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Explore Quality Books at The First Book Marketplace | Affordable Educational Resources for Kids of All Ages | Platypus Media's Contributions to This Program | Grab Your Favorite Sets, Including STEM Collections and Bilingual Titles at Discounts! The First Book Marketplace makes quality books available to organizations that serve families in need. The First Book Marketplace offers educators and program leaders new titles at 50-90 percent off retail price for kids from birth to 18, including award winning and culturally inclusive books, teacher resources, and other educational products. Platypus Media is honored to be a part of this wonderful program. Many of our books are for sale on the First Book Marketplace at a steep discount for qualifying buyers : Book Sets 101 Things About Science and Math Collection (30 paperbacks) $173.48 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science! (15 copies) 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math! (15 copies) Animals and Habitats (28 paperbacks) $161.91 This Is the Sun (7 copies) This Is How I Grow (7 copies) Look Up to See What the Weather Will Be (7 copies) If My Mom Were a Platypus (7 copies) Math Madness Collection (30 paperbacks) $173.48 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math! (15 copies) 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! (15 copies) Science Explorations Collection (25 paperbacks) $144.56 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science! (5 copies) 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! (5 copies) 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! (5 copies) Leonardo da Vinci Gets a Do-Over! (5 copies) Ghost in the Water (5 copies) One Minute Science & Math Mysteries Collection (30 paperbacks) $173.48 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! (10 copies) 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! (10 copies) 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! (10 copies) Book Sets Available in Spanish & Spanish/English Bilingual Animales y sus hábitats (Animals and Habitats Spanish Collection) (Spanish paperback) $166.81 Este es el Sol (7 copies) Así crezco (7 copies) Mira hacia el cielo y verás cómo el tiempo estará (7 copies) Si mi mamá fuera un ornitorrinco (7 copies) One Minute Science & Math Mysteries Bilingual Collection (English/Spanish paperback) $173.48 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! / ¡Misterios cortos que resuelves con matemáticas! (5 copies) More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! / Misterios de un minuto: ¡Más misterios cortos que resuelves con ciencias! (5 copies) Nurtured and Nuzzled Bilingual Collection (English/Spanish paperback) $141.98 Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado (15 copies) Babies Nurse / Así se alimentan los bebés (15 copies) Las mujeres en CTIM (Women in STEM Spanish Collection) (Spanish paperback) $173.48 Las mujeres en la biología (5 copies) Las mujeres en la química (5 copies) Las mujeres en la física (5 copies) Las mujeres en la ingeniería (5 copies) Las mujeres en la medicina (5 copies) Las mujeres en la botánica (5 copies) Single Title Bundles Available in Multiple Languages Cuddled and Carried / আদরে ও আলিঙ্গরে Bilingual Collection (English/Bengali paperback) $131.48 Cuddled and Carried / আদরে ও আলিঙ্গরে (30 copies) Cuddled and Carried / Karese'm epi pote'm Bilingual Collection (English/Haitian Creole paperback) $131.48 Cuddled and Carried / Karese'm epi pote'm (30 copies) If My Mom Were a Platypus Collection (English paperback) $86.74 If My Mom Were a Platypus (15 copies) If My Mom Were a Platypus Spanish Collection (Spanish paperback) $86.74 Si mi mamá fuera un ornitorrinco: Los bebés mamíferos y sus madres (15 copies) My Community Loves Me Collection (English paperback) $520.58 My Community Loves Me (110 copies) Spheres All Year / Las esferas todo el año Bilingual Collection (English/Spanish paperback) $173.48 Spheres All Year / Las esferas todo el año (30 copies) This Is the Sun / Este es el Sol Reversible Bilingual Collection (English/Spanish paperback) $194.48 This Is the Sun / Este es el Sol (30 copies) Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star Collection (English paperback) $462.60 Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star (80 copies) Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star / Brilla, brilla, estrellita del día Bilingual Collection (English/Spanish paperback) $462.60 Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star / Brilla, brilla, estrellita del día (80 copies) Twinkle, Twinkle, Nighttime Sky Collection (English paperback) $462.60 Twinkle, Twinkle, Nighttime Sky (80 copies) Twinkle, Twinkle, Nighttime Sky / Brilla, brilla, cielito de la noche Bilingual Collection (English/Spanish paperback) $462.60 Twinkle, Twinkle, Nighttime Sky / Brilla, brilla, cielito de la noche (80 copies) Looking for titles not yet available on the Marketplace? We're happy to offer discount pricing for customers who are First Book eligible. Please contact Ali@PlatypusMedia.com .

