Anne Ylvisaker

When a steamboat arrives heralding the news that Iowa has been called up to represent the Union of the United States of America, Ike is beside himself with excitement. For months, the promise of war has enveloped small-town Keokuk like a grand game that everyone's in on - everyone but Ike, his swaybacked pony, and his best friend and checkers partner, Albirdie. Left behind with Mother and the aunts and girl cousins while the Button men march forth...

"The summer before middle school is a time of anxiety and change. A pitch-perfect novel in verse about one girl's wish to simultaneously break free and to belong. In the summer before her first year of middle school, word-chanting, rope-skipping Phee skips her way to imagined fame, writes down her innermost secret thoughts from the safety of a treehouse, and imagines in horror that her new classmates will eat her alive. Suddenly, her well-worn alley...

Introduces the earth's smallest ocean, and provides instructions for an activity to demonstrate how ice floats.

Introduces the long, curving ocean that covers approximately one fifth of the earth's surface, and provides instructions for an activity to demonstrate evaporation of salt water.

Introduces the ocean that lies between Australia and Asia, and provides instructions for an activity to demonstrate how to remove the salt from salt water.

A simple introduction to the stomach, including its makeup, function within the digestive system, stomach diseases, and how to keep your stomach healthy.

Introduces muscles and their parts, their voluntary and involuntary functions within the body, muscle diseases, and how to keep muscles healthy.

Discusses how Lake Erie was formed, its early people, important industries, pollution, and how the lake is used today.

Discusses how Lake Huron was formed, its early people, important industries, pollution, and how the lake is used today.