Books in Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 series

Join Sy Montgomery as she travels far and wide in search of the golden moon bear. Along with her research companions, she delves deep into the jungles of the Elephant Mountains, visits the bustling streets of Cambodian cities, explores remote villages, and attends a Club Med for bears in Thailand—all while carrying marshmallows and tweezers for her encounters with the bears along the way. The quest for the golden moon bear takes us on an exhilarating journey and chronicles the detective work and science behind tracking a new species in a different part of the world, where bears are kept as pets and where sometimes things aren’t quite what they seem . . .

Far to the north along the Pacific coast of Canada lies an area where abundant rainfall nourishes everything from bright green grasses and colorful wildflowers to ancient, towering cedar, spruce, and sitka trees. This rainforest is the perfect habitat for salmon and a wide variety of birds, insects, and animals, most notably a unique type of black bear called the spirit bear, which is sometimes clothed in creamy white fur and has become legendary among the First Nation people who live in the region. Noted naturalist Dorothy Hinshaw Patent describes the elusive spirit bear and its home, which is in danger of being destroyed by loggers and settlers as they clear-cut the ancient forests for lumber. Every part of the delicate ecosystem is threatened. But steps are now being taken to set aside a protected spirit bear sanctuary—a living museum where people could come and see the spirit bear’s realm. The beautiful, detailed watercolors by Deborah Milton will transport readers to this magnificent yet vanishing region.

Step back in time 124 million years to Liaoning, China, and see what life was like in this ancient ecosystem. Follow several recently discovered dinosaur species through a typical day, as they feed, fight, hunt, and try to survive.Scientific sculptor and illustrator Gregory Wenzel takes readers inside the world of the feathered dinosaurs and sheds light on the link betweeen dinosaurs and birds.

One hundred million years ago, the skies were filled with enormous flying reptiles. With wings spans up to nearly forty feet, pterosaurs were the dominant life form on earth. The relationship of these giants of the air to dinosaurs and to other reptiles, their varied appearance and lifestyles, their evolution and extinction, the fossil discoveries that scientists are continually making throughout the world—all are depicted in this beautifully illustrated, accessible book for young scientists and their parents and teachers. Once again, acclaimed science author Caroline Arnold and meticulous watercolorist Laurie Caple have teamed up to create an eye-opening look at an amazing group of prehistoric animals and what the world was like when these incredible creatures ruled the skies of earth. Index.

To human eyes, the remote Aleutian Islands of Alaska look barren and rocky. The waters seem frigid, the high, sweeping winds intolerable, and the seas rolling. Yet to seabirds of the northern hemisphere, these waters are idyllic, a mosaic of habitats teeming with underwater food and alive with currents of wind for soaring. Join Sophie Webb on a voyage in search of seabirds. Just as she did with her award-winning My Season with Penguins, she once again inspires our curiosity. As she watches for, writes about, and paints the graceful mottled petrel, the huge black-footed albatross, or the clownish tufted puffin, she makes tangible the delicacy yet hardiness of these seabirds—creatures that have been on the earth much longer than humans yet remain vulnerable to disturbances in the health of the ocean.

Have you ever wished that you could unwrap a mummy? Imagine examining the skin, bones, even muscles and organs of a person who lived thousands of years ago! Cutting-edge technology is revealing more than ever before about these amazing relics from human history. Modern crime lab technology can reveal whether a mummy was killed or died of natural causes. X-rays can help us discover a mummy’s age and identity, and DNA samples are even helping scientists find today’s living relatives of Incan mummies. In the most fascinating topic she’s unraveled in her Outside and Inside series, Sandra Markle reunites us with our ancient ancestors through fascinating text and jaw-dropping photographs.

A young boy encounters some fascinating facts — and even more intriguing questions — aobut Tyrannosaurus rex in this lively ode to curiosity.It began with an egg!What size was the egg?The egg was as big as your head . . . maybe.Don't you know? Why don't you know?It was millions and millions of years ago!A grandson and granddad are touring the special T. rex exhibit, and there are so many things the young boy must know. Was the dinosaur egg in a nest? How did this T. rex grow? Did he track down live prey? The boy is intrigued to learn that as much as we know for sure about the greatest meat-eating dinosaur of them all, there is even more left for us to find out. Could the boy himself someday make those discoveries?

I walked on the moon. This is my journey. But it didn't begin when I stepped on board Apollo 11 on July 1, 1969. It began the day I was born. Becoming an astronaut took more than education, discipline, and physical strength. It took years of determination and believing that any goal is possible—from riding a bike alone across the George Washington Bridge at age ten to making a footprint on the Moon. I always knew the Moon was within my reach—and that I was ready to be on the team that would achieve the first landing. But it was still hard to believe when I took my first step onto the Moon's surface. We all have our own dreams. This is the story of how mine came true.