Science, Naturally! publishes award-winning, bilingual STEM books for kids. Trusted by educators, librarians, and homeschoolers. Free teacher’s guides available. ORDER NOW Best Sellers Mara Plants A Seed Price $18.95 The P Word: A Manual for Mammals Price $18.95 NEW RELEASE This Is the Ocean Price $16.95 NEW RELEASE C Is for Crime Scene: A Forensics A to Z Book Price $18.95 How Do You See the World? Price $18.95 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! Price $12.95 The Super Volcano: A Hidden Hero Below Yellowstone National Park Price $21.95 "These books encourage a lifetime of curiosity about the world around us!" Julie Edmonds , PhD, Carnegie Academy for Science Education Check Out Our Blog 1 2 3 4 5

Condensations of award-winning science and math resources for early childhood, elementary, and middle school students. Condensations On this page you can find condensed versions of all of our books. Click on the images below to view each Condensation.

President and founder of Science Naturally, Dia Michels is an internationally published, award-winning science writer. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at universities, libraries, and conferences across the country. Read about her presentations below. President and founder of Science Naturally, Dia Michels is an internationally published, award-winning science writer. Her topics include science and math books for middle grade students, and her passion is fostering curiosity in young minds. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at universities, libraries, and conferences across the country. Read about her talks below. Creativity, Curiosity, and Critical Thinking Combined Discover Strategies to Build Confidence and Encourage Curiosity In today's fast-paced world, schools encourage kids to memorize facts and learn answers to test questions. Unfortunately, this focus often means children are not learning the critical reasoning skills that are so important for applied science and math, which they will encounter in higher education and in real life. To succeed in life and excel in STEM careers, it is imperative for today's students to learn how to use what they know to deduce what they don't. It's not enough to know the answer, they also need to know the "why". This workshop will teach strategies that help kids get to the all-important "ah-ha!" moment. We'll use short questions and brainteasers as an opportunity for creative At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Use literature-based math and science to develop critical thinking skills and promote curiosity. Implement strategies to build confidence and encourage curiosity in the classroom and beyond. analytical reasoning, with each simple mystery as an example of real-life STEM applications. Hands-on activities and fun worksheets help extend the material. Content is interdisciplinary and supports current curriculum standards. Get inspired to encourage creativity, confidence, and curiosity through science and math! If My Mom Were A Platypus Teaching Science through Mammal Life Cycle Stories There are approximately 5000 species of mammals on our planet. They live and reproduce and raise their young in every conceivable habitat, from icy arctic waters to the unrelenting heat of the desert; they live in caves, in trees, in seawater, in freshwater; some are as small as a grape, others the size of a bus. This lively, hands-on workshop shows teachers how to introduce kids to life cycle curricula through engaging mammal stories. Science and parenting writer Dia L. Michels shares insights about the behaviors and characteristics of mammals from her book If My Mom Were a Platypus . This fascinating introduction to the world of mammals captures the universality of the life cycle. The stories are charming, but more importantly, they convey significant scientific insight. The content aligns directly with the Next Generation Science Standards as well as both primary and middle school curricula. Attendees will leave the room with a new set of tools for teaching—and a keen sense of what makes mammals special! At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Use engaging mammal facts to help kids understand and take interest in a variety of life science concepts (sensory perception, infant identification, habitats, nutrient density, adaptations, ecology, metabolism, anatomy, biomes, and classification). Easily incorporate the lessons and activities from the presentation into their curriculum to spark curiosity in their students. Game Show - kids' edition! Are You Smarter than a Mammalogist ? FOR KIDS! This fun-filled, interactive game challenges your mammal knowledge. What can we learn by exploring how other mammals are born and raised? With a focus on early childhood, we uncover fascinating facts, amazing adaptations, and parenting peculiarities. There are over 6,000 mammal species, ranging in shape, size, and habitat. Learn about the diverse ways babies develop (in a womb, pouch, or egg), survive (are they “nest,” “cache,” “follow,” or “carry” mammals?), and how fast or slow the young grow up (newborn blue whales gain 8 pounds per hour!). Come ready to learn, and leave with an appreciation for the diversity in animal adaptations. Plus, pick up prizes along the way! At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Recognize the fundamental similarities and astonishing differences across the mammal class. Gain a greater appreciation for their inner mammal and deeper understanding of their place in the natural world. Understanding How Special it is to Grow Up Human Classifying Mammals in Meaningful Way for Children Educators teach children that we classify living things so we can make order out of our world. We teach them that they are mammals and tell them that there are four requirements to be a mammal: they must have hair or fur, be endothermic, have a backbone, and the females must raise the young on mother's milk. Most of these characteristics, however, apply to many other members of the animal kingdom. Are there more meaningful ways we can teach students to classify mammals? Dia Michels, author of If My Mom Were A Platypus , explores some mammal attributes that provide a fresh perspective on classification and helps kids understand why being a mammal is so special. At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Identify the core characteristics that make a mammal. Understand why and how scientists classify life on Earth and why these taxonomic classifications may be challenged or changed. Understanding How Special it is to Grow Up Human Preview the content in Dia's own words in this short podcast recorded at ALA 2019: Interested in booking Dia for one of these talks? Email Info@ScienceNaturally.com for more details.

Platypus Media and Science Naturally Open Their Warehouse to America’s Schools, Literacy Organizations, and Nonprofits $2.50 Paperback | $3.00 Hardback | Domestic Shipping Included | 500 Book Minimum Access to books — and specifically book ownership — is one of the most reliable predictors of a child's literacy development, academic performance, and lifelong relationship with reading. Giving Back Through the Power of Books is Platypus Media and Science Naturally's commitment to that truth: a deliberate, values-driven decision to move an extraordinary collection of quality titles from a warehouse shelf into the classrooms, clinics, and community centers where they belong. By offering both paperback and hardback editions at accessible price points, the initiative gives organizations the flexibility to maximize their budgets while bringing durable, beautifully produced books to the children and families they serve. Platypus Media and Science Naturally award-winning titles have received honors from American Institute of Physics, the Mathematical Science Honors, and International Latino Book Awards. Their titles have been reviewed by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, recognized by major book competitions, and featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — books trusted by educators, librarians, and families across the country. Our Mission *Note: Prices for this initiative: $2.50 Paperback | $3.00 Hardback | Domestic Shipping Included | 500 Book Minimum. This will be reflected in the order form. Prices in our shop reflect retail pricing to the public. Your price for this initiative will be $2.50 per paperback and $3.00 per hardback. How to Order To preview our catalog, visit our Platypus Media and Science, Naturally! online shops for available title options. Make your selections: title, ISBN, format, language, quantity, unit price. Minimum total order: 500 books. Each title must be purchased in full carton quantities. Please reference the list on our Order Form . E-mail your Order Form to ali@platypusmedia.com We will confirm inventory and send a final invoice. DOWNLOAD YOUR ORDER FORM Our Movement Has Been Featured in Access Newswire Publisher's Weekly Associated Press Ali Trujillo COO, Platypus Media, LLC Questions about title selection? We’re happy to help maximize your literacy budget. Ali@PlatypusMedia.com One time initiative while supplies last.

