Nonfiction Science

The Scots are one of the world's greatest nations of emigrants. For centuries, untold numbers of men, women, and children sought their fortunes in every part of the globe, from the British Empire to the United States, in cities and on prairie farms, as traders, bankers, missionaries, soldiers, politicians, and engineers.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to get a six-year-old to go to sleep, and these stories are designed to keep children focused while they lie in bed waiting to get to sleep. The other benefit of these stories is that they are educational, and so over time, young listeners should build up knowledge of, and curiosity for, the natural world. The stories span a range of topics including the planets in our solar system, understanding how animals adapt to desert environments, what lives in our oceans, animals of the forest, and the cities of the world.

Raised in sleepy English suburbia, Georgina Lawton was no stranger to homogeneity. Her parents were White; her friends were White; there was no reason for her to think she was any different. But over time her brown skin and dark, kinky hair frequently made her a target of prejudice. In Georgina’s insistently color-blind household, with no acknowledgement of her difference or access to Black culture, she lacked the coordinates to make sense of who she was.

A Victorian scientist travels far into the future, and finds that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment, and peace. He meets the Eloi, a species descended from man, but realizes that these beautiful people are just remnants of a once-great culture; they are now weak and afraid of the dark. The Eloi have reason to be afraid. In deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity: the sinister Morlocks.

Tyrannosaurus was the fiercest meat-eating dinosaur. It was “king of the tyrant lizards,” with 50 sharp, jagged teeth!

Fall brings cooler weather and in autumn there are shorter days. The leaves change from green to orange, red, and purple, until they start falling to the ground.

Triceratops means “three-horned face.” This massive dinosaur had a parrot-like hard beak and a bony frill around its head. Triceratops had a horn above each eye and another horn on its nose. These horns were used to protect it from other meat-eating dinosaurs.

Scientists are not quite sure what colors the dinosaurs were. They can only guess that the dinosaurs may have been colored to match their surroundings, just as most animals are today.

Did you know that Pteranodon was not a dinosaur? Pteranodon belongs to a special group of flying reptiles called pterosaurs.

Wouldn’t it be fun to go on a dinosaur dig and find fossil remains of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex?

Did the Earth become too cold for the dinosaurs? Maybe prehistoric mammals took the dinosaur eggs from the nests.

Stegosaurus means “roofed lizard.” This plant-eating dinosaur was about the size of a school bus and had two rows of bony plates along its back.

Turtles are amazing cold-blooded reptiles. In fact, they belong to one of the oldest reptile groups in the world. Some turtles are meat-eaters and some are plant eaters. Turtles are known for their shells, which are actually a part of their skeletons. A turtle’s shell helps protect it from predators. Did you know that a turtle cannot come out of its shell? Listen to this fun audiobook about turtles.

If you have a curious mind and like to make new discoveries, then I’m sure you like to conduct experiments. Experiments help scientists gather new information and learn interesting facts about what they are studying. Kids will love this fun audiobook about conducting experiments—of course, with adult supervision.

The word “mammal” refers to a mother’s mammary gland, which is used to feed her babies milk. Most mammals are warm-blooded animals that give birth to their babies live, although there are some mammals that do lay eggs. Mammals have backbones and most mammals have hair. Did you know that you are a mammal? Catchy lyrics and a fun melody line will teach kids about mammals in this fabulous audiobook.

Years ago, when astronauts needed to leave the spacecraft, they used the manned maneuvering unit (MMU). Even though this piece of equipment is no longer used, it is still very interesting.

Lions are meat-eating mammals that like to live in groups or families. A lion's family is called a “pride.” Usually there will be many females that live together along with their cubs, but only one male. Lions like to play and hunt together. Because they have a keen sense of hearing and sight, they often will hunt at night. Usually the females do the hunting. They work in groups to catch their prey. The male lion takes his share of the catch before the females and cubs get any food. Lions are known for their loud, ferocious roar.

Did you know that a rattlesnake’s rattle is made up of segments of keratin? These segments knock against each other to produce a buzzing or rattle-like sound. Rattlesnakes use their rattles to distract their prey or to warn a predator to stay away! Each time a rattlesnake sheds its skin, it adds another segment to their rattle. Have you ever wondered why snakes stick out their tongues? They use their tongues to pick up scents. As they move their tongues back inside their mouths, a special “taste-smell” organ helps them locate their next meal.

Have you ever seen a cuddly looking koala? Most people call them koala bears. But koalas aren't bears! In fact, koalas aren't even related to bears. Koalas are mammals called marsupials. Marsupial means “pouched animal.” Koalas carry their babies in pouches just like kangaroos. Koalas are picky eaters. The only food that a koala will eat is eucalyptus leaves. Eucalyptus leaves are found in Australia, so koalas live in Australia. Koalas are “nocturnal” animals, which means that they sleep during the day and are awake at night.

Amphibians are cold-blooded like reptiles, have backbones like reptiles and mammals, but are very different. Amphibians do not have any hair or skin scales on their bodies. They can breathe through their skin as well as through their lungs. Most amphibians spend part of their lives in water. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are examples of amphibians.