Books in Great Explorers series

In 1532, after ascending the Andes Mountains, Francisco Pizarro led his soldiers to Cajamarca, Peru, to confront the leader of the Inca Empire. Greatly outnumbered, but equipped with superior weapons, the Spaniards surprised the Incas in the town square. Pizarro won a decisive victory killing thousands of Incas. This began Pizarro’s conquest of the Inca Empire in South America. Before his death, Pizarro amassed incredible wealth plundering the Incas’ treasures and established a Spanish colony in South America. Author Liz Sonneborn examines the life of this brutal conquistador.

Anyone who has ever looked at an insect with a magnifying glass knows that the world of these tiny creatures is fascinating. In Explorers: Insects and Creepy-Crawlies, readers get an up-close view of life in a wide variety of insect colonies through six beautifully illustrated story scenes that each examine a key aspect of entomological study-from insect homes, to reproduction, life in the water, hunting and gathering, and insects that fly. Once readers absorb the key elements of the story, they explore the science through photos and fact boxes on the following page. Young readers who are interested in specific themes such as can hop through the book following one of four special subject icons for a completely different reading experience

Explorers are designed to stimulate readers in the early elementary grades (ages7-10), who are beginning to exercise wider reading, research and cross-referencing skills. They can be read from page to page, or – as a fun extra element – the reader can follow special ‘page links' to access information on related topics. Six fabulous artwork scenes are each followed up with photographic information spreads, which provide extra detail and background.Starting with the question "What is weather?" Explorers: Weather by Deborah Chancellor, illustrated by Peter Bull takes readers on a metrologic journey around the world including a trip into the clouds, back to the ground as a tornado approaches, and into a flooded valley following a cyclone. At each step readers learn not only what forces create weather but also how Earth's many inhabitants (human and otherwise) have evolved to face it.

After traveling thousands of miles through wild storms and uncharted seas, with few supplies remaining, Vasco da Gama reached his destination—the coast of India. In 1498, he became the first European explorer to connect Europe and Asia by sea. Throughout his lifetime, da Gama would travel to India three times, developing trade posts, strengthening military power, and expanding the Portuguese Empire. Although he was known for his ruthless behavior, his important achievements made him a national hero and one of the great explorers in world history.