Kathy Furgang

"Weather can be wild, freaky, and fascinating! Powerful twisters roar through homes; earthquakes shatter whole cities; hurricanes fly through towns. How does it all happen and how do we know what we do? All you need to know about weather and all of its wildness will be found in the pages of this colorful, energetic, and accessible book. Kids will also learn about real-life encounters with wild weather from National Geographic tornado chaser, Tim Samaras,...

Discusses wildfires, including how they happen, why they are important, and when they are dangerous.

The food you eat is important. Just ask your digestive system, otherwise known as your gut. This exciting journey traces the route of food through the digestive system as it is turned into energy for the body. With the help of colorful photographs and diagrams, we learn how food moves down the esophagus, into the holding area of the stomach, and then through the intestines before making its way out of the body.

The brain is an amazing organ. It controls all of the actions, thoughts, and signals of the rest of the body. This informative book illustrates the parts of the brain and central nervous system and how they operate the entire body.

More than three decades after its emergence, HIV/AIDS remains a powerful threat and killer throughout much of the world. However, over the years, we have come a long way in our understanding of this global epidemic. This volume surveys the history of HIV/AIDS, preventative measures that can be taken to curb its spread, and treatment options that can be pursued by those infected. Although there is still no cure, readers will learn that through responsible...

"Clean water should be a basic human right. However, there are still 785 million people in the world today who are living without access to safe water. Each year, nearly 1 million people die from water-related illnesses. In this book, readers will examinethe global water crisis. They will learn how the water crisis evolved and about its impact on people, the environment, and the future of our planet. Through studying emerging efforts to solve this...

When we flick on a lamp switch, we rarely think of the science and engineering behind the light. This straightforward and accessible text informs readers about the interconnected network that electricity takes as it moves from suppliers to users. From power stations and voltage switches to the power lines that lead to our homes, readers will gain a greater understanding of the energy we use every day. A follow-up activity utilizes a maze that allows...

Where does Illinois end and Indiana begin? How do you know you are not entering Kentucky or Missouri instead? This informative look at political maps helps readers understand the symbols used for understanding political maps, including political borders and national and state capitals. Election maps and agricultural maps will also be explored as students analyze them for the information they provide. A follow-up activity leads students to make their...

Readers will learn how to use maps to locate the world's oceans, rivers, mountains, and deserts. This graphic-rich book not only explains the important features of physical maps and why people use them, but it teaches the all-important skills of reading maps. From a compass rose and legend, to color coding and latitude and longitude lines, students get a taste for the basics of map reading. A follow-up activity allows students to pinpoint directions...

You are planning a huge bike trip, so how can you find out where the mountains and flat lands are? Zoom in on a topographic map to find out. This graphic-heavy and instructive book introduces the reader to the basics of using topographic maps. They are introduced to the way elevations and contours of the land are shown on maps, and how to read the details shown on these maps. A follow-up activity encourages readers to use a contour map to plan a camping...