With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, Mara Plants a Seed demonstrates the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to create a flourishing, wild garden — but she doesn’t do it alone. COMING APRIL 6, 2027! How does an imaginative girl turn an empty lot into a flourishing garden? With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, Mara Plants a Seed demonstrates the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to create a flourishing, wild garden — but she doesn’t do it alone. Little does Mara know, flying insects, digging worms, hungry birds, noisy neighbors, and other secret gardeners are working to help transform the lot into something even more beautiful than she imagined. Rain storms wash away seeds, but rabbits leave some behind. Some helpers nibble up weeds, and others fertilize the soil. Each time Mara visits the garden, she’s expecting to see her sunflowers growing. But as the flowers blossom, she uncovers the exciting secrets waiting for her! Mara Plants a Seed inspires young readers to develop a deeper connection to the environment around them and study the many ways natural processes and ordinary animals help plants grow and thrive. Children will watch as Mara’s simple action of restoring an empty lot transforms a community and the beautiful way the garden bursts to life. . Book Details Paperback (ISBN 978-1-958629-96-3) $16.95 Age range 2 - 7 years Grade range Pre-K - 2nd Grade Trim Size 10" x 10" Page Count 40 pages PREORDER NOW Praise for Mara Plants a Seed "While the book’s empty-lot-to-garden conceit is well-trod ground, the emphasis on ecological interdependence offers readers an enduring takeaway." - Publishers Weekly "A sweet and endearing story of hope and all of the delicate and special pieces required to sustain it." - Tyler Thrasher, Botanist, Artist, and Author of “The Universe in 100 Colors.” “Such a wonderful book that shows children that just one small act can make a beautiful difference. 'Mara Plants a Seed' is a perfect story to share with young readers that is packed with valuable lessons." - Melissa Inferrera, 1st Grade Teacher and Plant Mom, @musicmindandsoul “This precious tale of a girl’s journey into the garden inspires us to take a look around and imagine the possibilities. People, insects, bugs and even beings one can not see all come together in harmony. Powered by hope, tenacity and the help of community, we see how magical a single seed can be!” - Tamara Elmore, Tam in the Garden @taminthegarden "A once barren and neglected lot is transformed into a gorgeous, natural garden full of life, though Mara keeps an eye out for those sunflowers she's planted. She's not at all disappointed and neither was I! We're treated to a delightful, vertical two-page spread that I couldn't help but smile wide for when I turned to it. Bailey does a fantastic job of conveying how utterly wonderful it is to behold a wild garden, and Napoli and Furrow do an equally excellent job of explaining the process of seed to flower (including a blurb in the back encouraging readers to plant their own seeds)." - Goodreads Reviewer , Charessa "The principles of seed growth are entwined into this simple story leading to further discussions in the classroom about plant needs, ecosystems as well as ways to turn the unattractive and unused into something beautiful and well-loved." - Primary Teacher, Melanie Dulaney "Mara Plants A Seed is a lovely, heartfelt, relatable, lesson-filled, and creative story! This book is absolutely charming! Mara is a precious character. With her little act of kindness a trashed vacant lot begins to flourish. Her patience, love, and kindness helps nature become activated. The reader sees all the intentional, natural, and accidental actions which help the lot turn into a garden. The resiliency of nature and the joy nature brings to everyone is on full display. I adore this book!" - Goodreads Reviewer, Bailey Young (Check out the full review here ) Meet the Authors Robert Furrow is a gardener, a wildlife educator, and a birder. He is also a professor of teaching at the University of California, Davis, where he lives with his wife and daughters and dog. He teaches many shades of introductory biology, including wildlife natural history and how to garden for wildlife habitat. This is his sixth book co-authored with his mother Donna Jo Napoli. Donna Jo Napoli has published books for preschoolers through high schoolers. She is a gardener, a dancer, and a dual citizen of Italy and America. She is also a linguist who works on sign languages, advocates for the language rights of deaf children, and co-directs the website RISE, which offers bimodal-bilingual video books for free. She lives with her husband outside Philadelphia . Meet the Illustrator Melissa Bailey , the daughter of an avid gardener and granddaughter of a farmer, sadly passed away in March 2025 at the age of 47. An award-winning illustrator, she was the artist of more than 50 children’s books and the author-illustrator of two picture books. Melissa lived in rural Michigan. She was loved by many people for her warm and generous spirit.

