Nonfiction Science

In the turbulent world of Chicago politics, Boss dives deep into the captivating life and legacy of Richard J. Daley, the influential politician and mastermind behind the city's Democratic Party machine. Mike Royko's scathing and meticulously researched account follows Richard J. Daley's rise to power, from his inauspicious youth on Chicago's South Side through his rapid climb to the seat of power as the city's mayor. This engrossing biography brings to life the most powerful political figure of his time.

Ostriches can't fly, but they can run! Learn about how these birds survive in their desert home.

Why do some rabbits' ears flop? Why do some rabbits' ears stick straight up? Discover more about your pet in this fun and engaging audiobook!

Learn about ducks and their ducklings.

Steve Jobs, adopted in infancy by a family in San Francisco, packed a lot of life into 56 short years. In this Who Was...? biography, children will learn how his obsession with computers and technology at an early age led him to cofound and run Apple in addition to turning Pixar into a groundbreaking animation studio. A college dropout, Jobs took unconventional steps in his path to success and inspired the best and the brightest to come with him and "change the world".

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist: a pathbreaking examination of our huge crime and incarceration problem that looks at the influence of the family - specifically one Oregon family with a generations-long legacy of lawlessness. Examining the long history of the Bogles, a white family, Butterfield offers a revelatory look at criminality that forces us to disentangle race from our ideas about crime and, in doing so, strikes at the heart of our deepest stereotypes.

They live in ponds. They sleep in cages. Big pets can have feathers, scales, or fur. Learn about big pets and the joy they bring to their owners.

King cobras slither across the ground. Learn all about these venomous snakes and their habitats in King Cobras.

What do pet birds eat? Can you let your bird out of its cage? These questions and more are answered in this fun and engaging book for young listeners.

Departing from a simple linear history, The Soviet Century traces all the continuities and ruptures that led from the founding revolution of October 1917, to the final collapse of the late 1980s and early 1990s, passing through the Stalinist dictatorship, the impossible reforms of the Khrushchev years, and the glasnost and perestroika policies of Gorbachev.

Find out all about scales and how they help snakes and other animals move, stay safe and survive. Discover how scales are different on different animals and how they change as snakes and reptiles grow up.

They might not fly with wings but these lizards have flaps of skin that let them glide through the sky. Learn all about these colorful flying dragons of Southeast Asia.

Pygmy marmosets are the tiniest members of the monkey family. From food to homes to behavior, learn the facts on these pint-sized primates.

Scrub all you want, but you'll never get your body entirely clean. From rash causing itch mites to bacteria swimming in your stomach, meet the tiny creatures hitching a ride on your body.

Passionate, freethinking existentialist philosopher-writers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre are one of the world's legendary couples. Their committed but notoriously open union generated no end of controversy in their day. Biographer Hazel Rowley offers the first dual portrait of these two colossal figures and their intense, often embattled relationship. Through original interviews and access to new primary sources, Tête-à-Tête magnificently details the passion, daring, humor, and contradictions of a remarkably unorthodox relationship.

Not all beetles are scary! Listeners will learn about 12 different species of beetles, each with unusual and unexpected colors and patterns. Information about life cycles, habitats, and body parts is included. These beetles truly are breathtaking.

Sea monsters have a long history in lore and literature. Homer first wrote of them in 700 BCE. What Do We Know About the Kraken? lets curious young listeners explore what we actually know about this mysterious sea monster's long history. Dive into the facts behind this massive squid-like creature that was first described using the word "Kraken" in the beginning of the eighteenth century.

This second collection of This I Believe essays gathers 75 essayists - ranging from famous to previously unknown - completing the thought that begins the book's title. With contributors who run the gamut from cellist Yo-Yo Ma to ordinary folks like a diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, a farmer, a new husband, and many others, This I Believe II, like the first New York Times best-selling collection, showcases moving and irresistible essays.

From the start, his path was never predictable. Steve Jobs was given up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college after one semester, and at the age of 20, created Apple in his parents' garage with his friend Steve Wozniack. Then came the core and hallmark of his genius - his exacting insistence on perfection, his counterculture life approach, and his level of taste and style that pushed all boundaries.

What looks like a sea horse covered with leaves? It’s the sea dragon! Learn all about this real-life dragon that lives in the ocean off the coast of southern Australia. Life science curriculum links are covered throughout. Critical thinking questions using the common core are also included.