New Releases by Robert E. Wells

Fiction: What''s faster than a cheetah?--no animal on earth can run faster. But a peregrine falcon can swoop faster than a cheetah can run. And the falcon can''t compare to an airplane, a rocket, or the speed of light. Lively text and watercolors will make children laugh while they learn all about speed. Nonfiction: Did you know that the cheetah is the fastest animal that lives on land? The cheetah''s tail helps it make quick turns. Learn these and other interesting facts in A Cheetah''s World.

Dive into our oceans to learn why we need them—and why they need us. Our five oceans cover about 71 percent of the earth''s surface and hold about 97 percent of our water. A central part of the planet’s water cycle, oceans are essential to all living things. They are home to thousands of species, and they provide humans with food and medicine. Oceans are one of the world’s most valuable natural resources, and we must take care of them.

Take a journey through the heart of the Amazon rain forest to discover why it''s so important for life on Earth. Even though rain forests take up less than 10 percent of Earth’s land, they are home to more than half the world’s plants and animals. In this adventure, readers climb aboard a river boat and tour the Amazon with a local guide. Observe howler monkeys, harpy eagles, and other wildlife as you discover how the planet’s largest tropical rain forest became endangered, and why it’s up to us to protect it.

Using fun facts and creative comparisons, science author Robert E. Wells answers some of humankind''s biggest questions about the world we live in. This collection of twelve STEM picture books by award-winning author Robert E. Wells will spark kids'' curiosity in our universe, from the time of dinosaurs to the present day. This collection includes e-book editions of Can We Share the World with Tigers?; Can You Count to a Googol?; Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water?; How Do You Know What Time It Is?; How Do You Lift a Lion?; Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?; Polar Bear, Why Is Your World Melting?; What''s Faster Than a Speeding Cheetah?; What''s Older Than a Giant Tortoise?; What''s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew?; What''s So Special about Planet Earth?; and Why Do Elephants Need the Sun?

A tiny difference in your DNA makes you one of a kind. Inside every cell in the human body are tiny molecules that define all of a person''s biological traits. Award-winning science author Robert E. Wells explores DNA with curiosity and awe, pairing thrilling facts with clear explanations. Our human DNA might be 99% the same, but that last 1% difference makes each person unique.

The moon does so much more than shine at night. Have you ever wondered how the moon was formed or why it changes shape in the sky? The moon''s story began 4.5 billion years ago, but it continues to affect everything we do today, from weather to timekeeping. Award-winning science author Robert E. Wells explains how and why the moon matters in our lives—and for the future of space exploration.

The blue whale is the biggest creature on Earth. But a hollow Mount Everest could hold billions of whales! And though Mount Everest is enormous, it is pretty small compared to the Earth. This book is an innovative exploration of size and proportion, which can really helps little kids come to grips with the idea of relative size.

AV2 Fiction Readalong by Weigl brings you timeless tales of mystery, suspense, adventure, and the lessons learned while growing up. These celebrated children’s stories are sure to entertain and educate while captivating even the most reluctant readers. Log on to www.av2books.com, and enter the unique book code found on page 2 of this book to unlock an extra dimension to these beloved tales. Hear the story come to life as you read along in your own book.

AV2 Fiction Readalong by Weigl brings you timeless tales of mystery, suspense, adventure, and the lessons learned while growing up. These celebrated children’s stories are sure to entertain and educate while captivating even the most reluctant readers. Log on to www.av2books.com, and enter the unique book code found on page 2 of this book to unlock an extra dimension to these beloved tales. Hear the story come to life as you read along in your own book.

There are trillions of stars in the universe, but we rely on our sun to provide (or contribute to) most of what we need to survive and thrive: heat, light, plants, animals, wind, and water. Complete with fun, cartoon illustrations, this book give kids plenty of information about our sun in an easy-to-read and digest format. By focusing on the needs of an elephant, Wells makes clear just how important the sun is to life on Earth.

Includes access code (p. 2) for an online readalong of the story.

