Roberta Baxter

Hummingbirds are amazing! They can hover, fly up and down, and they are the only bird to fly backwards. Their wings flap 50 to 60 times each second creating the humming noise for which they are named. Hummingbirds are native to the Americas. They pollinate honeysuckle, the morning glory, blueberry flowers, and an array of other trumpet-shaped native plants. Native Pollinators: Hummingbirds is a good place to start learning about these energetic pollinators....

Stop! Don't step on that beetle. Many beetles are pollinators. Without them, we wouldn't have magnolia flowers, palm trees, or the fruit of the pawpaw. Beetles can be pests and also helpful. Farmers use ladybug beetles to eat insects that are eating their plants. In the United States, there are more than 30,000 native beetles-and more are discovered everyday. These native pollinators are small in size but giants in the insect world. Native Pollinators:...

Mosquitoes bite. Their bites make us itchy. They make an annoying whining sound. Most people hate them. But mosquitoes are also pollinators. Pollinators help plants to grow. Orchids and goldenrods need pollination by mosquitoes to survive. Like butterflies, the elephant mosquito carries pollen from flower to flower. Native Pollinators: Mosquitoes is a good place to start learning about the role of mosquitoes in the life cycle of plants.

Flies get no respect. People shoo them. They swat them. They use bug spray to kill them. But the next time you see a fly, think twice before you strike. Flies can be annoying but helpful too. They are pollinators. Pollinators help plants produce the fruits and vegetables we love to eat. Flies pollinate pears, strawberries, and even cacao, the nut used to make chocolate. Flies work hard for us-and they do it for free! Native Pollinators: Flies is a...

Introduces readers to the history of drums and how they are played.

Introduces readers to the history of the voice as a musical instrument.

Introduces readers to the history of pianos and traces their development from 1504 to the present.

Europe is a marvelous continent, made up of about fifty countries. But did you know that the smallest country in the world-Vatican City-is in Europe? Or that Europe is the only continent with no large deserts? Learn more about the diverse continent of Europe, from its people and countries to its landforms, economy, and more.

Matter is everywhere! This book uses real-world examples to bring the concept of the states of matter to life in an approachable way. Clearly-written text draws in readers with concrete examples involving familiar, everyday things, from gas grills to ice cubes. The book covers the history of and key figures in the understanding of the states of matter. Major concepts covered include solids, liquids, gases, plasma, crystals, atomic bonds, surface...

Describes the history of the Challenger space shuttle, the events leading up to its explosion in January 1986, and the disaster's impact on space flight.