Books with author Therese Shea

The Dead Sea might sound like a scary place to cool off on a hot day, but many people flock to its waters. The Dead Sea got its name because its salty waters can kill any fish or plants that try to live in it. However, scientists have just recently found a kind of bacteria that live on the seafloor. Readers will find out that some truly spooky things happen around this Middle Eastern lake, like sinkholes opening around its coastline! They'll also learn the science behind these weird happenings and gain an appreciation for an amazing natural resource.

Africanized honeybees, also known as killer bees, and army ants are both tiny animals that really strike fear in many people. In this action-packed volume, readers will follow along with a battle of the insects and decide who they think would be the ultimate victor. Readers will learn about factors such as adaptations, size, and sting. They'll use the information to make an educated guess about which insect they think would win if such a battle were to really break out. This imaginative, high-interest title is loaded with eye-catching graphics and facts that support important elementary science concepts.

Today, the US military has spy planes that can fly faster than the speed of sound, take panoramic photographs in the blink of an eye, and fly so high that no bomb can reach them. Its no wonder they want to keep their technology a secret. Readers take a thrilling peek into the world of secret missions and futuristic tools. They learn about the history of spy planes and the daring pilots that fly them. Accessible content will draw in military enthusiasts and James Bond fans alike. In-depth sidebars augment the text further, and colorful photographs of the latest plane models will engage readers throughout.

The Bigfoot Trail in northwestern California got its name because of hikers' accounts of glimpsing large, hairy, humanlike creatures living in this area. This book entices readers to come along on this forbidding trail, if they dare. The Bigfoot Trail is long but, because many parts aren't well traveled, hikers and readers get to experience a truly wild side of the United States. They'll learn about blood-sucking fish called lamprey, fierce creatures such as black bears and wolverines, and beautiful mountains, rivers, and valleys. If Bigfoot lives along this trail, it picked a perfect place to hide!

The concept of gamification turns healthy behaviors, such as losing weight or helping the environment, into a game that rewards success. This new and exciting niche in the game industry provides limitless opportunities for young people who are interested in the cutting edge of computers and technology, and how it interacts with daily life. This book does an excellent job of explaining exactly what gamification is by showing how technologies such as smartphones and apps are upending the way games are conceived and played. The reader is then introduced to specific examples of gamification concepts in the areas of environmentalism, education, health, and social causes. These include games that incentivize such behaviors exercising, recycling, and volunteering in the community. The examples illustrate the potential of this new concept in computer technology, sparking an interest in future computer scientists to jump into the field.

Born Wardell Stephen Curry II on March 14, 1988, in Akron, Ohio, Stephen Curry may be the best shooter in NBA history. He is an NBA champion, an MVP, and a player at the top of his game, and he uses his stardom to give back to the community. Readers will be fascinated by the story of this tremendous athlete, told with simple text and supplemented with color photos. A Words to Know section helps prepare readers for vocabulary in the text, and quotes from Curry himself allow readers to connect with this basketball star.

Africanized honeybees, also known as killer bees, and army ants are both tiny animals that really strike fear in many people. In this action-packed volume, readers will follow along with a battle of the insects and decide who they think would be the ultimate victor. Readers will learn about factors such as adaptations, size, and sting. They'll use the information to make an educated guess about which insect they think would win if such a battle were to really break out. This imaginative, high-interest title is loaded with eye-catching graphics and facts that support important elementary science concepts.