Phyllis J. Perry

Bold Women in Colorado History shares the stories of ten Centennial State women, among them Clara Brown, a former slave who ventured west and remade herself into a respected entrepreneur; Chipeta, a Kiowa Apache woman adopted into the Ute tribe, who helped negotiate for peace between her people and the white outsiders; and Dr. Justina Ford, who overcame both racial and gender prejudice to become the first black female physician in the state.Perfect for school or home, these collections of short but informative biographies are both a valuable resource and an entertaining read. For readers young and old, the Bold Women series proves what women can accomplish when they dare to be bold.

Rocky Mountain National Park is often called "the crown jewel" of the nation's park system. Set in Colorado in the southern part of the Rocky Mountain chain, which forms the backbone of North America, the park contains 72 named peaks above 12,000 feet with the tallest of these, Longs Peak, rising to 14,259 feet. Established in 1915 as a national park, it now hosts more than two million visitors every year. Vacationers enjoy picnicking, hiking, camping, climbing, skiing, and simply admiring the beauties of the park, which include alpine plants, wildflowers, aspen, conifers, lakes, streams, waterfalls, and an abundance of birds and animals.

Motivate students to read by using a topic they love-sports-and extend learning across the curriculum! Discussion starters, multidisciplinary activities, and topics for further research follow each reading suggestions. Perry describes subject-specific fiction and nonfiction materials that help students make the transition from fiction to expository text. There are also additional print and nonprint sources. Grades K-5.

From an out-of-control wildfire that nearly destroyed a town to a serial spouse killer in Estes Park, It Happened in Rocky Mountain National Park looks at intriguing people and episodes from the history of Colorado’s largest national park. Learn how two teens’ attempt to scale the Diamond—a sheer granite cliff so dangerous that climbing it used to be outlawed—resulted in one of the most complicated rescues in the park’s history. Read about the life and untimely demise of Rocky Mountain Jim, who was badly scarred by a grizzly bear attack and earned a reputation as an eccentric but highly skilled wilderness guide. And meet Harriet Peters, an unusually tenacious girl who summited 14,259-foot-tall Longs Peak at the tender age of eight.

When Bullies Act Out, It's Time for Buddies and Baseball A cloud hangs over Jack as he begins fifth grade. Two boys from his class, Steve and Cliff, who began bullying him last spring, harass him again as soon as school starts. They take brownies and cookies from his lunch and call him "Mustard" because they think he's a coward. When Jack walks a different route to school to avoid them, they find him anyway. When he doesn't take a lunch but brings lunch money, they steal his money. When he rides his bike to school, they let the air out of the tires. Jack is miserable but he's ashamed to ask for help and doesn't want to tell anyone about his problem. Lizabeth and C.J are Jack's best friends. C.J. has his own problems. He gets help in Chapter I reading, and Steve makes fun of him, calling him "Retardo." Lizabeth is spunky and won't put up with dirty tricks from Steve and Cliff, but they try to get even by calling her Miss Perfect. A new boy in school, Hans Ollig from Germany, speaks only a little English and is trying hard to learn to talk like the other kids. Jack is assigned to show him around the school. Their fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Hollis, begins a "Melting Pot" unit in social studies. Each student will choose a country and prepare a report about the history of the country and what people who immigrated from that country have contributed to the United States. The student will share a food from the country and teach a few words of the language. C.J. chooses to study Italy, Lizabeth picks France, and the teacher assigns Jack to work with Hans on Switzerland. Jack's mother arranges for Jack and Hans to meet with a new family in the neighborhood. The boys go to interview Mr. Schwartz who grew up in Switzerland. Jack is surprised to find that many people from Switzerland speak German, so Hans and Mr. Schwartz have lots to say to each other. The boys get a good start on their report even though Steve tries to ruin a map Hans has made. With white-out and a copy machine, the librarian helps save the day, and the boys end up with a great report. Members of Jack's family are all baseball fans and tremendously excited that the Colorado Rockies are going to be in the World Series. Jack's uncle has given him an old glove from his high school days. When Jack takes the glove to school, it disappears. That same day, Steve's watch disappears and he's very worried because the watch belongs to his father. Steve accuses Hans of stealing the watch, which Hans denies. A search of the school does not turn up the glove or the watch. While playing at the park, Jack sees that Steve has his glove. Steve refuses to give the glove back and tosses it into the back of a passing garbage truck. Jack and friends pursue the truck and recover the glove. As Jack and his buddies walk home from the park, they see that a police car is in front of Jack Mates's house. It becomes clear that Jack's father has been drinking and has hit both his wife and son. The cause of the fight may be the missing wristwatch which Steve took to school without his father's permission. When Jack gets home, he tells his parents what has been going on. They want to help but he insists that he must take care of the problem himself. Next morning, Jack confronts Steve and tells him the bullying must end. Jack says he will go with Steve before school starts to Mrs. Hollis where Steve can confess he stole the glove. If not, Jack will tell what happened in front of the entire class. Steve reluctantly confesses. As the class cleans up the room getting ready to share presentations, Steve's watch is found. Uncle Max comes flying in to visit for Jack's birthday and to take them to the World Series Game. With the bullies faced up to, Jack celebrates his birthday with a new glove from his Uncle Max, and with buddies and baseball.

On May 12, 2008, XiXi, a giant panda, escaped from the destroyed Wolong Panda Reserve when a 7.9 earthquake rocked Northern China. After the quake, mother and cub run from the wreckage. Confused and afraid, they get lost How will they survive outside their reserve? Will they find food? Will they find shelter? And will they safely endure the earthquake after-shocks? The "For Creative Minds" education section includes: Endangered Giant Pandas; Life Cycle Activity; Panda Fun Facts; Shake, Rattle & Roll; The Richter Scale and Magnitude Ranges; and an Earthquake Chart & Map. This work of narrative nonfiction includes a 5-page For Creative Minds section in the back of the book and a 44-page cross-curricular Teaching Activity Guide online. Pandas' Earthquake Escape is vetted by experts and designed to encourage parental engagement. Its extensive back matter helps teachers with time-saving lesson ideas, provides extensions for science, math, and social studies units, and uses inquiry-based learning to help build critical thinking skills in young readers. The Spanish translation supports ELL and dual-language programs. The interactive ebook reads aloud in both English and Spanish with word highlighting and audio speed control to promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, text engagement, and reading comprehension. Tap animals and other things that make noise to hear their sounds.