Sandra Markle – författare

Dig into the lives of lions with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of lions in the wild! What if you wished you were a lion? And then you became one? Could you eat like a lion? Sleep like a lion? Live in a lion family? And would you want to? Find out! Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about lions in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a hands-on activity about practicing your lion-quick reflexes! Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Lion is a Level One I Can Read, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

Dive into the lives of orcas with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of orcas in the wild! What if you wished you were an orca? And then you became one? An orca is an amazing kind of whale. Could you eat like an orca? Sleep like an orca? Live in an orca family? And would you want to? Find out! Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about orcas in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a hands-on activity about how to communicate like an orca! Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Orca is a Level One I Can Read, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

Take a closer look at nature’s amazing insect architect—the hornet! Each year, a young female hornet queen selects just the right spot and designs a nest of six-sided cells. Every cell is made from a paper-like material she creates by mixing wood with her own saliva. Once she has a small structure, she lays an egg in each cell and raises her young. Soon the queen has a whole family of workers, which continue to build more cells and increase the size of the hive. These workers also hunt insects for food, care for the queen and her young, and protect the nest. In this exciting book, you can learn what makes hornets similar to and different from other insects. Close-up diagrams reveal extraordinary details about hornets’ bodies, both inside and out. And you can perform an activity that helps you understand how a female hornet queen creates the paper-like material for her nest. Learn more about this exciting member of nature’s fascinating Insect World!

See for yourself one of the most amazing masters of change in the insect kingdom—the luna moth! Hatching from a tiny egg, the luna moth begins its life as a caterpillar just 0.11 inch (3 millimeters) long. An eating machine, the caterpillar grows and sheds its skin—or molts—four times. Then it stitches a silk cocoon among the fallen leaves and becomes a pupa. Inside the pupa, the insect’s body dissolves and reforms. After about six months, the insect emerges as a beautiful luna moth with a wingspan of up to 5 inches (127 millimeters)—more than 40 times its original size! In this exciting book, you can learn what makes luna moths similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about moths’ bodies, both inside and out. This book contains directions for creating a moth garden, where you can watch new moths emerge. Learn more about this exciting member of nature’s fascinating Insect World.

Watch out for these masters of defense—stick insects! Their secret weapon is being able to hide in plain sight. To protect themselves from predators, they have developed long, narrow bodies. They blend right in to the branches they live on. Some stick insects even have extra growths that look like leaves for more camouflage. Stick insects also protect themselves by being most active at night when it is even harder to see them. They escape from predators by dropping to the forest floor, where they look like fallen sticks and leaves. In this exciting book, you can learn what makes stick insects similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about stick insects'' bodies, both inside and out. And you can perform activities that help you observe how stick insects live and how they hide by keeping still. Learn more about this exciting member of nature''s fascinating Insect World!

• A man pulled from an explosion undergoes forty surgeries to treat burns on 80 percent of his body.• A girl rescued from a burning car receives donor skin grafts to heal injuries all over her body. • Scientists are working on a process to help burn victims regrow their own skin to quickly cover burns and other wounds.That’s powerful medicine.Explore the power of medicine through the true stories of people who lived through serious accidents and severe skin burns. Find out how doctors use the latest medical breakthroughs to aid their patients’ recovery and prepare them for the journey back to health. You’ll also learn tips on burn prevention, as well as facts about the skin’s many unique abilities.

• A woman with with a faulty heart muscle receives an electrical device that keeps her blood pumping. Months later, her heart is strong enough to pump on its own.• A man with a heart too weak to beat properly undergoes a heart transplant.• Doctors invent a thumb-sized pump that brings the reality of an artificial heart one step closer.That’s powerful medicine!Explore the power of medicine through the true stories of people who survived life-threatening heart problems. Find out how doctors use the latest medical breakthroughs to save patients with weak or damaged hearts. You’ll also learn tips for heart health, as well as fascinating facts about the heart’s different sections and how they aid the body.

• A triathlon athlete has part of her skull removed to relieve the pressure on her injured brain after a car accident.• A soldier, wounded by a mortar explosion in Iraq, works with doctors to retrain his brain so he can speak and walk again. • Doctors have discovered that administering extra doses of two chemicals naturally produced by the body can help prevent additional neuron damage in the brain following an injury.That’s powerful medicine!Explore the power of medicine through the true stories of people who survived life-threatening brain injuries. Find out how doctors and researches use the latest medical breakthroughs to save patients who have traumatic brain injuries and help them return to normal life. You’ll learn ways to protect your brain, as well as fascinating facts about the brain and how it controls the entire body.

