B. J Best

Like any body of water on land, rivers start with a simple drop of rain. That raindrop might fall into an already existing pond or lake, or it could seep through the ground and come up elsewhere through a spring. A river begins as a trickle that flows downhill. As it flows further, a river becomes wider and deeper. Kids will enjoy tracing the journey of rain from a stream all the way to the sea.

How did the Thirteenth Amendment come about? Learn about Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the abolitionist movement in this book complete with timeline, primary sources, photographs, and excerpts from the time period.

Rescue helicopters can reach dangerous or remote places better than other vehicles, and they can perform rescue work over land or water. Kids will learn how a helicopter search-and-rescue mission works, including facts about the helicopter and descriptions of how the helicopter team works together to save someone in distress.

Kids learn early that ambulances are important vehicles. They help save people who are in medical danger by bringing them to hospitals. This book will teach kids what they might not know about ambulances, the rules of driving them, the skills of the paramedics, and the equipment in the back that helps save lives.

When kids hear "island," they might think of a tropical destination dotted with palm trees. But there are islands worldwide and they are made in different ways. In clear and age-appropriate language, this book will focus on plate tectonics and volcanism as two main ways in which islands are created.

From an early age, kids are taught that police officers help protect everyone and keep cities and towns safe. The police car is an important tool in that job, but kids might not typically see the inside of one. In this book, kids will learn that a police car is stronger than a civilian car, and they will also learn about the tools inside the car, such as a radio and a computer, that help police officers do their work well.

Kids will be amazed to learn that, given enough time and enough flow, water can carve deeply into the Earth. This book will look at how water erodes stone, and how different stones wear away at different rates. The results are some of natures most beautiful landforms.