Books in Smithsonian series

Home is a long way from home!There are no refrigerators in space—think about it! Life on the International Space Station is well, another, way of life: you wake up in a sleeping bag tied to the wall; open a food package which keeps your meals from floating away, and then maybe go to work . . . walking in space! (And the toilet? That’s a story!) A lively reader about daily life on the ISS.

Join award-winning science writer Seymour Simon in this picture book introduction to lightning. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 6 to 8. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Lightning strikes the earth more than a hundred times every second. It's bright and dramatic, but it happens so fast that we rarely get a chance to see it. Now celebrated children's science writer Seymour Simon gives you an opportunity to take a closer look at lightning with clear explanations of what causes those bright flashes of light in a stormy sky.With clear, simple text and stunning full-color photographs, readers will learn all about lightning in this informative picture book.Perfect for young scientists’ school reports, this book supports the Common Core State Standards.Check out these other Seymour Simon books about weather and natural disasters:EarthquakesGlobal WarmingHurricanesStormsTornadoesWeatherWildfires

Primate Power! What's got long red hair, toes that work like thumbs, arms longer than its legs, swings from tree branch to tree branch, and can even use an iPad? The amazing orangutan! Smithsonian's National Zoo is actively working to help save this endangered primate. Curious about how? Check out this 8 x 8 filled with full-color photos and lively text about how orangutans live and how the Zoo provides for their enrichment and survival.

The perfect election-year activity book from Smithsonian.It all started with George Washington . . . as does this cool activity book that looks at each of the United States presidents and what was notable—or notorious—about their terms. Filled with facts, photos, puzzles, mazes, word games, and other fun activities, plus a full-color sticker page and press-out, build-your-own Oval Office cards.

Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis. Headline-making natural disasters with devastating consequences for millions of people. But what do we actually know about these literally earth-shaking events? New York Times bestselling author, explorer, journalist, and geologist Simon Winchester—who’s been shaken by earthquakes in New Zealand, skied through Greenland to help prove the theory of plate tectonics, and even charred the soles of his boots climbing a volcano—looks at the science, technology, and societal impact of these inter-connected natural phenomena. A master nonfiction storyteller, Winchester digs deep into the powerful natural forces that shape the earth, exploring the how and why of world-changing events from the 19th-century’s infamous volcanic eruption at Krakatoa and the earthquake that flattened San Francisco, to the 21st-century tsunamis that devastated Indonesia and Japan. It’s a gripping story about what happens when our seemingly unmovable planet shakes, explodes, and floods—all richly illustrated with fascinating historical and stunning contemporary photographs.

Learn about Bei Bei the panda and his home at the National Zoo. This STEAM book for kindergarten makes it easy for parents and teachers to introduce STEAM to their youngest learners. Created in collaboration with Smithsonian, this book uses real-world examples to make STEAM topics easier to understand. It features an age-appropriate STEAM activity that is perfect for makerspaces and introduces kindergartners to the steps of the engineering design process. It helps beginning readers learn to read and is ideal for kindergarten students or ages 4-6.

Includes Book and Gigantic 100-Piece Model! Learning takes on an extra dimension with this Make Your Own Skeleton kit. Assemble the model skeleton while learning about different parts of the human body — feet and legs, hips, spine, ribs, arms, head, and jaws — in the accompanying book. Following easy step-by-step instructions, Make Your Own Skeleton blends model-making with anatomy and behavior, teaching children about the human body in a whole new way.

Come on into America's most famous home! Everybody knows the building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It's the White House, home to US presidents, first ladies, first children, and even first pets! But aren't you curious: why is the house white (and how many gallons of paint keep it that way)? Who built the place? How many rooms are in there and what are they used for? Where does the president work? Where does the first family live? Is there really a bowling alley in the White House? The lively text and interesting photographs in this fact-filled 8 x 8 will answer all these questions and more about daily life in the most famous house in America.

Travel the near and far reaches of the solar system in this lively, beautifully illustrated Smithsonian nonfiction book!Ready for a wondrous celestial journey? How about a trip to our close neighbor Mars, home to the largest volcano in the solar system? Or to Europa, a watery lunar world with a really deep ocean? Or beyond the beyond to mysterious Planet 9, an unseen giant lurking in the far outer regions of space?This extraordinary book puts you right there: breaking through colorful gaseous hazes; exploring the surface of red-hot or ice-cold planets; hurtling through rings of flying, frozen ice chunks; and rocketing on out to deep space. Astronomer David Aguilar is our navigator on these seven wonderful trips through our solar system—journeys that someday may actually happen! The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION is the world’s largest museum and research complex. Founded in 1846, it includes nineteen museum and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities. Its vast collections house 138 million artifacts, specimens, and works of art, which represent our nation’s rich heritage, art from across the globe, and the immense diversity of the natural and cultural world.

There's Something New at the National Zoo Is there anything cuter than a baby panda? Bao Bao, the National Zoo’s new cub, was officially introduced to the world in January 2014, after a formal naming ceremony—and this photo- and fact-filled book will introduce kids to Bao Bao’s world! The lively and accessible reader looks at the zoo’s panda habitat, the panda parents and their newest little cub, and how Bao Bao is cared for by the zoo handlers.

The world of insects is buzzing all around us! Learn more in this new easy Level 3 Smithsonian reader. We share our world with all kinds of flying, crawling, buzzing, even biting insects--in fact there are more of them than us! Drawing on material from the Smithonian's Insect Zoo, with its live insect exhibits, this lively, accessible reader uses exciting photographs and reader-friendly text to explore insect life all around us.