Books in Reading Rainbow series

The incredible artwork of an Italian immigrant who followed his dream of monumental proportions in the impoverished Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles is revealed in this fascinating and engaging true story. Simon (Sam) Rodia had no formal engineering or architectural training. Yet, over the course of three decades, he constructed an artistic masterpiece in his own backyard – the Watts Towers. Using all kinds of things other people had thrown away, such as broken bottles and tiles, pieces of mirror and glass, seashells, and bits of pottery, he adorned the collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers. His imaginative salvaging and perseverance can be seen today, as people from all over the world still come to marvel at Sam’s dream.

What is a family?Who is a family?Either a lot or a few is a family;But whether there's ten or there's two in your family,All of your family plus you is a family!There is something for everyone in this celebration of families - poems about families of all sizes and configurations, about brothers and sisters, adoptees and stepsiblings, parents and grandparents, even a special ode to the only child. Both poems and Hafner's warm expressive illustrations convey the sense of what makes family life at once so wonderful and so unpredictable. Told from a child's point of view, the poems are perfect for reading alone or in the classroom and for family story times as well.

You probably drink milk at almost every meal. But have you ever wondered where it comes from? Cows eat special feed to make good milk. But after the cow is milked, there are still many steps the milk must go through before it reaches you. This book describes them all. And you'll be surprised to find how many other things you eat and drink come from milk, too. Gail Gibbon's unique style makes this a fascinating book for children and adults alike.

For thousands of years, in the jungles of the Amazon, shamans have passed their wisdom of the medicinal values of rain forest plants from one generation to the next. The Shaman's Apprentice tells the story of a Tirio Indian boy who dreams of one day being the tribal shaman, and how he and his people learn the importance of their own knowledge about the healing properties of the rain forest.

Join award-winning science writer Seymour Simon in this picture book introduction to storms! With clear, simple text and stunning full-color photographs, readers will learn all about the fascinating phenomenon that is a storm in this informative picture book! 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.Sixteen million storms occur every year, all around the world. Some drop more than 125 million gallons of water in just twenty minutes. Others give off more electrical energy than a city uses in a week.Perfect for young scientists’ school reports, this book supports the Common Core State Standards."A succinct, informative essay illuminated by magnificent photographs. The stunning visual portrayal of storms, accompanied by impressive factual data and clear explanations in crisp prose, is truly compelling." —Horn Book.Check out these other Seymour Simon books about Weather:EarthquakesGlobal WarmingHurricanesLightningTornadoesWeatherWildfires