Books published by publisher Crabtree Publishing Company

A funny, playful salute to the power and importance of books from New York Times Best-selling Author Carmen Agra Deedy.When Sunrise Elementary School advertised for a thick-skinned librarian with a burning love of books, Miss Lotta Scales knew she was perfect for the job. Who could guard books better than a REAL dragon?Yet when she won’t let any of the children take a book from the shelves, the teachers form a delegation. Not even sweet Miss Lemon can convince Miss Lotta Scales that “the library belongs to the children.” Fortunately, when nearsighted Molly Brickmeyer stumbles onto a copy of Snuff the Magic Dragon and reads the tale out loud, her storytelling beckons the children back to the library and brings them face to face with the Library Dragon. Can an open book temper the flames of the school’s hotheaded librarian?This humorous tale full of clever dragon puns by New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy is paired with Michael P. White’s lively illustrations for an entertaining story about the power and importance of books for both children and adults.Teacher’s Guide available!

This innovative title explores the ways that critical thinking can be applied to problem solving in school, work, and social settings. Real-world examples and opportunities for hands-on practice support readers as they learn how to frame, analyze, and synthesize information. Readers are also encouraged to ask questions to clarify points of view, and apply other core skills essential to making complex choices and determining sound solutions.

The kingdom Protista includes organisms, most of them microscopic, which have both animal and plant features. With such a diversity of life forms in this grouping, the features of this kingdom are quite varied. This intriguing book shows how this group's unusal members are generally classified according to an absence of a feature, such as the lack of complicated cell structure. Learn about such exotic organisms as algae, dinoflagellates, radiolarians, amoebae, and slime moldsall of them protists. Case histories examine the importance of plankton to the marine food chains, innovative uses of protists by humans, and the role of protists in various diseases.

At the beginning of our family trip, I had complained about having to go to Mexico, especially for an entire summer. And going to summer school? No way. Why would anyone want to go to school and drive hundreds of miles to get there? Summertime was for sleeping late, eating lots and swimming, you name it, anything but school. I didn’t want to learn about a whole new country.Back then, in 1965, I knew nothing about Mexico. What would I discover? What would occur there? Would I even like it there?Without leaving the comfort of your own home, come along and experience this colorful tour of Mexico. Read through the pages of "Chronicles of an American Schoolgirl Mexico 1965" and enjoy your journey Mexico!

When sixteen-year-old Ice is visited by an evil spirit, his medicine man training warns him that things aren't right in his quiet Northern Minnesota town. His suspicions prove true when he's attacked by a Windigo--a human turned monster by a compulsive hunger for human flesh--and he soon discovers that a bad medicine charm is being used to spread the Windigo curse. The hunt is on to find the charm and the person using it before the town is overrun by cannibalistic monsters. Although the pieces of the puzzle come together to form an impossible conclusion, one which will challenge traditional belief and question numerous ritualistic items, Ice knows he must still reveal the truth. Because there are worse monsters than Windigos.In this fictional story of Native American mythology, male protagonist Ice races to learn the truth and protect local citizens from the Windigo.Heart of Ice is a prequel to the award-winning Thunderstone, Book One of the Legacy In Legend Series, by Barbara Pietron.

A resourceful chicken seeks the help of her farm animal friends to solve a problem, while giving something of herself along the way.Chicken really admires Scarecrow’s hat. Scarecrow would gladly trade his hat for a walking stick to rest his tired arms. Chicken doesn’t have a walking stick to trade―but she knows someone who does. This begins her quest to find items to trade among her farm friends, all to obtain a walking stick to swap for Scarecrow’s hat. But why does Chicken want an old straw hat?With bright watercolors and a gentle tone to keep readers captivated, this clever story written and illustrated by Ken Brown poses a problem and offers a creative solution that young children will delight in discovering.

"From video games and sports equipment, to cars and cleaning products, many of the things we use everyday were designed by engineers. This exciting title incorporates child-centered examples and engaging text to capture the readers' attention as they explore the connections between engineering, science, and technology, and discover how engineering impacts our day-to-day lives"--

A classroom favorite!An inspiring story of intergenerational friendship, activism, and how our actions can drastically impact our environment. “Harley’s appealing story shows readers that adults and children can connect in meaningful friendships, and reminds them that conservation can begin in their own backyards.” ―Kirkus ReviewsWhen his father takes a new job in Massachusetts, Ben Moroney must leave behind his best friend Tony, a western banded gecko named Lenny, and worst of all, the Arizona desert home he has loved and explored.Ben’s adjustment to his new environment is not going well until he unexpectedly finds a kindred spirit in his eccentric fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. Tibbets. She introduces him to the rare and elusive Eastern spadefoot toads that make their home on her rural property. When Ben discovers that Mrs. Tibbets’s land may be sold to developers, he knows he has to do something. As Ben’s obsession with saving the spadefoot toads’ habitat grows, his schoolwork and his relationships with his family and new friends suffer. But just when it seems things can’t get any worse, Ben finds a way to meet his responsibilities to the people around him and demonstrates the importance of even the smallest efforts to save the earth’s rapidly disappearing habitats.A beloved exploration of important environmental themes, this appealing middle grade novel comes from renowned storyteller and two-time Grammy Award winner Bill Harley.Green Earth Book Award (Children’s Fiction) – Newton Marasco FoundationTeacher’s Guide available!