Books with author Heather Ross

From waste basket to landfill, a vertiginous descent into the mysteriously hellish world of trash. • The average American discards almost seven pounds of trash per day. • With only 5 percent of the global population, the U.S. consumes 30 percent of the planet's resources and churns out 30 percent of its wastes. • Garbage production in the United States has doubled in the last thirty years. • About 80 percent of U.S. products are used once, then thrown away. • 95 percent of all plastic, two-thirds of all glass containers, and 50 percent of all aluminum beverage cans are never recycled; instead they just get burned or buried. Every day a phantasmagoric rush of spent, used, and broken riches flows through our homes, offices, and cars. The United States is the planet's number-one producer of trash; each American discards over 2,600 pounds annually. But where does all that garbage go? In Gone Tomorrow, journalist Heather Rogers guides us through the grisly, oddly fascinating world of trash. Excavating the history of rubbish handling from the 1800s-an era of garbage-grazing urban hogs and dump-dwelling rag pickers-to the present, with its brutally violent mob-controlled cartels and high-tech rural "mega-fills" operated by billion-dollar garbage corporations, Rogers investigates the roots of America's waste-addicted culture. Gone Tomorrow also explores the politics of recycling, a popular but limited solution that, as Rogers points out, should only be seen as a first step toward much greater reform. Part exposé, part social commentary, this work traces the connections between modern industrial production, consumer culture, and our disposable lifestyle.

PURE GOLD is the biography – written as a novel – about a friend who I admired greatly for her courage and commitment during a life of adversity. It tells the story of a life filled with the grace of God, a life willing to be obedient to God, no matter what the cost. How many of us have asked the question “Why me, Lord?” You may well find yourself asking that same question after reading this story filled with compassion, hurt, anxiety, uncertainty, fear, turmoil and triumph. The question is, would you be willing to listen and to obey the voice of God or would you be one of those who would prefer the easy road? You need to read PURE GOLD to find that answer within yourself.

Readers will delight in the high-interest educational topics addressed in this book, which is aligned to the 3rd grade Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts. Age-appropriate language, vivid imagery, and a relatable narrative will grab students' attention, keeping them engaged while also equipping them with the skills they need to become thoughtful readers. This book provides additional learning opportunities through a graphic organizer, glossary, and index. Rosen Common Core Readers can be paired with the InfoMax Common Core Readers to provide another perspective to parallel topics. Readers will explore the science and history behind the telescope, gaining an understanding of how it works and how it can be used. This book satisfies CCSS English Language Arts Standards: RI.3.5. and L.3.2f.