Slime Power!
Velvet worms shoot nets of “super slime” to snare their prey. The more a spider or cricket struggles, the more the slime net hardens. There’s no escape. Scientists recently discovered…
World’s Coolest Reptile?
Three rows of teeth. A third eye. A “chill” nocturnal lifestyle. The tuatara is unlike any other reptile in the world. Easy to mistake for a lizard or an iguana,…
A Swell Shell
Ancestors of the nautilus were “the great white sharks” of the prehistoric seas. They evolved an edge that made them efficient hunters: a shell that allowed them to float—and stalk…
Spectacular Sponges
What “sneezes” even though it doesn’t have a nose, comes in many shapes and sizes, and is probably the most ancient animal on Earth? Drum roll: the sponge! Scientists recently…
Surprise! A Writer’s BFF
What could possibly be interesting about a sponge? As I researched this ancient animal for Extreme Survivors, I remembered something I learned long ago as a magazine writer: There’s no…
Three Magic Words
I was standing in front of 150 kids when a second-grader asked me a science question I couldn’t answer about an animal in my book The Secret Pool. “Why are…
How to Find Water Bears
Does moss or lichen grow in your schoolyard or park? If so, you probably have water bears! These endearing and hardy micro-animals are fun to hunt for and easy to…
Science Poem Quilt!
Students in grades 3 and 4 at Lubec Consolidated School created this wonderful quilt of cinquains inspired by Extreme Survivors: Animals That Time Forgot. Writing cinquains is a fun way…
Terrific Timelines
Whiting Village’s tiny, three-room school bustles with creativity. Stephanie Higgins used Extreme Survivors: Animals That Time Forgot to create this great timeline with her students in grades 2 through 4….
From STEM to STEAM: Tunnel Books
A big joy of visiting schools is seeing how teachers integrate the Arts to ignite learning in fabulous STEAM-inspired projects. Beckery Renaud used this approach with her fifth- and sixth-graders…