Science, Naturally is an independent press committed to increasing science and math literacy in early childhood education. Come See Us As much time as we spend working on exciting new books for you to enjoy, the real fun is getting out and meeting you! We travel far and wide to introduce our books to families, educators, and book lovers. Here are some places you can find us soon: Here's where we've been recently: May 3, 2020 Literary Hill Bookfest Washington, DC March 11-14, 2020 ITEEA Annual Conference Baltimore, MD Join Science Naturally president and founder Dia Michels for her session Creativity, Curiosity, and Critical Thinking Combined on Friday, March 13 at 1 pm in Room 342 . December 7, 2019 NoVa Labs Maker Market and Artisan Fair Reston, VA October 18-20, 2019 CA Science Education Conference San Jose, CA June 20-24, 2019 ALA Annual Conference Washington, DC We had an amazing time at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference! Did you catch our friendly mascot Snugglepus roaming the hall? We were thrilled to see our Spanish-language books featured at the Diversity in Publishing Pavilion Snugglepus enjoyed an evening in ALA's Central Park... ...and even got to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog! Plus, company president and founder Dia Michels recorded a podcast! Listen to it here: Dia Michels @ ALA June 2, 2019 BookCon New York, NY Come visit the Family HQ tent to hear Nathan Levy , author of the award-winning 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science and 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math do a short presentation. June 2, 2019 Maker Faire NoVa Fairfax, VA We had a great time at Maker Faire NoVa this weekend! We loved meeting all of you and seeing what the other Makers had in store. Jill, from the Fairfax County Library booth, shows kids how to play a carrot piano Guitars crafted from maple, made by 8th graders at the Ideaventions Academy in Reston, VA Anay checks out the laser printers A 3D printers makes an sea-blue octopus We loved this T-shirt! June 1, 2019 A Carnival of Games Washington, DC Folks came from all over the area to partake in Labyrinth Games & Puzzles' Annual Tabletop Game Day. Justin from Labyrinth Games & Puzzles serving popcorn and getting ready to hand out prizes. Jim from Semper Smart Games introducing kids to their game, Election Night. Mariah was on-site offering lessons in juggling to anyone willing to give it a try! Catherine from Catlilligames introducing kids to their biology game, Cycles. Oliver with Catlilligames playing Crazy Cats with families attending Tabletop Game Day. May 18, 2019 TJHS Techstravaganza Alexandria, VA Techstravaganza is a free, open to the public hands-on STEM activity fair that attracts thousands of visitors from the DMV area each year. At Techstravaganza, you will find over 50 different labs and demonstrations that cover a wide range of STEM concepts so there is something for everyone! This event is open to children of all ages. However, the labs specifically target elementary and middle school students. May 5, 2019 Literary Hill BookFest Washington, DC The Literary Hill BookFest began as a way of turning the Literary Hill column that Karen Lyon writes for the Hill Rag into a live event. Karen’s column showcases local writers and, after more than a decade of monthly columns, it was clear that Capitol Hill seems to have an almost limitless supply. What if we could bring together some of these authors who live on or write about Capitol Hill to meet their readers, as well as each other? Thus was born the 2011 Literary Hill BookFest. Everybody liked it so much that they encouraged us to do it again, and now we’re gearing up for another year. Also represented at the BookFest are the Hill’s booksellers, libraries, publishers, and other organizations with a focus on books. Our ultimate goal is to make Capitol Hill a respected center for literacy and the humanities in the metropolitan D.C. area. And we’re well on our way. Our first BookFest attracted more than a thousand visitors; last year, an estimated 1,500 people came to Eastern Market to meet our local writers and learn more about literary services in our area. Please join us this year and make it our best BookFest ever! May 4, 2019 National Math Festival Washington, DC April 28, 2019 Rockville Science Day Rockville, MD Thanks to our animal books, we were stationed in the nature room! We were excited to be placed next to these tortoises; one is African Spurred and the other is Red-Footed. President Dia Michels met a Blue-Tongued Skink and Brian Kristal of Reptile Wonders. There were plenty of other amazing vendors at the event! Here are Natan and Zoe with a robot "bug" from Code Sensei. April 27, 2019 Love Our Local Authors Day Alexandria, VA On Saturday, April 27, Science Naturally authors Dia Michels and Eric Yoder were featured at LOLA, hosted by Hooray for Books in Alexandria , Virginia. March 27-30, 2019 ITEEA Annual Conference Kansas City, KS March 22-23, 2019 Clippers SciFest SoCal Los Angeles, CA We had an amazing time at the Clippers SciFest SoCal! We're so glad that the Gardiner family (L) and students from Adams High School (R) enjoyed checking out our Women In Science books. March 20-23, 2019 CABE 2019 Annual Conference Long Beach, CA It was great exhibiting at the Latino Literacy Now! booth run by Edward Becerra alongside Georgette Baker (another Award Winning Author). We also had the pleasure of meeting conference attendee