W.E.B. DuBois called for a Negro elite, the talented tenth of the African American population to become the leaders of the race. This is the story of a portion of that intelligentsia, true Renaissance men whose talents extended beyond scholarship to the fields of sport and athletic competition. They were scholar-athletes who found themselves immersed in a virtually all-white privileged and patrician world of classical studies and old world attitudes. For the most part, they achieved far beyond the expectations of a prejudiced world. They became champions, All-Americans and Olympians; later, doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, businessmen and political leaders. DuBois was seeking such men, although he did not likely consider athletic participation as a part of the equation. Today we recognize the contributions made by such athletes as Jesse Owens, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali to the ascension of the African American. The men in these pages, epitomized by the likes of William Henry Lewis, Fritz Pollard and Paul Robeson, helped pave the way for those great athletes, at the same time demonstrating that the scholar athlete came from diverse social, economic, ethnic and racial backgrounds. Sport and the Talented Tenth is the first book to focus entirely on early African American athletes in predominantly white colleges and universities. Bob Wells has discovered 145 black men who, between 1879 and 1920, performed in athletics at 39 colleges in the New England states, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Their athletic experiences included involvement in 13 sports and are detailed game-by-game, meet-by-meet. Attention is paid to the problems they faced - the prejudice, discrimination and outright racism of classmates, teammates, opposing athletes, and the unwritten social policies of opposing administrations. An examination of their family backgrounds, athletic achievements, wartime service and post -graduate careers is discussed in a concluding synthesis.

Move to another planet? Sounds interesting! In our imaginary spaceship, let''s check out the planets in our solar system. Mercury is closest, but it has no air, and it''s either sizzling hot or bitterly cold. The atmosphere on Venus is poisonous; plus, human beings would cook there. Mars might work, but you''d always have to be in a protective shelter. And if you got to the outer planets, you couldn''t even land as they are mostly made of gas! Our home planet is looking good. Why is Earth so comfortable for plants, animals, and people? As Robert E. Wells explains, it''s because of our just-right position form the sun, marvelous atmosphere, and abundant water. Our planet is very special and perfect for us, and that''s why we must do all we can to keep Earth healthy.

This set of grade 2 math resources covers understanding addition and subtraction; measurement and shapes; solving story problems; triangles and quadrilaterals; addition to 200; time; tables and graphs; diagonals and midpoints; subtracting 2-digit numbers; shapes and patterns; 3-digit addition and subtraction; metric measurement and 3-D shapes; multiplication and fractions; non-standard and standard units of measure.

It''s hard to imagine—the molecules in the glass of water you just finished might have once been part of a water hole that dinosaurs drank from! In this fascinating new book about the water cycle, readers will find that while it might be hard to imagine, it''s true. The author, Robert E. Wells, explains the complete water cycle and also discusses ocean currents, ocean and lake habitats, and hydroelectricity. He also touches on water pollution and our responsibility to keep our water clean. The author''s bright cartoon illustrations make this information especially appealing to kids.

If medals were awarded to animals for living a long time, then a giant tortoise would certainly win one. Some giant tortoises have lived for more than 150 years! Still, there are things on this planet much older than giant tortoises. Some of the giant sequoia trees that grow in California would be more than 3,000 years old. But the trees aren''t that old compared to the Barringer Crater in Arizona—that was made about 49,000 years ago. And it''s almost impossible to imagine that 65 million years ago, the T. Rex dinosaur roamed this planet—but we have the skeletons to prove it!

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2003 What would life be like with no clocks and no calendars? How would you know when to get up in the morning? How would you know when baseball season was about to start? Long, long ago, all people could do was watch the sun and moon and try to figure things out. Eventually, they made simple clocks like sundials. And as time marched on, people came up with more ways to measure it. Today, quartz crystal watches and atomic clocks tell us EXACTLY what time it is, at any moment, all over the world.

2000 Gold Seal Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio A Best Book for Children 2001, Science Books & Film You may be able to count all the way to one hundred, but have you ever counted to a googol? It''s impossible! In this fun book of numbers, Robert E. Wells explores the wonderful world of zeros and tells how the googol came to be named.

What''s faster than a cheetah?—no animal on earth can run faster. But a peregrine falcon can swoop faster than a cheetah can run. And the falcon can''t compare to an airplane, a rocket, or the speed of light. Lively text and watercolors will make children laugh while they learn all about speed.

A pygmy shrew is small—it''s among the littlest mammals! A ladybug is even smaller, but it hardly seems tiny when you compare it to a protozoa! And there are many things smaller still—so small that we can see them only with a microscope. Would you believe there are particles that are so tiny that we can''t measure their exact size? Explore the huge world of the very small!

The blue whale is the biggest creature on Earth. But a hollow Mount Everest could hold billions of whales! And though Mount Everest is enormous, it is pretty small compared to the Earth. This book is an innovative exploration of size and proportion.