Monday, October 31, 2011

The Alligator's Super Sense, and More.

It's Nonfiction Monday! I have something different today. I want to share the good news that my article “The Alligator’s Super Sense” has been published on the November 2011 issue of “Highlights” magazine. (Look for the little alligator at the bottom left of the cover) The discovery of how alligators and other crocodilians ‘feel’ their prey nearby is a tribute to a scientist’s curiosity and perseverance. Dr. Daphne Soares worked with baby alligators, getting her share of bites from the tiny, but sharp, teeth, and uncovered one of the reasons alligators have survived before, during and after the dinosaurs and through major extinction events. I hope her story engages young lady budding scientists everywhere.
For educators looking to introduce or discuss more about amazing crocodilians, I suggest “Alligators and Crocodiles! Strange and Wonderful”, by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Meryl Henderson.
And to top it off, check “Highlights’” online complementary feature for my article about the magnetic sense. This combo of three, the article, the book and the online feature, is a good start for educators and all interested in animal senses, science in action, and learning more about some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet: the outstanding crocodilians.
Visit more Nonfiction Monday blogs today at Jean Little Library.
And, as usually, I invite you to visit my website.

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Alligator’s Super Sense, and more.

Welcome to S.T.E.M. Friday! I have something different today. I want to share the good news that my article “The Alligator’s Super Sense” has been published on the November 2011 issue of “Highlights” magazine. (Look for the little alligator at the bottom left of the cover) The discovery of how alligators and other crocodilians ‘feel’ their prey nearby is a tribute to a scientist’s curiosity and perseverance. Dr. Daphne Soares worked with baby alligators, getting her share of bites from the tiny, but sharp, teeth, and uncovered one of the reasons alligators have survived before, during and after the dinosaurs and through major extinction events. I hope her story engages young lady budding scientists everywhere.
For educators looking to introduce or discuss more about amazing crocodilians, I suggest “Alligators and Crocodiles! Strange and Wonderful”, by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Meryl Henderson.
And to top it off, check “Highlights’” online complementary feature for my article about the magnetic sense. This combo of three, the article, the book and the online feature, is a good start for educators and all interested in animal senses, science in action, and learning more about some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet: the outstanding crocodilians.
Visit more S.T.E.M. Friday blogs today at NC Teacher Stuff.
And, as usually, I invite you to visit my website.

Monday, October 24, 2011

How to Befriend a Crocodile

Welcome to Nonfiction Monday! I recently read “How to Clean a Hippopotamus: a Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships” by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page and discovered some collaborations I did not know. I loved that! Take the symbiosis between the tiny boxer crab that holds a small anemone on each of its little claws and uses them as ‘boxing gloves’ to deter a hungry grouper that wants to eat the crab. I was fascinated also by the team work of badgers and wolves to catch the elusive prairie dogs. These are just two examples of Jenkins’s style illustrated engaging book. For the more science-hungry readers, the back matter is satisfying with complementary information and more sources. I loved the authors’ symbiotic description on the flap and their silhouettes at the bottom. Do you have a symbiotic relationship with a person or a companion animal? (Besides your own in-house bacterial flora and other creatures …)
The book is available on hardcover and for Kindle.
“How to Clean a Hippopotamus: a Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships”, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-547-24515-7

Check other intriguing books in Nonfiction Monday today at Apple with Many Seeds.


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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More!

Welcome to S.T.E.M. Friday! Get ready to tag along with marine scientists and see what they see, follow their experiments, and uncover the secrets of deep-sea mammals.
Ah, the deepest seas … They are still a mysterious place full of surprises. Every time a scientific expedition returns home, it brings new animals and plants, and amazing stories of how those creatures have adapted to their constantly changing environment. In “Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More”, readers, scientists, and their animal partners embark on an exciting adventure that will reveal some of the secrets of dolphins, killer whales, harbor seals, and Weddell seals. You will find out what killer whale Kasatka and her calf Nakai “don’t do” to survive the first weeks after the baby is born. Popolo the dolphin will reveal to scientists and readers how he manages to dive for long periods of time. Henry the harbor seal will show you why murky, dark waters are no problem for him to find a meal and Weddell seals will flush out a nice fish for you! With research color photos, a hands-on activity, and enough references to satisfy eager-for-more readers, “Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More” will bring you closer to the mysterious ocean. I invite you to visit my website to find more secrets revealed in this series of books: Animal Secrets Revealed!

“Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More,” Enslow, 200, ISBN: 978-0-7660-2957-6
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Visit more blogs today on S.T.E.M. Friday at Growing with Science Blog.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

"Don't Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth."

The Middle Ages has what it takes to appeal to young readers: a “yuck" factor. And this is big in Carmen Bredeson’s “Don’t Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth. Could you Survive Medieval Medicine?”Just released and available through the publisher and Amazon.com, you can find both the library and the paperback editions. This entertaining and “nose-wrinkling” read includes topics worth discussing in science, history and social studies classes. What and when were the Middle Ages? Why people did not care about filth? What belief was behind the practice of drilling a hole or holes in the head “of a person suffering from headaches”? Flowing text, mind-boggling facts are very well matched with colorful, humorous, and expressive illustrations by Gerald Kelly, “Don’t Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth” will transport readers to a time when life and medicine were very different from today’s. Just a warning. If you scoff at medieval time’s practices, just think about what 24th Century people will think of us!

Check the other books in this series here

"Don’t Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth. Could you Survive Medieval Medicine?", Enslow Publishers, 2012.

Visit Nonfiction Monday today at Simply Science for more useful nonfiction sources.

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Ants Are Smart

It’s S.T.E.M. Friday! Join us and enjoy learning about the mysteries of science, the wonders of technology, the ingenuity of engineering, and the usefulness of math. “Secret of the Plant-killing Ants” is mostly about the ants’ fascinating ability to communicate and work together in a way quite familiar to us. Ants have “business cards”, ants go to school, they are dedicated gardeners, and they work as an army of one. Scientists are now discovering more and more behaviors that were not even considered years ago, but now it’s clear more than ever that the word ‘impossible’ should not be in a scientist’s vocabulary. Look at the book cover, for example. It doesn’t seem that much is going on, but these two ants are having a sort of conversation in which important information is exchanged. It’s much more than just “Hi!” Both ants want to know “Are you from my nest?” “What is your job?” “Can you tell me where food is located?” “Where is home?” And ants really know how to work together. I was simply amazed when I read about ants plugging gaps and holes on the ground with their bodies to make a ‘bridge’ over which the rest of the colony will speed their way to the nest. What an amazing team work for the colony’s sake. Click here for more "Secrets" books, and go to Shelf-employed for other posts on S.T.E.M. Friday.
I want to share the wonderful news that on January 1, 2012, my new four-book series Extreme Animals in Extreme Environments will be available in paperback and in library binding. I am very excited about this series!
“Secret of the Plant-Killing Ants…and More,” Enslow Publishers, 2009.
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Monday, October 3, 2011

Tales from the West Coast

They are enthralling, true, and well told. From record-breaking tea clippers, to rum runners and sea monsters, life on the west coast has never been dull. Tales from the West Coast is rich in seafaring legend and adventure, and will take you on a voyage of discovery into the past and around the world, alongside smugglers, sea monsters, and unusual adventurers. They are a portal to the history and culture of the West Coast.
Cady might not be as popular as the Loch Ness creature, but it's equally fascinating: "Toward the tail it appeared serrated,...with something moving flail-like at the extreme end. The movements were like those of a crocodile. Around the head appeared a sort of mane, which drifted around the body like kelp."

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Tales from the West Coast, Adrienne Mason, 2003, Altitude Publishing.

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