Karolin Rascon and bilingual children's educator, author, and recording artist Jose-Luis Orozco! How cool is this book truck? If you're in San Diego be sure to check out Letras Sin Fronteras ! February 14-16, 2019 AAAS Annual Conference Washington, DC Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at AAAS Family Science Days! We had a great time investigating how to tell if an egg has been cooked or not without breaking it open, how whales stay warm in freezing water... ...and even dueling with all of you! January 26, 2019 Haymaker STEAM Expo Haymarket, VA We had a blast at this event! Thanks to David Boyd (pictured here with his granddaughter) and the other event organizers. Company president and founder Dia Michels loves getting out and meeting all of you! Here she is (L) showing some Expo attendees one of our newest titles — My First Science Textbook: Electrons . December 13, 2018 John Burroughs ES STEM Expo Washington, DC November 30 - December 2, 2018 CST Annual California Science Education Conference Pasadena, CA What an incredible event! Here's our table all set up with our engaging science and math activities. Science Naturally president and founder Dia Michels was working hard but still found time to be a little slothful... We met so many great people at the event! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. These table visitors are demonstrating our Double Dealing activity. November 3, 2018 VA Tech Maker Festival Falls Church, VA We had a blast at the VA Tech Maker Festival this weekend, where we met some some incredible Makers and attendees! We were thrilled to be at the booth next to TGAW and JellyBox 3D. Everything in this picture was 3D printed! These fish were printed in front of us all in one piece with flexible interlocking joints! The blue-footed boobie is now hanging in our offices. After watching kids freak out over virtual reality all day at the SAMSUNG VR booth, we had to check it out ourselves. Here's Victoria exploring a school in Borneo where orphaned Orangutans learn how to climb trees before returning to the wild! Thanks to the Samsung employee who stayed late to show us the VR headsets. Mariah (R) had a great time running our Eggcellent Idea activity with the kids who came to our presentation! Thanks to Christine (L) for organizing the presentations! We were also running science and math activities from our booth. This family is practicing questions from our One Minute Math Mysteries book ! November 3, 2018 GWATFL Fall Conference for World Language Educators Bethesda, MD September 23, 2018 KIDfest Silver Spring, MD Even though the rain forced them inside, Science Naturally salespeople Anay and Mariah had a blast meeting attendees at the festival on Sunday! Martin, Countess, and Amira Simiyu were delighted to see our award-winning One Minute Mysteries books. As a women-owned business, we just had to get a picture of this young customer's shirt! #WomenInSTEM There were so many other incredible exhibitors at KIDfest, including PARO , an advanced interactive robot which provides psychological and social comforts to humans through physical interaction. These therapeutic robots have been in use in Japan and throughout Europe since 2003. It mimics the comforts of a therapy animal in places and contexts where real animals are not welcome, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and around patients with allergies. By interaction with this animatronic and artificially intelligent cuddly creature, people's memories of pet animals or cherished stuffed animals are triggered, helping patients feel amused, relaxed, and motivated. Here, Science Naturally president and founder Dia Michels poses with a PARO representative and a PARO baby harp seal therapeutic robot. July 11-13, 2018 STEM Forum and Expo Philadelphia, PA July 7-10, 2018 UNIDOS Annual Conference Washington, DC "We are so excited to be a Latino Literacy Now award winner! It is very important to us that our content is accessible to both English and Spanish speaking students. This recognition will help spread the word about the quality STEM books that are available for the Latinx community!" -Dia Michels, Science Naturally founder and president We had an incredible time at the 2018 UNIDOS US National Latino Family Expo at the Latino Literacy Now booth. Dora explores Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado On Saturday Dia worked the Latino Literacy Now table with Randy Jurado, author of In The Struggle , and Diana Santamaria, author of the DLee's World series . Big thanks to Kirk Whistler (right), cofounder of Latino Literacy Now. On Sunday, Dia worked the Latino Literacy Now table with Randy Jurado and Fey Berman, author of the Mexamerica . We also had the pleasure of meeting Jose Sueiro, the executive director of the National Association of Hispanic Publications . June 12, 2018 Capitol Hill Maker Faire Washington, DC May 6, 2018 Literary Hill BookFest Washington, DC The Savor family took the Science in a Minute book set home from the festival with them. Don't worry! According to his mom, this frowning nine year-old actually does like books—he just hates posing for pictures! April 5-7, 2018 USA Science & Engineering Festival and Expo Washington, DC The Science Naturally team shows off our Math and Science books to convention-goers. Our corner booth had a great view of the US Postal Service area and the Einstein Stage! Company founder and president Dia Michels poses with one happy customer at the booth.

