Books with author Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson

Jack can’t believe what he’s hearing. His sister is being held hostage. Whoever snatched Ashley must have been following the Landons as they explored Death Valley National Park. But what do they want with Leesa? When Jack discovers why Leesa is on the run, he is determined to protect her. But how can he do that and save Ashley, too? One thing he knows for sure, failure is not an option.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

An invitation to study the declining bat population takes the Landons to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. With them is Sam, a young foster child. As Jack, Ashley, and Sam tour the underground wonders, a park worker suffers a seizure. The kids try to stay calm, but they know it will be a matter of only minutes before the candle burns down, leaving them in total darkness. It is definitely time to panic!

Vacationing in Hawaii, 12-year-old Jack and his almost 11-year-old sister Ashley snorkel and discover the island?s wildlife. Then they are swept up in a mystery with Danny, a young boy from Vietnam, who offers to take them exploring. While climbing Devastation Trail on the Kilauea Iki crater, they are chased by a mysterious woman in red with long black hair who shouts at them in Hawaiian. Is she Pele, come to exact her revenge because the kids ate ohelo berries without offering one to her first? Ashley is convinced that the woman is Pele, but Jack isn?t so sure, and Danny isn?t talking. If she?s not Pele, however, why did she chase them and how did she disappear into the lava cave? This fast-paced novel combines science, suspense, youthful camaraderie, Hawaiian history and culture, and breathtaking descriptions of the island?s natural landscapes and lava flows?a unique combination certain to capture youthful imaginations. A map that will help young readers picture the volcanoes at Hawaiian National Park is included.

An invitation to study the declining bat population takes the Landons to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. With them is Sam, a young foster child. As Jack, Ashley, and Sam tour the underground wonders, a park worker suffers a seizure. The kids try to stay calm, but they know it will be a matter of only minutes before the candle burns down, leaving them in total darkness. It is definitely time to panic!

Wildlife veterinarian Olivia Landon and her family are in Maine, investigating the mysterious strandings of marine mammals on the rocky beaches of Acadia National Park. With the family is 14-year-old Bindy Callister, a temporary ward who has been bullied by her older brother. Jack, Ashley, and Bindy come upon a baby humpback whale stranded in a rocky tidal pool and barely alive. During the complex rescue operation that follows, no one notices when Bindy wanders off. By the time Jack and Ashley find her, Bindy is acting very strange. She knows who’s causing the strandings but is afraid to tell. Jack and Ashley must get her to talk before more lives are endangered!

When a cougar attacks a hiker in Mesa Verde National Park, the Landons have another mystery on their hands. Jack and Ashley are used to visiting parks with their wildlife veterinarian mother and photographer father, but this time their hands are full with a foster child called Lucky Deal. As Lucky and Jack become friends, Ashley becomes suspicious: What did Lucky take from the burn site? Who did she call in the night? In a midnight showdown at Spruce Tree House, Jack realizes there's more to fear than a killer cat. Cliff-Hanger weaves Native American folklore, natural science, and geography into a heart-pounding thriller. The afterword by Will Morris, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services at Mesa Verde, outlines the dangers of cougar attacks and the need to protect wild animals.

Wildlife veterinarian Olivia Landon has been asked to help find the source of the lead shotgun pellets that are poisoning the few remaining California condors in Grand Canyon National Park. After she announces a plan, Olivia receives a death threat on her laptop. The plot soon thickens to involve the Landon kids, Jack and Ashley, and the family?s temporary ward?15-year-old Morgan Rogers, a rebellious self-proclaimed anarchist and computer buff. Tension mounts when the e-mail threat is almost carried out and Morgan is the only witness. The following investigation leads readers on a trip through Morgan?s cyberworld connections and builds to a thrilling conclusion.