Books with author Mary Kay Carson

What was the Underground Railroad—and who traveled on it? Who was Harriet Tubman and what did she do? This gripping book tells kids all about the perilous journey to escape slavery and finally become free: how long it could take, where the fugitives hid, who helped them, how “stationmasters” sent secret messages, and other fascinating details of the legendary Underground Railroad.

In The Universe: From the Big Bang to Deep Space, students will learn about the origin of the universe and make observations about the natural world based off patterns and phenomena. Filled with fun facts, young learners will love exploring the scientific information and drawing conclusions about life now and in the future. The Inside Outer Space series takes readers on an intergalactic journey that unravels the mysteries of the universe. Each 24-page book informs readers in grades K–3 on the Sun, Earth, planets, and stars, while also igniting imaginations about the unknown. Stunning photographs and diagrams engage readers, while text-based questions aid in reading comprehension

From the everyday phenomena of wind and clouds to the awesome, destructive power of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes, children can explore weather in detail with this fascinating science activity book. Throughout the text instructions for building weather-measuring tools—barometers, psychrometers, anemometers, wind vanes, rain gauges, and thermometers—allow the reader to assemble them into a working weather station. More than 40 weather projects are included, such as building a model of the water cycle, creating a tornado in a bottle, calculating dew point, and reading a weather map. Most of the experiments also include ideas for expanding them into full-fledged science fair projects. Weather-related environmental issues are also addressed, such as global climate change, ozone depletion, and acid rain, as well as profiles of scientists working in the field of meteorology.

This activity book tells the amazing true story of how two bicycle-making brothers from Ohio, with no more than high-school educations, accomplished a feat that forever changed the world. At a time when most people still hadn’t ridden in an automobile, Wilbur and Orville Wright built the first powered, heavier-than-air flying machine. Woven throughout the heartwarming story of the two brothers are activities that highlight their ingenuity and problem-solving abilities as they overcame many obstacles to achieve controlled flight. The four forces of flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—and how the Wright brothers mastered them are explained in clear, simple text. Activities include making a Chinese flying top, building a kite, bird watching, and designing a paper glider, and culminate with an activity in which readers build a rubber-band-powered flyer. Included are photographs just released from the Wright brothers’ personal collection, along with diagrams and illustrations. The history of human flight and its pioneers, a time line, and a complete resource section for students are also provided.

The heroic struggles of the thousands of slaves who sought freedom through the Underground Railroad are vividly portrayed in this powerful activity book, as are the abolitionists, free blacks, and former slaves who helped them along the way. The text includes 80 compelling firsthand narratives from escaped slaves and abolitionists and 30 biographies of "passengers," "conductors," and "stationmasters," such as Harriet Tubman, William Still, and Levi and Catherine Coffin. Interactive activities that teach readers how to navigate by the North Star, write and decode a secret message, and build a simple lantern bring the period to life. A time line, reading list, glossary, and listing of web sites for further exploration complete this activity book. The Underground Railroad for Kids is an inspiring story of brave people compelled to act in the face of injustice, risking their livelihoods, their families, and their lives in the name of freedom.

Alexander Graham Bell invented not only the telephone, but also early versions of the phonograph, the metal detector, airplanes, and hydrofoil boats. This Scottish immigrant was also a pioneering speech teacher and a champion of educating those with hearing impairments, work he felt was his most important contribution to society. Bell worked with famous Americans such as Helen Keller and aviators Glenn Curtiss and Samuel P. Langley, and his inventions competed directly with those of Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers. This unique biography includes a time line, a list of online resources, and 21 engaging hands-on activities to better appreciate Bell's remarkable accomplishments. Kids will: Construct a Pie Tin Telegraph and a Pizza Box Phonograph "See" and "feel" sound by building simple devices Communicate using American Sign Language Send secret messages using Morse code Investigate the properties of ailerons on a paper airplane Build and fly a tetrahedral kite And more!

Who was Susan B. Anthony—what did she stand for, why was she arrested, and how did she fight for women's right to vote? And did she ever see her dream of woman's suffrage come true? From the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York, to the enactment of the 19th Amendment, this lively chronicle introduces Anthony and the American suffragist movement.

Tornadoes are the most violent storms on the planet-as these dramatic photographs and gatefolds vividly reveal. Young readers will get the inside scoop on tornadoes in this electrifying volume, filled with powerful before-and-after images of storm sites. They'll discover what makes a tornado, where they strike, and what scientists discover as they risk their lives driving equipment as close as possible to these storms. With first-person accounts of historic storms, fascinating facts on climate change and its potential effect on tornadoes, and hands-on activities, this book will fascinate curious readers.

Earth is the only planet in our solar system that is suitable for life. It has liquid water, oxygen, and enough gravity to hold its own atmosphere. But did you know that Earth is always changing? Scientists have used spacecraft and satellites to learn more about our planet. They can better predict natural disasters like hurricanes, and monitor volcano eruptions and climate changes. Learn lots of far-out facts about our home planet.