Nonfiction Biology

In spring of 1918, World War I was underway, and troops at Fort Riley, Kansas, found themselves felled by influenza. By the summer of 1918, the second wave struck as a highly contagious and lethal epidemic and within weeks exploded into a pandemic, an illness that travels rapidly from one continent to another. It would impact the course of the war, and kill many millions more soldiers than warfare itself.

A tiny honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell. Driven to protect and take care of her hive, she cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet! Apis builds wax comb to store honey and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage. She defends the hive from invaders. And finally, she begins her new life as an adventurer. The confining walls of the hive fall away as Apis takes to the air, finally free, into a clear blue sky full of promise.

When Jennifer Doudna was a sixth grader in Hilo, Hawaii, she came home from school one afternoon and found a book on her bed. It was The Double Helix, James Watson’s account of how he and Francis Crick had discovered the structure of DNA, the spiral-staircase molecule that carries the genetic instruction code for all forms of life. This book guided Jennifer Doudna to focus her studies not on DNA, but on what seemed to take a backseat in biochemistry: figuring out the structure of RNA, a closely related molecule that enables the genetic instructions coded in DNA to express themselves.

What animal has the biggest eyes? Why do elephants have enormous ears? This series explores different animal parts and demonstrates how and why these parts vary throughout the animal kingdom. Each title introduces listeners to four animals whose distinct body parts are unique and important.

You might know that axolotls are some of the most adorable animals around, but there’s so much more to learn about these incredible creatures from Mexico! Discover why axolotls never grow up, how they come in such cool colors, and how they can regrow missing limbs! You’ll also discover what it takes to become an axolotl scientist. Filled with simple science and plenty of animal facts, this book also looks at the conservation challenges these iconic animals face.

¿Quién es la criatura más hambrienta en el mar del sur? El camarón antártico puede moverse en cardúmenes y el bacalao azul puede estar cazando para cenar, pero ninguno es lo suficientemente feroz como para estar en la cima de la red trófica. Este es un cuento con sabor a "pescado" sobre quién se come a quién. Los depredadores se vuelven presas y finalmente, sólo un animal llega a la cima. Bucea dentro del rítmico texto y averigua quién podría ser.

Mary Holland capta los primeros meses de la vida de un búho. Los grandes ojos y las esponjosas plumas se robarán el corazón de los lectores mientras aprenden cómo los padres de los búhos carabo norteamericanos preparan a sus jóvenes críos para el gran mundo fuera del nido. Acompaña a Otis mientras aprende a comer, pelea con su hermana, y se prepara para alzar el vuelo.

Hibernation is a cycle that some animals go through every year. Most people know that bears hibernate. But why do they hibernate? And what other animals hibernate?

What do you know about rays? Beginning listeners will get their feet wet with these literacy-building introductions to ocean animals.

What do you know about jellyfish? Beginning listeners will get their feet wet with these literacy-building introductions to ocean animals.

What do you know about clown fish? Beginning listeners will get their feet wet with these literacy-building introductions to ocean animals. In addition to curricular information, social-emotional questions encourage reflection and family/educator engagement tips help connect the topic to the listener's life. These books are sure to make a splash!

What do you know about starfish? Beginning listeners will get their feet wet with these literacy-building introductions to ocean animals.

What do you know about dolphins? Beginning listeners will get their feet wet with these literacy-building introductions to ocean animals. In addition to curricular information, social-emotional questions encourage reflection and family/educator engagement tips help connect the topic to the listener's life.

What do you know about sharks? Beginning listeners will get their feet wet with these literacy-building introductions to ocean animals.

Southern white rhinos are in trouble. For years, a rumor has been spreading that their horns can be used to cure cancer, and poachers have been targeting these gentle creatures. Sandra Markle takes listeners behind the scenes to see how civilians, volunteer organizations, and African governments are working together to protect rhinos.

What color are your eyes? Brown is the most common color. But some people have blue, green, gray, hazel, or amber eyes. What determines your eye color? Listen to this book to find out about how your genes affect your physical features.

During an ordinary visit to the library, a young girl pulls out a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away, and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there.

The monarch is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Young listeners will learn about the monarch's cycles, from eggs, to larva stage, to pupa stage, to becoming the adult butterfly.

Acclaimed author Joyce Sidman has received multiple awards for her books of poetry, including a Caldecott Honor for Red Sings from Treetops. Itself a Newbery Honor, Book, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night features several spellbinding poems about “the feast of sound and spark” that awakens with the raccoons, snails, owls, and crickets each night after sunset.

How does an egg become a butterfly? Follow each step in nature's cycle - from egg to brightly colored insect - in this fascinating book!