Books in Into the Great Outdoors series

From salty seacoast to mountain forest, North Carolina is home to a colorful assortment of wildflowers. Look carefully and you'll find everything from tough, cheery dandelions to dainty spider lilies, from impressive dogwoods to shy wild ginger. In North Carolina Wildflowers, you'll learn fascinating facts about even the most common plants. For example, did you know that... Early settlers used the fluffy seeds of the butterflyweed to stuff their pillows. The sensitive spiderwort can warn people about the presence of dangerous pollution. Indians made bread and pancakes from the pollen of the cattail. The May-apple root is used to make medicine that removes warts. The state flower of North Carolina isn't really a flower at all. North Carolina Wildflowers is one of a series of state wildflower guides for children. Other books in the series feature Arizona, California, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, and Texas. Through them, you'll learn to appreciate the blossoms that decorate your favorite corner of the world.

About 1,800 different kinds of wildflowers splash their colors across the soggy wetlands, shady forests, and windy prairies of Minnesota. Look carefully and you'll find everything from dainty bluebells to tough stinging nettles, from fragrant lilies of the valley to stinky skunk cabbage, from insect-eating pitcher plants to delicious blueberries. In Minnesota Wildflowers you'll discover that even the most common wildflowers have interesting stories to tell. For example did you know that... Indians roasted the seeds of the yellow pond lily like popcorn. You can make candy, jelly, syrup, or tea from violet blossoms. Early peoples used the fluffy seeds of the butterfly weed to stuff pillows and decorate their hats. Queen Anne of England wore the blossom of the Queen Anne's lace on her collar instead of cloth lace. Other titles in the Interpreting the Great Outdoors series include California Wildflowers, Arizona Wildflowers, and Oregon Wildflowers. Through these books, you can learn to appreciate the blossoms that decorate your own favorite corner of the world.

Caves are one of the least explored places left on Earth, even though many caves are open to the public. Usually for a small fee, anyone can don a hardhat and step into an area that may be thousands of years in the making. Other caves are much harder to find and explore safely. Readers will learn about the adventure and danger involved in caving, and spelunking. They will also discover the science behind caves, including mineral formations and wildlife. Stunning photographs engage readers and provide a sense of what being a spelunker is like.