This Earth Month, we're unveiling a whole new Subject Area full of titles! There's so much to learn about this planet we call home, and how we can take better care of it, that we decided it deserved its own section in the library. Luckily, people all around the world spend their lives investigating our natural world and sharing their discoveries with all of us.
This little link library features just a few of the latest additions to the library that cover our planet. There are stories to entice everyone, from budding biologists to serious scientists, so be sure to check out the whole category. You'll find it on the browser based player at Subject Areas: Science and Nature: The Environment.
Clouds: A Compare and Contrast Book by Katharine Hall (also available in Spanish!)
There are many different kinds of clouds all around us. Clouds come in diverse shapes and colors. Some clouds are fluffy and others are wispy. Some clouds float high in the sky and others sit low on the ground. Some clouds warn of storms and other clouds tell of fair weather.
A Day in the Salt Marsh by Kevin Kurtz (also available in Spanish!)
Enjoy a day in one of the most dynamic medium environments on the planet: the salt marsh. This book is fun to read, introduces readers to the changes that occur per hour in the Marsh while the tide rises and falls. See how animals have adapted to this environment in constant change while they hunt for food, and play in the Sun, and learn as the Marsh grass survives even if it is covered by salt water twice a day.
Dorktales Storytime: Merlin Tuttle - Hero of History by Molly Murphy
A story of bat caves, field notes and righting a wrong reputation! Merlin Tuttle has spent his career studying bats and proving why they are an incredibly vital part of the ecosystem. His research, books, lectures and National Geographic style photography have led to the knowledge that bats are not spooky but spectacular! Meet the hero who showed the world that the some of the smallest creatures are making the biggest contributions—the real “batman” and champion protector of nature’s delightful, dark-winged, do-gooders.
Flowers Bloom by Nancy Robinson Masters
Young children are naturally curious about the world around them. Flowers Bloom offers answers to their most compelling questions about flowers. Age-appropriate explanations and appealing photos encourage readers to continue their quest for knowledge. Additional text features and search tools, including a glossary and an index, help students locate information and learn new words.
Planet Puzzle by Bill Condon
A family of aliens are passing the time on a ride through space by investigating facts about Earth. Follow along as the young aliens learn how much water is on Earth, how many people live there, and what keeps them from falling right off the surface! Readers will be entertained by the silly answers these aliens give as they guess the answers to questions about Earth.
The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know by Mark J. Plotkin
The complex ecosystem of the Amazon covers an area about the size of the continental US. Approximately one of every four flowering plant species on earth resides in the Amazon. A single Amazonian river may contain more fish species than all the rivers in Europe combined. The rainforest, which contains approximately 390 billion trees, plays a vital role in stabilizing the global climate by absorbing massive amounts of carbon dioxide-or releasing it into the atmosphere if the trees are destroyed. Severe droughts in both Brazil and Southeast Asia have been linked to Amazonian deforestation, as have changing rainfall patterns in the US, Europe, and China. Ecologist and conservation expert, Mark J. Plotkin, who has spent forty years studying Amazonia, its peoples, flora, and fauna. The Amazon offers an engaging overview of this irreplaceable ecosystem and the challenges it faces.
The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle
Little brown bats do us a big favor. They eat huge numbers of insects! That helps limit the spread of diseases and the damage that insects do to farm crops. But in recent years, large populations of little brown bats have been dying off each winter. Is a virus killing them? Could climate change or pesticides be the cause? Or is it something else? Follow a team of dedicated scientists working to save the little brown bats in this real-life science mystery.
Our Native Bees, and the Fight to Save Them by Paige Embry
Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America's native bees-an endangered species essential to our ecosystems and food supplies-is just as crucial. Our Native Bees is the result of Paige Embry's yearlong quest to learn more about these forgotten, yet fundamental, creatures. Through interviews with farmers, gardeners, scientists, and bee experts, Embry explores the importance of native bees and focuses on why they play a key role in gardening and agriculture. The people and stories are compelling: Embry goes on a bee hunt with the world expert on the likely extinct Franklin's bumble bee, raises blue orchard bees in her refrigerator, and learns about an organization that turns the out-of-play areas in golf courses into pollinator habitats. For bee enthusiasts and anyone who us curious about the natural world, Our Native Bees is an illuminating exploration of the pollinators essential to our survival.
Looking for more Earth-centered content? Check out these top tips from a researcher:
