Books with author Derek Miller

Since builders broke ground on the first skyscraper in 1884, engineers and architects have continued to pioneer exciting innovations as they literally reach for the sky. Give your readers an in-depth look at the science, technology, engineering, and math concepts that make skyscrapers possible. Students will learn how elevators work, why tall buildings can make visitors seasick, how dampening systems keep skyscrapers upright, and much more through this fascinating book.

Since builders broke ground on the first skyscraper in 1884, engineers and architects have continued to pioneer exciting innovations as they literally reach for the sky. Give your readers an in-depth look at the science, technology, engineering, and math concepts that make skyscrapers possible. Students will learn how elevators work, why tall buildings can make visitors seasick, how dampening systems keep skyscrapers upright, and much more through this fascinating book.

At top speeds of more than 250 miles per hour, high-speed trains are designed to carry passengers over long distances quickly and safely. Readers will explore how trains have evolved over time and how special tracks, powerful motors, and physics come together to get travelers where they want to go. Readers are encouraged to think critically about how trains stay on their tracks and how high-speed trains handle extreme friction. They'll be enthralled to learn about new advances like maglev trains, which use magnets to levitate.

For thousands of years, humans have used machines to accomplish tasks more efficiently and often to complete tasks people simply can't do on their own. Now, modern technology allows inventors to design robots capable of amazing feats that used to seem unthinkable. This cool book examines how automation revolutionized the world in the 1940s and has grown and changed over time. Readers learn how cutting-edge factories use robots, and the latest information about self-driving cars and drones. They'll evaluate the problems that robots solve, like disaster cleanup and exploring uninhabitable areas in outer space. This book also looks at what's next in the field of robotics, including lifelike social robots and advanced machine learning.

Experts in the field of information science, librarians do much more than manage the checking out of books. This guidebook explores how librarians create welcoming, inclusive hubs in our communities and draw on their extensive training to help patrons solve problems, answer questions, and enjoy the world of books and reading. This book features descriptions of the tech tools that librarians use and new technologies available to community members in many libraries, including 3D printers and exciting software.

At both the state and federal level, vetoing laws is an essential form of checks and balances. Vetoing Laws demonstrates the ins and outs of how laws are vetoed, what happens after a veto, and why wielding vetoes has both symbolic and tangible implications. The book also employs primary sources to describe the origin of the veto, in accordance with the aims of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards. Modern examples of vetoes are included, such as President Obama's veto of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

What's the difference between skin and scales? Why do some animals live inside a hard shell? Early readers will learn about the diverse body coverings that allow animals to survive in their various environments, from the jungle to the ocean. Using simple language and close text-to-image correlation, this book introduces children to the fascinating ways animals' bodies have evolved to thrive in different parts of the world.

The president's ability to issue executive orders is a process steeped in misconceptions. This must-have volume looks at the history of this important executive power, explains executive orders that have had wide-ranging effects, and demonstrates the legal limits of the president's power. With emphases on checks and balances put in place by the U.S. Constitution and responses from Congress and the Supreme Court to past executive orders, the book covers the objectives of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards. Contemporary examples of executive orders, such as President Trump's orders related to immigration, provide background knowledge about key debates today.

Taxes are often regarded as a dreaded topic, but in reality, the revenue from taxes is what keeps the United States government running. Money from taxes helps the government to provide essential services, such as schools, roads, and Social Security benefits. Through accessible explanations that align with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards, this volume illustrates how the president, Congress, and the IRS work together to fund the federal government, as well as the people and processes behind state and local taxes. This book paints a vivid and engaging picture of the people who levy taxes and legislate tax reforms, imparting the necessity of tax collection.

Through exciting photographs and carefully tailored vocabulary, this book introduces young readers to the ways animals eat, drink, taste, and make sounds. Beginning readers will explore the functions of mouths, teeth, and tongues across species, learning the ways these body parts help animals to survive. This book demonstrates how these structures have evolved to best serve the specific diets and habitats of different animals.

Through exciting photographs and carefully tailored vocabulary, this book introduces young readers to the ways animals eat, drink, taste, and make sounds. Beginning readers will explore the functions of mouths, teeth, and tongues across species, learning the ways these body parts help animals to survive. This book demonstrates how these structures have evolved to best serve the specific diets and habitats of different animals.