MUSEUM STORES Several Science Naturally books are available in museum stores around the country. Here's our most current list of museums where you can find us: California Explorastore 700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037 https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit/explorastore Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205 http://www.dmns.org/ Explore Store, Science Museum of Minnesota 120 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102 https://www.smm.org/visit/gift-shop Impression 5 Science Center 200 Museum Dr, Lansing, MI 48933 https://www.impression5.org Museum of Discovery and Science 401 SW 2nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 www.mods.org/ Palouse Discovery Science Center 950 NE Nelson Ct, Pullman, WA 99163 www.palousescience.net/

With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, Mara Plants a Seed demonstrates the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to create a flourishing, wild garden — but she doesn’t do it alone. AVAILABLE NOW! How does an imaginative girl turn an empty lot into a flourishing garden? With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, Mara Plants a Seed demonstrates the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to create a flourishing, wild garden — but she doesn’t do it alone. Little does Mara know, flying insects, digging worms, hungry birds, noisy neighbors, and other secret gardeners are working to help transform the lot into something even more beautiful than she imagined. Rain storms wash away seeds, but rabbits leave some behind. Some helpers nibble up weeds, and others fertilize the soil. Each time Mara visits the garden, she’s expecting to see her sunflowers growing. But as the flowers blossom, she uncovers the exciting secrets waiting for her! Mara Plants a Seed inspires young readers to develop a deeper connection to the environment around them and study the many ways natural processes and ordinary animals help plants grow and thrive. Children will watch as Mara’s simple action of restoring an empty lot transforms a community and the beautiful way the garden bursts to life. . ORDER NOW Book Details Hardcover (ISBN 978-1-958629-76-5) $18.95 Age range 2 - 7 years Grade range Pre-K - 2nd Grade Trim Size 10" x 10" Page Count 40 pages PRESS RELEASE Praise for Mara Plants a Seed "While the book’s empty-lot-to-garden conceit is well-trod ground, the emphasis on ecological interdependence offers readers an enduring takeaway." - Publishers Weekly "A sweet and endearing story of hope and all of the delicate and special pieces required to sustain it." - Tyler Thrasher, Botanist, Artist, and Author of “The Universe in 100 Colors.” “Such a wonderful book that shows children that just one small act can make a beautiful difference. 'Mara Plants a Seed' is a perfect story to share with young readers that is packed with valuable lessons." - Melissa Inferrera, 1st Grade Teacher and Plant Mom, @musicmindandsoul “This precious tale of a girl’s journey into the garden inspires us to take a look around and imagine the possibilities. People, insects, bugs and even beings one can not see all come together in harmony. Powered by hope, tenacity and the help of community, we see how magical a single seed can be!” - Tamara Elmore, Tam in the Garden @taminthegarden "A once barren and neglected lot is transformed into a gorgeous, natural garden full of life, though Mara keeps an eye out for those sunflowers she's planted. She's not at all disappointed and neither was I! We're treated to a delightful, vertical two-page spread that I couldn't help but smile wide for when I turned to it. Bailey does a fantastic job of conveying how utterly wonderful it is to behold a wild garden, and Napoli and Furrow do an equally excellent job of explaining the process of seed to flower (including a blurb in the back encouraging readers to plant their own seeds)." - Goodreads Reviewer , Charessa "The principles of seed growth are entwined into this simple story leading to further discussions in the classroom about plant needs, ecosystems as well as ways to turn the unattractive and unused into something beautiful and well-loved." - Primary Teacher, Melanie Dulaney "Mara Plants A Seed is a lovely, heartfelt, relatable, lesson-filled, and creative story! This book is absolutely charming! Mara is a precious character. With her little act of kindness a trashed vacant lot begins to flourish. Her patience, love, and kindness helps nature become activated. The reader sees all the intentional, natural, and accidental actions which help the lot turn into a garden. The resiliency of nature and the joy nature brings to everyone is on full display. I adore this book!" - Goodreads Reviewer, Bailey Young (Check out the full review here ) Meet the Authors Robert Furrow is a gardener, a wildlife educator, and a birder. He is also a