Showing results by narrator "Maria Pendolino" in All Categories

What does it take to fuel a rocket to space? Rocket scientists use hydrogen and liquid oxygen, but could anti-matter engines and black-hole drives fuel our spacecraft of the future?

While men fought in the army during the American Revolution, women supported the fight for independence in other ways. They wrote about politics in newspapers, boycotted British goods, and made their own wares like fabric and tea. The Daughters of Liberty said no to British-made goods!

Emma is afraid to ride the bus on her first day of school. She thinks of the perfect solution to help her feel better—she’ll bring her pet chicken with her! Chicken Licken isn’t partial to riding the bus, though. What happens when something scares her?

What comes to mind with you think of fungi? Is it mushrooms, or perhaps mildew? Mold and yeast are fungi, too! Learn all about how fungi reproduce with spores, and how their bodies are made up of mycelium!

Enjoy this collection of origin folktales, also known as pourquoi stories, that explain why things are the way they are. In "Why Alligator Hates Dog", everyone respects M'su Cocodrie, the king of the swamp, except the dogs, who taunt him and make lots of noise.

While out riding horses with her brother, Kate spies a mysterious marine mammal she’s never seen before. She writes a letter to a scientist for help and finds out they are sea otters! She also learns about the realities of wildlife poaching and extinction, which is why she needs to keep the otters a secret!

A young girl meets a Tyrannosaurus rex at a museum and asks him—or her—some questions.

You'll love this collection of folktales from China. In "The Magic Paintbrush", Liang is given a magical paintbrush that has the power to turn anything he paints into real life. Liang must be clever, using both his brain and painting power to escape the greedy emperor. Also included are five other Chinese folktales: "The Water Bucket", "Song Dingbo and the Hungry Ghost", "Money Problems", "The Terrible Kites of Len Yo", and "The Divine Tortoise."

Sue Ann Hutchins misses her brother Ben, who has left to fight in the Civil War. Ben always kept Sue Ann's spirits up whenever she felt down about an accident that left her blind in one eye. When a chance encounter with General Robert E. Lee arises, Sue Ann asks the General if he can help locate her beloved brother.

When Ashley Shew became a self-described "hard-of-hearing chemobrained amputee with Crohn's disease and tinnitus," there was no returning to "normal." Suddenly well-meaning people called her an "inspiration" while grocery shopping or viewed her as a needy recipient of technological wizardry. Most disabled people don't want what the abled assume they want—nor are they generally asked. In vibrant prose, Shew shows how we can create better narratives and more accessible futures by drawing from the insights of the cross-disability community.

Enjoy this collection of stories for children about life on the farm. In "Hector Helps Out", Calliope the hen enlists the help of Hector the rooster in an effort to retain her egg. They work to pull a fast one on Farmer Bean. Also included are nine other stories about animals and living on the farm: "Hatch!", "Fresh from the Farm", "Grandpa Drives a Milk Truck", "Mem and Grandpa at the Farm Stand", "Diggory Dog", "Fleece Fiber, Yarn Sweater", "Harvest Time with Papa", "Herbert, Hurry Up", and "A Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy".

Christy Dooley is on a famine ship headed to America from Ireland. Just before the St. John reaches Massachusetts, though, it wrecks. He wants to make sure his mother knows what happened to him, so he puts a message and his St. Christopher medal in a bottle and tosses it overboard.

Grace and Alice are helping their family make maple syrup! After making mistakes all day, Grace wants to prove she is responsible enough to help mix the syrup all night. Will Grace be able to help make the syrup and get to have the first taste? After all, the first taste is always the best taste!

What foods did you eat for breakfast today? Do you eat different breakfast foods on the weekend? Children of every culture eat breakfast, but the foods they choose depends on the region.

Children were a large part of the work force during the Industrial Revolution and fought back for better working conditions, higher pay, and fewer hours.

Bear and Mouse cannot agree on home decor—should it be plain or fancy? They have different opinions, but that’s okay! When Bear needs to go out of town, he asks Mouse to house-sit for him. She agrees, but thinks his house is far too plain and lonely! What will Bear come home to?

Mi Pa is a frog. All she could ever want is to meet and marry the prince. But what happens when her wish comes true? When her new husband must fight for the crown, she must find a way to help him. Will she be able to help her prince become the king’s heir?

How will a dog who can't fly, swim, talk, or sing win the title of Best Dog in the Universe? When Sam makes a sign declaring that her dog, Rufus, is the best dog in the universe, she has no idea that it will cause such a stir. Aliens from all over the galaxy want her dog so they can win the top prizes in the Omniversal Dog Show.

Click, Jane, and CeCe are crafting toy sailboats! Once the paint dries, they get some exercise and learn about breathing on their way to race their sailboats in the creek. Jane exercises regularly, so breathing is much easier for her! Once the race is underway, who will win?

Have you ever wished you could have Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak? At some point soon, you just might be able to get one! Scientists are experimenting with a special material that bends light so the material is concealed. They still have a long way to go, but if they succeed, it could be one of the coolest inventions of the century!