Books in It's a Fact: Real Life Reads series

It's hard to believe when we see an ancient Egyptian mummy in a museum that it is the body of a real person who lived more than 5,000 years ago. But thanks to the skills of embalmers, or mummy makers, today we are able to look into the face of an ancient pharaoh or queen. What techniques were used to preserve bodies? What sacred rituals were performed? And what myths and legends did the ancient Egyptians believe about the afterlife?

In ancient Rome, highly trained gladiators faced each other in the Colosseum and fought to the death―for the entertainment of thousands of spectators. How did a man, or sometimes a woman, become a gladiator, though? How were gladiators trained? What weapons and equipment did they use? And is it true that some gladiators became famous―just like today's top sports stars?

Enter the terrifying, yet fascinating, world of a 17th century Caribbean pirate and discover what life was truly like aboard a pirate ship. Did pirates really have wooden legs and parrots? What weapons did they carry? And can it be true that these ruthless outlaws actually lived by a set of ship's rules and shared the treasure they stole equally between them?

You are alone and lost. You have no water. No food. No cell phone. No map. All you can see is a thick tangle of trees in every direction. Would you know how to survive in a jungle? This fantastic survival handbook combines adventure, real-life survival tactics, and fascinating facts about jungle habitats. What is the best way to catch rainwater? How do you stop ticks and leeches from attacking your body? How do you build a shelter using leaves and branches? And which jungle creatures can you eat, and which will eat you?

Did you know that there's a beetle that spends its days making balls of elephant dung, and then rolling them around? Or that African wild dogs will “serve up” a meal of regurgitated food for a hungry fellow pack member? Or that a male hippopotamus will swirl his tail like a pinwheel to spread his poop far and wide to mark his territory? In this gross fest of animal behavior, readers will be having so much fun reading about the horrible and bizarre that they won't even realize how much science is splattered, spread over, featured on every page!

Enter the dark and dangerous world of the medieval knight. Find out how these skilled warriors fought in bloody battles, riding on fierce warhorses trained to kick and bite their masters' enemies. See the weaponry and armor used by knights, learn how knights began their training at just 8 years old, and explore the everyday lives of these historic warriors who fought in return for castles and treasure. And for fun!

It sounds like something from a science-fiction movie, but today, many scientists are exploring the possibility that humans could one day live on the planet Mars. This fascinating book, packed with real-life space science, explores the latest ideas of the people who dream of colonizing another planet. How would we get to Mars? How would we breathe? What would we eat and drink? What would a home on Mars look like, and what would everyday life be like on a freezing-cold planet millions of miles from Earth?

Kitty may look like a fluffy, purring bundle of fur, but beneath that cuddly exterior lurks a skillful predator with incredible senses of hearing, sight, and smell. A predator with the grace of a ballerina and the speed, skills, and capabilities of a superhero. Packed with wow-factor science (and lots of cute kitties), this new IT'S A FACT! title explores how our pet cats perceive and move through their world with all the extraordinary powers and abilities of a movie superhero!

You are alone and lost. You have no water. No food. No cell phone. No map. All you can see is a thick tangle of trees in every direction. Would you know how to survive in a jungle? This fantastic survival handbook combines adventure, real-life survival tactics, and fascinating facts about jungle habitats. What is the best way to catch rainwater? How do you stop ticks and leeches from attacking your body? How do you build a shelter using leaves and branches? And which jungle creatures can you eat, and which will eat you?

Could a river in Thailand really be home to giant stingrays powerful enough to pull boats through the water? Do man-eating catfish truly lurk in murky waters waiting for a chance to swallow an unsuspecting swimmer or angler? In this book, look deep beneath the surface of rivers, lakes, and oceans worldwide and discover some truly bizarre, dangerous, and enormous fish. If you think sharks are the scariest members of the fish family, you've obviously never encountered an alligator gar or a giant tiger fish!

You are alone and lost. You have no water. No food. No cell phone. No map. The Sun is getting hotter and hotter. Would you know how to survive in a desert? This fantastic survival handbook combines adventure, real-life survival tactics, and fascinating facts about desert habitats. How can ants or bird droppings be a clue to a source of water? How do you build a shelter when there is nothing around but sand? And which desert animals are dangerous, and how can you avoid them?