professor of teaching at the University of California, Davis, where he lives with his wife and daughters and dog. He teaches many shades of introductory biology, including wildlife natural history and how to garden for wildlife habitat. This is his sixth book co-authored with his mother Donna Jo Napoli. Donna Jo Napoli has published books for preschoolers through high schoolers. She is a gardener, a dancer, and a dual citizen of Italy and America. She is also a linguist who works on sign languages, advocates for the language rights of deaf children, and co-directs the website RISE, which offers bimodal-bilingual video books for free. She lives with her husband outside Philadelphia . Meet the Illustrator Melissa Bailey is the daughter of an avid gardener and granddaughter of a farmer. She is also an award-winning illustrator of 50+ children’s books and the author-illustrator of 2 picture books. Melissa loves living in rural Michigan, thinks it would be awesome to live in a treehouse, and tries to remember to water her plants.

Science, Naturally es una prensa independiente comprometida con el aumento de la alfabetización en ciencias y matemáticas en la educación infantil. ¡Echa un vistazo a nuestra última edición de la popular serie Misterio del mes! misterio del mes Misterio del mes le mandará un correo electrónico mensual que lo desafía con uno de los misterios de los libros de nuestra serie Misterios de un minuto . Estos libros premiados presentan rompecabezas de matemáticas y ciencias basados en la literatura en una página. Cada historia toma solo un minuto para leer y desafía el conocimiento de un niño en una variedad de disciplinas de ciencias y matemáticas. Se pueden usar los acertijos como lectura independiente para niños, un juego de adivinanzas para familias, un trampolín para proyectos escolares, una actividad al fin de clase para maestros o una herramienta de evaluación para el conocimiento y la alfabetización en matemáticas y ciencias. Los educadores abrazan los misterios porque ayudan a los niños a extraer los datos importantes necesarios para resolver problemas de ciencia, matemáticas y lógica al tiempo que fortalecen y recompensan las habilidades de lectura. Los padres los abrazan porque mantienen a sus hijos entusiasmados con el aprendizaje. ¡Los niños los abrazan porque son divertidos! Sign up here to get the Mystery of the Month delivered straight to your inbox: Se puede ver a los tres Misterios del mes más recientes haciendo clic en los botones a continuación: Mayo Junio Julio

ASTC has curated these award-winning, NSTA Recommends books for its members to promote science and math while improving reading and literacy skills for upper elementary and middle schoolers. Check out these resources for your programming and after-school activities. Our literature-based STEM books are perfect tools for museum educators! One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! Preview the book Purchase with ASTC discount here! One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! Preview the book Purchase with ASTC discount here! One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! Preview the book Purchase with ASTC discount here! Leonardo da Vinci Gets a Do-Over Read a sample chapter Download the Free Teacher's Guide Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Bilingual Math Mysteries Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Please reload 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Math Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Science Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! If My Mom Were a Platypus Download the Activity Guide Download our Guide to Hands-On Activities Purchase with ASTC discount here! Ghost in the Water Read a sample chapter Download the Free Teacher's Guide Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Bilingual Science Mysteries Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Please reload Museum educators around the country use our titles to engage, excite, and educate: Literature-based books teach science and math while promoting reading, Fiction and nonfiction titles featuring a diverse group of young heroes, Real-life scenarios make science and math relevant to kids, Potentially intimidating topics become intriguing and accessible to scientists of all ages, Supports problem-based and project-based learning, Extensive Teacher's Guides and Hands-On Activities available for free download, Cross-curricular content provides ample learning opportunities. Our books make great resources for museum educators and our short brainteasers make great content for museum publications. For permissions to reprint, information on bulk discounts, and more information, contact Ali . Learn How Facilitators Use Our Books Extensive Educator Resources and Hands-On Activities Shop at the ASTC Bookstore

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