-age introduction to polar bear cubs is sure to delight emergent readers.

If you had to make your own shelter, could you? Could you create an oven or a refrigerator that doesn’t use electricity? When it comes to learning how to rough it, this book is all anyone needs. Fun, inventive, and simple projects, explained in simple steps and photo-illustrated, will captivate the most reluctant of readers.

One can change its color and texture; the other has tooth-like structures in each sucker; and both have beak-like mouths. With this book’s concise anatomy breakdowns, wealth of detailed information, and array of impressive underwater photographs, readers will become familiar with the similarities and differences between the giant squid and octopus.