• A young girl receives injections of chemotherapy to kill the cancerous white blood cells in her body.• An eleven-year-old boy undergoes a transplant of stem cells to help his body make new, healthy blood cells.• A new machine gives scientists a way to quickly check for and diagnose leukemia.That’s powerful medicine!Explore the power of medicine through the true stories of two young people who survived life-threatening leukemia. Find out how doctors use the latest medical breakthroughs to save patients who have the faulty blood cells that cause leukemia. You’ll also discover amazing facts about your blood.

• A father who was blind has an eye tissue transplant that lets him see for the first time.• A man whose own body attacked parts of his eye receives artificial coreneascorneas and is able to see again..• A musician with faulty cells in the retinas of his eyes is given gene therapy to correct his failing vision.That’s powerful medicine!Explore the power of medicine through the true stories of people who underwent amazing treatments to regain their sight. Find out how doctors use the latest medical breakthroughs to improve the lives of patients who lost the power to see. You’ll also find tips on eye safety, as well as vivid descriptions of the eye’s many parts and how they work together.

• An injured motocross star has pins, screws, and a metal rod inserted into broken bones in his legs and feet to help them heal. • A softball pitcher has her face rebuilt after being hit with a ball.• A cancer patient receives a hip joint graft when his own joint gives out.That’s powerful medicine!Explore the power of medicine through the true stories of people who recovered from bone-shattering accidents and illnesses. Find out how doctors use the latest medical breakthroughs to set broken and shattered bones and replace bone tissue that has died. You’ll also learn tips to keep your bones healthy and fascinating facts about the bones in your body.

Beware of the venomous spider with the large red spot—it is a black widow! In this book you will learn how black widows are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the black widow’s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity compares the black widow’s web to a human hair. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature’s Arachnid World.

Follow the stealthy creatures with long, spindly legs—they are harvestmen! In this book, you will learn how harvestmen are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the harvestmen''s bodies, both inside and out. And a hands-on activity reveals how harvestmen walk on long legs using only their sense of touch to get around. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

Be alert for a fancy spider web stretched across a path—it''s the trap of a hungry orb weaver! In this book, you will learn how orb weavers are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the spider''s body both inside and out. And a hands-on activity will give you an idea of how the orb weaver can detect prey caught in its web. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

Watch out for those tough arachnids with poisonous tails—they are scorpions! In this book, you will learn how scorpions are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the scorpion''s body both inside and out. And a hands-on activity reveals how a scorpion''s senses help it find its prey. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

Avoid these tiny, disease-carrying hitchhikers—they are ticks! In this book, you will learn how ticks are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the tick’s body both inside and out. And a hands-on activity will show you how a tick’s bite can spread disease-causing organisms through your body—or your pet’s body. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature’s Arachnid World.

Make way for that arachnid with babies on its back—it is a wolf spider mother protecting her young! In this book, you will learn how wolf spiders are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the spider’s body both inside and out. And hands-on activities will let you experience how a wolf spider female keeps her eggs and young safe. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature’s Arachnid World.

Panamanian golden frogs aren''t just cute, little, and yellow. They''re also the national symbol of Panama. But they started to disappear about fifteen years ago. What''s killing them? Could it be a change in their habitat? What about pollution? Might it be a result of climate change? Follow a team of scientists working to save these frogs and protect frog populations worldwide in this real-life science mystery.

What is that huge, hairy spider—the size of a dinner plate? It''s a tarantula! In this book, you will learn how tarantulas are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the tarantula''s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity illustrates how a tarantula grows bigger and bigger by molting. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

What is that arachnid running across a pond and swimming underwater? It''s a fishing spider! In this book, you will learn how fishing spiders are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the fishing spider''s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity shows how the fishing spider''s hairy coat helps it walk on water. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

Can you see that arachnid lurking on the goldenrod flower? It''s a crab spider! In this book, you will learn how crab spiders are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the crab spider''s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity illustrates how a crab spider can quickly ambush a flying insect. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

They are stealthy arachnids—and most are smaller than this period. They are mites! In this book, you will learn how mites are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs, micrographs, and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about a mite''s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity shows how quickly a few mites can multiply into hundreds. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

What arachnid can jump up to 40 times its body length? It''s a jumping spider! In this book, you will learn how jumping spiders are similar to and different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the jumping spider''s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity compares the reader''s jumping ability with that of a jumping spider. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.

What is that creature attacking a lizard with its the giant jaws? It''s a wind scorpion! In this book, you will learn how wind scorpions are similar to and very different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the wind scorpion''s body both inside and out. A hands-on activity demonstrates how wind scorpions are able to pick up prey to eat it. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature''s Arachnid World.