Who hasn't wished for a superpower? Maybe it's to be able to regenerate like Wolverine, or fly like Shazam? How about the ability to turn invisible like Violet Parr, or have superstrength like the Hulk? What about being able to control minds like the Scarlet Witch, or even be immortal like Klaus Hargreeves? Well, grab your cape and tights, because scientists are working to replicate many of the superpowers we see in comics and movies and on television. Some are already a reality! Using popular superheroes and their powers as a starting point for imagining what could be, BECOMING BIONIC explores how science is constantly searching for and discovering new ways to augment the human body and the human experience. BECOMING BIONIC covers six aspects of superhero performance: Super Parts, Super Flight, Super Sight, Super Strength, Super Brains, and Super Survival. In each section, an illustrated timeline takes readers back in time for a fascinating look at inventions of the past. For example, in the Super Parts section, we begin with the Cairo Toe, a jointed prosethetic big toe that dates all the way back to 950-710 BCE, and end at 2012 when scientists built a "bionic man" out of 27 engineered parts. In the second spread of each section, readers zip ahead to read about some of today's amazing science that is already in use. In the Super Sight section, for example, we learn about a technology that uses radio signals to "see" through walls and can be used to uncover earthquake victims. A final spread blasts readers forward to find out what the future might have in store, such as the crustacean-inspired exoskeletons that give wearers extra strength with the help of artificial muscles that are described in the Super Strength section. Finally the book concludes with some bigger picture thoughts and questions that prompt readers to think critically about the innovations they've just read about - should science abide by a moral code and who determines what that is?

In Beastly Brains, Castaldo delves into the minds of animals and explores animal empathy, communication, tool use, and social societies through interviews and historical anecdotes. Researchers from Charles Darwin to Jane Goodall have spent years analyzing the minds of animals, and today's science is revolutionizing old theories and uncovering surprising similarities to our own minds. Humans are not alone in our ability to think about ourselves, make plans, help each other, or even participate in deception. You'll think differently about the animals on this planet-maybe it's their world and we're just living in it!

With simple language and beautiful artwork, Kochanoff walks young readers through many nature puzzles.

Do dragonflies bite? What is the difference between a frog and a toad? Are leeches dangerous? Naturalist and artist Peggy Kochanoff answers these questions and more in this illustrated guide to solving pond mysteries. From the life cycle of mosquitoes to the many uses and varieties of pond plants, Kochanoff takes young readers on an entertaining and enlightening tour of life in and around a freshwater pond. Full of detailed illustrations and clear answers to creative questions, Be a Pond Detective is the perfect way to discover the nature mysteries in your own backyard!

Can anything eat prickly sea urchins? Can dead jellyfish still sting you? Why does water squirt up when you walk along the beach? Biologist and artist Peggy Kochanoff answers these questions and more in this illustrated guide to solving beach mysteries. From the puzzling tidal life of barnacles to the stunning variety of seaweeds, Kochanoff dives deep into our coastal habitats and comes up with an entertaining and enlightening look at life by the ocean. Full of fascinating facts and surprising solutions, Be a Beach Detective is the perfect book for curious beachcombers of any age!

Presents a tribute to the creator of the giant balloons that fill the sky during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, tracing the work of artist Tony Sarg, whose innovative "upside-down puppet" creations have become the parade's trademark.

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson received the Coretta Scott King Award for her children's book Almost to Freedom . Here she relays the extraordinary story of Bass Reeves, a lawman in the Old West who escaped slavery to become one of the most successful U.S. Marshals in history."Here, children can saddle up with a genuine Western hero in a narrative that hits the bull's-eye." –Kirkus Reviews

Did you know that Nintendo started in the mid-19th century as a playing card company and that the Japanese giant also sold rice and operated taxi cabs? And did you know that the very first video game was called Tennis for Two and was created by a US government scientist named William Higinbotham? Today, video games play a gigantic role in our culture and none of this would have been possible without people like Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative mastermind that turned a failed business venture into the game that eventually inspired him to build Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., or Donna Bailey, who created the arcade sensation video game Centipede. With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators tells the stories of these amazing men and women who turned a small hobby into a multimillion-dollar industry that changed the way we play and interact, from our living rooms to the arcades, on our computers to our hand-held devices. Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators is the perfect read for those with creative spirits, curious minds, and a love of technology and video games.

On May 19, 1942, the Downs family, passengers on the freighter Heredia were unaware that two German torpedoes were heading their way. This story follows the family's struggle against sharks, hypothermia, and drowning.