Nonfiction Science

Sea monsters have a long history in lore and literature. Homer first wrote of them in 700 BCE. What Do We Know About the Kraken? lets curious young listeners explore what we actually know about this mysterious sea monster's long history. Dive into the facts behind this massive squid-like creature that was first described using the word "Kraken" in the beginning of the eighteenth century.

The Bull in the China Shop: The Use and Abuse of X-Rays You’ve had X-rays. Your dentist swears by them. Your doctor orders them “just in case.” But what if the world’s most routine medical procedure isn’t as harmless as everyone claims? In The Bull in the China Shop, author and critic Bill Jordan pulls back the lead curtain on one of the most overlooked health risks of modern times: medical radiation. Delivered in a style equal parts serious investigation and satirical romp — somewhere between a public health warning and a Monty Python sketch — this book takes you on a journey...

Howler monkeys spend most of their lives in the trees. Learn about these noisy monkeys and their habitats in Howler Monkeys.

London, 1857: Two teenage girls holding a sign that says "Fugitive Slaves" ask for money on the corner of Blackman Street. After a constable accosts them and charges them with begging, they end up in court, where newspapers pick up their story. Are the girls truly escaped slaves from Kentucky? Or will the city's dystopian Mendicity Society catch them in a lie, exposing them as born-and-raised Londoners and endangering their safety? With its many accounts of people like these who lived and made their living on the streets, Vagabonds forms a moving picture of London's most compelling period.

Rarely has an ancient text influenced the world as immensely as Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor (161 - 180 AD). In this series of personal writings and reflections, he collects his thoughts on Stoic philosophy, exploring themes of virtue, the nature of the universe and the meaning of life. This book has stood the test of time as a cornerstone of philosophical literature and a guide to living a balanced and meaningful life.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Amelia Earhart refused to accept no for an answer; she dared to do what no one had ever done before and became the first woman to fly a plane all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. This audiobook follows her from childhood to her first flying lessons and onward to her multi-record-breaking career as a pilot.

Charlotte Runcie has always felt pulled to the sea, lured by its soothing, calming qualities but also enlivened and inspired by its salty wildness. When she loses her beloved grandmother and becomes pregnant with her first child, she feels its pull even more intensely. In Salt on Your Tongue Charlotte explores what the sea means to us and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages.

Brr! Polar bears live in cold places. Learn other things about these animals inside this book.

Ladybird Audio Adventures is an original series for 4-to 7-year-olds; a new, entertaining and engaging way for children to learn about the world around them. These are special stories written exclusively for audio with fun sound and musical effects, perfect for listening at home, before bed and on long journeys. These fact-filled journeys travel through time and space teaching children all about five fascinating topics: Dinosaur Times, The Animal Kingdom, Outer Space, Amazing Vehicles and Deep Sea Dive.

At nine years old, Eugenie Clark developed an unexpected passion for sharks after a visit to the Battery Park Aquarium in New York City. At the time, sharks were seen as mindless killing machines, but Eugenie knew better and set out to prove it. Despite many obstacles in her path, Eugenie was able to study the creatures she loved so much. From her many discoveries to the shark-related myths she dispelled, Eugenie made wide scientific contributions that led to her being nicknamed Shark Lady.

Few activities grip our attention more than animal watching. Dolphins and seals bring us much joy, and sharks and alligators hold us in awe. But animals can also prompt a variety of fascinating questions. Why do dolphins sometimes surf? How well can birds of prey actually see? Why do giant pandas eat bamboo fast food? Why are cavities essential to one reptile's survival? What effect can a slight temperature change have on alligator hatchlings? How can some seals stay underwater so long and dive so deeply without harm?

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface in July of 1969, they wore spacesuits made by Playtex: 21 layers of fabric, each with a distinct yet interrelated function, custom-sewn for them by seamstresses whose usual work was fashioning bras and girdles. This book is the story of that spacesuit. It is a story of the triumph over the military-industrial complex by the International Latex Corporation, best known by its consumer brand of "Playtex" - a victory of elegant softness over engineered hardness, of adaptation over cybernetics.

Victor Spoil comes from a long line of famous supervillains, and he's fully expected to join their ranks one day. But to his family's utter disappointment, Victor doesn't have a single bad-guy bone in his body. He won't run with scissors, he always finishes his peas, and he can't stand to be messy. Hopeless! As a last-ditch effort before they give up and let him be a - gasp! - civilian, Victor's exasperated parents send him to apprentice under a disgraced supervillain called The Smear.

Stress can make you feel bad. It can be caused by lots of different things. A big test. A fight with a friend. A new experience. But no matter what causes the stress, what’s important is how you deal with it.

The African savanna is home to many kinds of animals, including me! I am spotted, but I am not a giraffe. I am strong, but I am not an elephant. Listen to the clues and try to guess which animal I am before the end of the book!

Oshun has everything a young pop star could ever want - fame, fortune, and beauty to spare. But there's something dark inside of her, rising like the tide, fighting to be heard. Something that terrifies her. Because once she lets it out, she knows there's no going back. Ember is drowning. Fighting for consciousness, struggling to make sense of the strange dreams she's been having - prophecies of murder, deception, and blackmail. Maddie is barely staying afloat with her best friend Ember still missing, presumed dead. Then she learns a pop star may be involved in Ember's disappearance....

This second collection of This I Believe essays gathers 75 essayists - ranging from famous to previously unknown - completing the thought that begins the book's title. With contributors who run the gamut from cellist Yo-Yo Ma to ordinary folks like a diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, a farmer, a new husband, and many others, This I Believe II, like the first New York Times best-selling collection, showcases moving and irresistible essays.

If you've always suspected the universe was out to get you . . . you were right! Yes, the universe we live in is cosmically beautiful and mysterious and all that crap. But it's also a bit of an asshole. After all, remember that you are just a group of atoms structured in a specific way for barely long enough to try to understand this thing we call existence. The fact is, when you zoom out to look at the universe and how it functions, you'll see that it's usually not in our favor, and many of the laws of physics are actively working against our survival.

An instinctual pull as old as time - a grandmother wanting to hold her newborn grandchild - bring readers into an unbelievable ordeal. Author Tina Fumo travels to a small town in Canada and finds herself in the most stressful situation of her life. The 'authorities' have apprehended her two week old granddaughter. What her and her family go through to get back their baby will absolutely shock you. You'll wonder if this is really Canada. You will surely cry. You may even laugh. But make no mistake...what you find out in the end will make your jaw drop.