nonfiction Archives - Page 570 of 611

onceuponelephant
Once Upon an Elephant
by Linda Stanek (Author) and Shennen Bersani (Illustrator)

Booktalk: From slowing wildfires to planting seeds, one animal is the true superhero that keeps the African savanna in balance. Elephants dig to find salt that other animal lick, their deep footprints collect water for small creatures to drink, and they eat young trees to keep the forest from overtaking the grasslands. In every season, the elephants are there to protect the savanna and its residents but what would happen if the elephants were only once upon a time ? Discover the important role this keystone species plays in the savanna and explore what would happen if the elephants vanished.

Snippet: Once upon an elephant, the sun beat down on the hot, cracked earth. Rivers ran dry. The animals of the savannah risked dying from thirst.

But the elephants were there.

They dug in the riverbanks with their tusks. They cracked the hard soil, shoveled through mud, and reached water. And the animals gathered ’round and drank.

Linda is one of my former students!

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

everythingsports
National Geographic Kids Everything Sports: All the Photos, Facts, and Fun to Make You Jump! by Eric Zweig (Author)

Booktalk: Become an expert on sports for the 2016 Olympics! From archery to zip lining this book covers EVERYTHING about the world’s favorite team and individual sports. Dive into the history, rules and regs, training, and practice for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, fencing, curling, table tennis, and more!

Snippet: Many Olympic sports are popular around the world at all times, but some sports only get attention during Olympic years. Summer sports such as team handball, archery, and rowing, and winter events such as biathlon, don’t generate much interest. When adding new sports to the Olympics, the IOC looks for something with worldwide popularity. Over the years, sports such as croquet, polo, and tug-of-war have been part of the Olympics. Baseball, lacrosse, and cricket have come and gone from the summer Olympics over the years.

It’s Nonfiction Monday!