Books with author Mary C. Olson

Who makes the toys children play with every day in school and at home? What are the working conditions like for people who form part of the supply chain for the world's toy industry? This book looks at the impact our purchase of toys has on our lives and on the environment and asks how we can improve our lives and those of others with the things we buy.

This book explains what happens when an earthquake strikes. Readers will find out why earthquakes happen and how people can prepare for and survive earthquakes. Case studies of recent earthquakes, including the December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake which resulted in a tsunami, are examined to both explain the science of earthquakes and to convey the toll they take on people and land. Stunning color photos, maps, diagrams, and fact boxes make this subject come alive.

Poliomyelitis, better known as polio, is a crippling virus that can lead to paralysis or even death. A childhood vaccination program had diminished the incidence of polio worldwide to the point that scientists thought they had beaten it. They were wrong. Polio appears to be on the rise again. Disturbingly, some of the newly infected can spread the disease while not exhibiting the usual symptoms. How the virus spreads, the effect of vaccinations, the historical figures who battled the disease, and the future outlook for eradication are some of the varied topics of this captivating look at a terrible disease.

The Ironman triathlon competition is the ultimate test of endurance. Find out how competitors train and compete in such a gruelling event in this exciting photographic non-fiction report by Mary Colson.• Collins Big Cat Progress books are specifically designed for children at Key Stage 2 who have a Key Stage 1 reading level, giving them age-appropriate texts that they can read, building their confidence and fostering positive attitudes towards reading.• Text type: An information book• Curriculum links: P.E.

This title teaches readers how to stop dreaming about becoming an inventor--and take steps to make their dreams come true! Helpful tips for finding inspiration, keeping an ideas journal and always thinking about how to improve things will help your reader get inventing in no time! An activity at the end of the book encourages readers to invent their own board game and test it out.