Nature Nonfiction

Every morning in the Japanese town of Shibuya, Professor Ueno awakens and is greeted by his loyal Akita dog, Hachiko. They enjoy a breakfast together before the professor leaves to catch the train to the school where he teaches. And Hachiko sits at the station eagerly awaiting his master’s return. Then one afternoon Professor Ueno does not return. And Hachiko waits. Days and weeks pass and still no one - not even the young boy Yasuo who comes to care for him - can persuade the faithful dog to leave his post. Years go by and yet still he waits.

Grasshoppers, waterstriders, and fireflies light up the pages of this rib-tickling book of poetry for two voices. Written as spirited duets, the poems ring with the love songs of book lice, the serenades of moths, and a choir of cicadas. Each one is a treat, filled with busy insect life. In addition to the voices of these frisky critters, there are also fascinating tidbits about their lives and habits.

In middle school, Gabrielle "Gabe" Ford developed a degenerative muscle disease, and was harassed by bullies as a result. She did her best to keep her head high, but it wasn't easy. Then Gabe got a dog, Izzy, who developed an uncannily similar disorder. They were invited to appear on Animal Planet to talk about their bond, which in turn led to an invitation to speak at a school. And so began Gabe's career as an anti-bullying advocate.

Learn about Whales with iMindsJNR audio learning series for younger minds. Whales may seem like the biggest fish in the ocean, but they're actually not fish at all. Whales and dolphins are actually mammals, just like us! In fact, we're more similar than you might think. Scientists believe that millions of years ago, whales lived on land and spent most of their time fishing in shallow water.

Sometimes a therapy dog can lift a person's spirits just by being in the same room. Other times, the dogs take more active roles, acting as companions. Therapy dogs help people who are ill or sad feel better. Learn more about these amazing animals, including how they are chosen, the training they go through, and the work they do.

For the hungry young mountain lion living high in Olympic National Park, it is time to follow the elk and the deer who are migrating down-mountain to the rain forests of Washington State. It is also time for the young lion to find a mate. In Thirteen Moons - a spellbinding wildlife series - Newbery Award-winning author Jean Craighead George has captured 13 North American animals in their natural environments and chronicled their fight for survival.

On remote Codfish Island off the southern coast of New Zealand live the last 91 kakapo parrots on earth. These trusting, flightless, and beautiful birds - the largest and most unusual parrots on earth - have suffered devastating population loss. Now, on an island refuge with the last of the species, New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the kakapo population. With the help of 14 humans who share a single hut and a passion for saving these odd ground-dwelling birds, the kakapo are making a comeback in New Zealand.

Critically acclaimed children’s author Jonah Winter reimagines a true story from 1987. The small Long Island town of Islip has a big problem - 3,168 tons of garbage and no place to put it! So workers pile the smelly refuse on a large barge, hire a tug boat, and send the stuff south to find a final resting place. But as the barge travels from North Carolina to New Orleans and from Mexico to Belize - nobody wants Islip’s rotting mountain of garbage.

It is November, and for the gray wolves of the Toklat Pass in Alaska, the hunt is on. It is time to harvest the sickly, weak, or old caribou as the herd migrates through the pass. It is also a time to test the survival skills of the young wolf pups. In Thirteen Moons - a spellbinding wildlife series - Newbery Award-winning author Jean Craighead George has captured 13 North American animals in their natural environments and chronicled their fight for survival.

Three species of bear inhabit North America: the grizzly, the polar bear, and the black bear. But the American black bear is truly North America's bear, found only in North America. Black bears range from Canada to Mexico, from New England to California.

In movies that involve snakes, corn snakes are often the stars of the show. Along with being great actors, they are popular pets. Learn more about these colorful snakes, including where they live, how they hunt, and why they make such great pets.

June is the "growing up" moon: when fox pups emerge from the safety of their den. It is also the month fox parents teach their pups everything, from the mysteries of a box turtle to the wily ploys of the woodchuck. In Thirteen Moons - a spellbinding wildlife series - Newbery Award-winning author Jean Craighead George has captured 13 North American animals in their natural environments and chronicled their fight for survival.

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.

Beware! Poisonous things are all around you. In the spirit of What Stinks?, Marilyn Singer brings kids the coolest, newest info on creatures that can harm or even kill with a bite or sting.

Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie.

It’s a cat’s world! In the United States and Europe, there are even more cats kept as pets than dogs. All of these cats mean there are also millions of owners who need to care for them! Young listeners will learn the ins and outs of daily cat care, symptoms of some common illnesses, and countless tips for how to keep cats in tip-top shape.

Lucretius' poem On the Nature of Things combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. With intense moral fervour he demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal, and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical laws of nature and not by gods; and that by believing this men can live in peace of mind and happiness. He bases this on the atomic theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and continues with an examination of sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and geology.

Tiger sharks eat almost anything they can catch. But the practice of dumping garbage in oceans is harmful to these predators who tend to eat something without realizing it isn’t food. This causes tiger sharks to eat license plates and other non-food items they cannot digest.

Bearded dragons don’t breathe fire, but they do have spikes to scare away predators! Listeners will learn all about this real-life dragon that lives only in Australia.

Peck the ground. Lay some eggs. Chickens are at home on the farm.