I remember the first time I saw pigeons; I was five years old and had been taken into Washington, D.C. on a field trip. There was a group of them on the sidewalk near the Natural History Museum, strutting around a food cart. I took one look at their iridescent necks, gray and buff bodies, and inquisitive orange eye, and I was hooked. Never mind that the adult who accompanied us sneered, "Oh, they're just vermin." Being a child, I knew better than to listen to someone who was unable to see beauty when it was staring her in the face.

In this book, Ms. Patent gives children a view of pigeons for what they really are, touching on their beauty, their intelligence, and the benefits they have brought to mankind throughout history. The color photographs by William Munos are excellent and complement the text well. The photos appear on almost every page, which makes the book easy to read to children who like visuals during reading time.

Adults can enjoy the book as well. For those of us who love pigeons, it's difficult locating books about them, especially books specifically about rock doves (our feral city pigeons). This book is a great start. Although it's a slim volume, it offers quite a bit of scientifically accurate information.

I now have a pair of pigeons nesting in a double nesting box on the back of my house, plus numerous pigeons visiting my feeding site every day. I never get over my fascination with these gentle, intelligent creatures, who are, by the way, magnificent flyers. This book has helped broaden my knowledge of these wonderful birds.

The harrowing 1804 expedition of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the American wilderness has been well-documented on a library full of history books. Western expansion was the dream of then-President Thomas Jefferson, and so the co-commanders Lewis and Clark began a cross-country trip through the pristine wilderness stretching across North America to the Pacific Ocean to not only stake a claim in the west, but also to collect specimens of plants and animals, map the unfamiliar frontier, find a northwest passage for men to follow, and to establish trade with Native American tribes. This informative book for elementary and middle school students touches on all those matters, but takes a unique approach by concentrating on one particular aspect of the expedition: North American flora and fauna. What new and exotic plants did Lewis and Clark see during their cross-country trip through the pristine wilderness? What specimens of plants and animals did they encounter? Why were trees so important to the success of the expedition? What new sources of food did they discover? How did they discover uses for wildflowers? What was the fate of Lewis's specimens? Most species collected were new to science at the time Lewis collected them, so this historical look at the scientific nature of the journey is a valuable one indeed. "Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark" will not only instill knowledge in its young readers, but also a healthy desire to preserve the natural and historical places of the western U.S.

My children love this book!!! The beautiful pictures and old fashioned customs, take us back to the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is a must for preschoolers through first grade!!!!

Shaping The Earth is a superbly designed introduction for your readers to how the Earth was originally formed and then shaped through the subsequent eons of time down to this very day. Dorothy Patent shows how tectonic plates shift continents and creates mountains; the role of volcanoes, glaciers, rivers, and wind in shaping the landscape and geology of Earth. But most fascinating of all is the evolving role living organisms from the first single-cell entities to the profound influence of human beings on the physical landscapes of our planet. Patent's informative, engaging text is splendidly illustrated throughout with color photograph illustrations by William Munoz. Highly recommended for school and community library collections of science books for young readers, Shaping The Earth is enhanced with a glossary of terms, list of recommended books for further study, a roster of relevant websites, and a "student friendly" index.

The story of Mel Fisher's 16-year search for the lost treasure ship Atocha is a compelling one, and this retelling of it is worthy of the tale. The Spanish ship Atocha, laden with tons of precious metals and jewels, sank in a storm off Florida in 1622. Salvage efforts were frustrated by more storms and a wreck too low in the water to get at without modern diving technology. Mel started looking for the wreck in 1969 and he found it at terrible personal cost. But it is a great story and has wonderful sidebars. I am a children's librarian and kids will love this.

For anyone who is a fan of Tomie DePaola and wants to teach children about St. Francis of Assisi this is a terrific book. I have read this book to my children, to my religious education class and shared it with adults studying the spirituality of St. Francis. It appeals to both children and adults. Children love the stories and adults are inspired by how Mr. DePaola brings St. Francis to life. He took the time not only to research the text of the book but also the illustrations. He actually drew St. Francis from the likeness painted by the artist who knew him. It's a must have for those who celebrate St. Francis Day.

I was looking for a book that would teach children as well as entertain them, and I was skeptical that I would find one that did both. Tomie DePaola is an absolute winner! The stories are complete, rather than abbreviated as so many children's stories are. He gives the children credit for being able to appreciate and understand the complex stories of St. Francis's life. The account of when Francis renounced his father was depicted completely, but respectful. His remarkable illustrations are helpful as well. In a time when we need to be teaching simplicity, this is the book to read to your children! If you love this book, I would also recommend his book on St. Patrick!

The author does a fairly good job describing the history of the church's understanding of the Noachian Deluge. With few exceptions, the Flood had been accepted as universal. Then, in response to the rationalistic preconceptions of recent centuries, the church has largely backed away from Biblical truth, and settled for a local-flood compromise. Sadly, Davis Young, the author, himself is part of this compromising-evangelical community. In particular, his claims that the Ark could never have carried all of the world's animals is patently incorrect. See Woodmorappe, John. 1996. Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study.

I keep reaching for my copy of The Book of Garden Secrets both when planting & growing my vegetables. (Looks looks like there's confusion between a couple books with the same name - the other dealing with the Garden of Eden. The one by Patent & Bilderback is about Vegetable Gardening.) The book contains key information like germinating & growing temperatures as well as interesting facts about how vegetables grow. I find the "whys" for basic growing rules particularly interesting. For example, corn grows like a telescoping fishing pole after tassling so the space between the leaves can maximize the sunlight. This links to critical water & nutrient availability during the same time.

Professor Young has done a superb job in collating how different scholars have responded to the Old Testament flood account through the centuries in the light of extra-Biblical data. This detailed study was largely in response to the rise of support in the last 40 years among some (not all) Christians for the global as an explanation for much of the geological record. Young shows repeatedly how this recent phenomenon is out of step with the way Christian scholars have dealt with extra-Biblical data over the last two millennia. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the interaction between science and Christianity, in the history of geology, and in modern young earth creationism.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who needs up-to-date information on polar bears. It is divided into short chapters that deal with all aspects of this topic - from physiology to interaction with humans. An index is provided which greatly facilitates the retrieval of information. The superb illustrations also add to the overall appeal of this title.

Gloria Skurzynski wrote this book back in 1981 so much of the material is dated as to the pictures and statistics. The book follows the careers of three women: a wildlife ranger, a wildland fire specialist, and a range conservationist. From encounters with bears to teaching environmental classes to tracking down the causes of forest fires this book helps one to understand the day to day duties of those people who take care of the recreation land around us.

Sedra is one of the lowest ranking members, and is attacked by her pack. She escapes and learns to live a new life of her own. Being the lowest member has made her strong and she is able to start a new pack of her own. Sedra and her new mate, Jasper, soon take on the job of parenting and learn to become alpha wolves themselves. It's a great book that shows a wolf's life isn't easy. I only wish it were a little longer.