Showing results by author "Darcy Pattison" in All Categories

In 1915, British astronomer Arthur Stanley Eddington was fascinated with Einstein's new theory of general relativity. The theory talks about how forces push and pull objects in space. Einstein said that the sun's gravity could pull and bend light.

On January 25, 1862, naturalist Charles Darwin received a box of orchids. One flower, the Madagascar star orchid, fascinated him. It had an 11.5-inch nectary, the place where flowers make nectar, the sweet liquid that insects and birds eat. How, he wondered, did insects pollinate the orchid? It took 130 years to find the answer.

When her father goes soldiering for a year, a girl decides that without Dad at home, it’s not a family photo album. Though her beloved Nanny is in charge of the album that year, the girl makes sure that photographs of her never turn out well. Photos are blurred, wind blows hair in her face. April rains bring umbrellas to hide behind. Halloween means a mask. This poignant, yet funny family story expresses a child’s anger and grief for a dad whose work takes him away for long periods of time. It’s a tribute to the sacrifices made by military families.

What happens when a pirate captain can’t sleep? Captain Whitney Black McKee is a rowdy pirate! After traveling the seven seas and fighting sea monsters, it’s time to come back to homeport for a rest. But the Captain’s sleep has gone all awry. She desperately closes her eyes, but cannot find sleep. Sleepless. What’s a rowdy captain to do? She sends her crew a’thievin for a simple lullaby. But the rowdy heart doesn’t always know what it wants or needs. It’s not till Pappy appears that she finally finds her rest.

Early in August 1937, a news flash came: A sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shore of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear.

Solid wax is somehow changed into light and heat. But how? Travel back in time to December 28, 1848 in London, England to one of the most famous juvenile science Christmas lectures at the Royal Institution. British scientist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) encouraged kids to carefully observe a candle and to try to figure out how it burned. Known as one of the best science experimenters ever, Faraday’s passion was always to answer the basic questions of science: “What is the cause? Why does it occur?”

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross - the oldest bird in the world - hatched a new chick in 2011, and two months later, the Japanese tsunami struck. Surviving manmade and natural disasters for over 60 years, Wisdom has braved living wild, plastic pollution, longline fishing, lead poisoning, and the Japanese earthquake.

This nonfiction book for elementary kids chronicles the amazing voyage of Nefertiti, the Spidernaut to the International Space Station and back. She’s a Phiddipus johnsonii, or Johnson jumping spider, native to Western United States. Her colorful anatomy - red, black, and teal - made for stunning photography and video. In 2012, Nefertitti clocked a record-breaking 100 days in space, during which time she circled Earth about 1584 times, traveling about 41,580,000 miles.

When cousins Mellie and Dennis decide to get a cat, they consider carefully what breed would be best for each family. For example, Mellie wants a cat that pounces, but Dennis wants a lazy cat, like his lazy dog, Clark Kent. Mellie wants a lap cat, but Dennis just wants a warm body beside him. They consider different cat personalities, family situations, and personal preferences.

When cousins Dennis and Mellie decide to get a dog, they consider carefully what breed would be best for each family. For example, Dennis wants a big dog, but Mellie wants tiny. He has no other pets, but she has other pets that a dog must get along with. They consider different dog personalities, family situations, and personal preferences. Dennis writes an opinion essay for his teacher, Mrs. Shirky. But will his essay convince his parents to get the dog of his dreams?

A romp with his best friend, a Bernese Mountain Dog named Clark Kent, inspires Dennis to write a narrative essay. Recently, Mom asked Dennis to put a leash on Clark Kent so they could take the dog to the veterinarian for shots. Clark gave them all a merry chase! There's lots of action to love here.

When a mother puma attempts to steal a chicken, she is caught in a trap and dies. The search is on for orphaned cubs. Will the scientists be able to find the cubs before their time runs out?

If you’re an alien on Earth, you have one giant secret to keep. After a while, even friends want to tell your secret. Kell and Bree plan a birthday party with giants - Big Foot, Cyclops, Goliath, and the Jolly Green Giant—while they struggle with keeping their own giant secret. But they have an even bigger problem: Principal Lynx and the Society of Alien Chasers is back with a dog trained to sniff out an alien in a crowd.

For Kell, the Friends of Police Parade is a big deal, his first Earthling parade. With Bree’s help, he must figure out how to deal with City Hall, figure out fundraising and find super heroes and super heroines to march in the parade.

Kell discovers that his neighbor, Bree Hendricks, turns nine years old next month, and she wants a party with an alien theme. That should be simple as flying from star to star. But things aren’t that easy: Earthling’s ideas about aliens are totally wrong. Even worse, Principal Lynx is a UFO chaser and suspects aliens around every corner. Will the Aliens totally blow the Aliens Party? Will Principal Lynx capture Kell and his family and turn them over to the government?

The vulture basks in the morning sun, the roadrunner kicks up a cloud of dust, the javelina wallows, and the bobcat gives her cub a licking with a rough tongue in Desert Baths. As the sun and moon travel across the sky, learn how 12 different desert animals face the difficulties of staying clean in a dry and parched land. Explore the desert habitat through its animals and their habits of hygiene. Told in lyrical prose, this story is a celebration of the desert lands of the American Southwest.

Cozy up for a rainy-day listen and explore the prairie ecosystem through its ever-changing weather. Each month features a storm typical of that season and a prairie animal who must shelter, hide, escape, or endure those storms. Told in lyrical prose, this story is a celebration of the grasslands that dominate the center of American lands and the animals that live there.

Acurrúcate en un día lluvioso a leer y explorar los ecosistemas de la pradera través de su clima y los cambios por los que atraviesa. En cada mes se destaca una tomenta típica de la estación y un animal de la pradera, que debe buscar refugio, esconderse, escapar o aguantar esas tormentas. Narrada en prosa lírica, esta historia es una celebración de las praderas que dominan el centro del territorio americano y de los animales que viven ahí.

Observa en este libro al zopilote deleitarse con el sol de la mañana, el correcaminos hace una nube de polvo, el jabalí se revuelca, y el gato montés le da a su cría una lamida con su lengua áspera. Mientras el sol atraviesa el cielo, aprende cómo doce diferentes animales del desierto enfrentan las dificultades para mantenerse limpios en un lugar seco y árido.

Mom said, “No pets.” Then, they discover the cat’s owner. Erika has just moved next door to stay with her grandmother while Erika attends the Deaf School. She brought Fluffy, her cat, with her. Fluffy likes to wander the neighborhood and make friends. This delightful Halloween short chapter book is about cats, sign language, and a surprising friendship.