A collection of primary source materials highlights the story behind the Alamo and its place in the history of San Antonio, Texas.

Plants grow in the ground, and their roots absorb from the soil the water and nutrients the plants need to grow, right? You'd be surprised. Some plants seem to possess secret powers. They don't grow in the ground. They grow on a host plant, but they're not parasites. They get the water and nutrients they need from rain, debris on the host plant, and even the air. These amazing plants are called epiphytes, or air plants. Readers of this fun and engaging...

Animals are a familiar part of most people's lives, from household pets to farm animals to backyard birds, but the animal world holds an enormous number of weird and freaky stories. This fascinating book is the second volume in this popular series to explore such stories. Readers will be thrilled to learn about animal oddities like creatures with night-vision goggles, organisms that are almost invisible, and even the swarm of bees that followed a...

Hurricanes are some of nature's most powerful disasters. Readers will learn how they form along with specific examples of hurricanes throughout history.

There are stories of meat-eating plants, but are they really true? Yes! Plants are just as freaky as animals in many ways. This book dives into jungles, forests, and fields all over the world that contain some of the wildest plants on the planet. From Venus flytraps and pitcher plants to a plant that smells like a rotting corpse, these organisms are as diverse as they are weird. Toxic mosses and poisonous plants like the New Zealand tree nettle show...

"Ancient Rome is famous for its vast empire, which covered most of Europe as well as much of Asia and northern Africa. But it's also the source of achievements and inventions that have shaped Western civilization. Some of the best known include the alphabet, the calendar, and concrete, but there are many more. Readers will delight as they discover the many inventions and achievements of ancient Rome in this engaging volume. Thoroughly researched text...

Volcanoes are present throughout the world. When they erupt, they are extremely destructive. This book focuses on what causes an eruption and features examples of some of history's worst volcanic eruptions.

This book examines the history and traditions of tattooing, what prompts people to get tattooed, different styles and designs, and the careers of some famous tattoo artists.

This book uses primary source documents, narrative, and illustrations to recount how construction of the Erie Canal changed America by vastly improving the movement of goods to settlers in the newly purchased Louisiana Territory.

Who were the earliest Americans? When, how, and from where did they enter and spread across the continent? And what is their relationship to modern Native Americans?