Helicopters are amazing machines. They can take off and land vertically, hover over an area, and fly forward, backward, and laterally. This new nonfiction 8x8 is full of fascinating facts and photographs of these incredible choppers.

Blast off and explore the star of our solar system—the Sun!Billions of stars fill the universe. But for humans, the most important star is the one closest to Earth—the Sun. From vitamin D to solar energy, the Sun provides the power necessary to sustain life on our planet. And as the center of our solar system, the strong gravitational pull from this ball of burning gas keeps all the planets in orbit. Discover the significance of the Sun and its brilliant blaze in this fascinating book!

Fine Life for a Country Mouse covers the concepts Appreciating Differences and Family. Based on Aesop’s beloved fable, City Mouse, Country Mouse, this book is a must have for classroom and at-home reading. Shy Tillie Mouse has invited her city-slicker cousin, Oliver, to visit her home in the country. But Oliver is bored by the country. So, Tillie decides to visit Oliver in the city. Everything is so luxurious. Until . . . there’s a cat! Stomping feet! A vacuum cleaner! The woes of city life are too much for Tillie’s nerves, and she returns home, happy and content to be back in her simple cottage in the country.

Exposing children to a diverse range of literary and informational texts, the Core Concepts program helps develop important literacy and cognitive skills necessary to meet many of the Common Core State Standards. Few travel by trains today, but kids regardless are fascinated by the freight train, passenger trains, the conductor, and even the caboose. Terrific Trains mixes both illustrations and photographs to bring the railroad to life! Terrific Trains covers the concepts Transportation and Community Workers & Helpers.

Hard Hat Zone covers the concepts Community Workers & Helpers and Problem Solving. Construction sites are some of the most interesting places, especially for young boys. Join the workers as they use dump trucks, cranes, concrete mixers, backhoes, and payloaders to build a new skyscraper! Full of photographs, Hard Hat Zone is an exciting and informative read for children interested in how things are built.

Slither along with one of nature's deadliest hunters—and learn all about what makes rattlesnakes so dangerous! Rattler has not eaten in a week. After hiding from the hot sun all day, he starts hunting. Rattler uses his venom to paralyze his prey and his tail to scare away predators. He even swallows his prey whole! Follow along as Rattler grows up, sheds his skin, and has his own children.

Brave the elements while learning about all kinds of weather in this informative 8x8! Where does snow come from? Why does thunder crash? What's it like inside a tornado? In this easy-to-read 8x8 readers follow a team of scientists as they launch a weather balloon in various climates to discover the answers to these common questions and more. Despite increasing knowledge of weather patterns, many kinds of weather continue to mystify experts. Discover the wild world of weather—and don't forget your umbrella!

Exposing children to a diverse range of literary and informational texts, the Core Concepts program helps develop important literacy and cognitive skills necessary to meet many of the Common Core State Standards. In this new nonfiction 8x8, kids will learn all about the most famous ballets, the positions, the outfits, the fun—and the hard work! It's not all roses and tutus for ballerinas. Dancing takes hard work and lots of practice. Beautiful Ballerinas will introduce readers to the beautiful dance of ballet with a mix of both illustrations and photos that will bring the dance to life!Beautiful Ballerinas covers the concept The Arts.

Bizz and Buzz are two bees who want to make honey buns. So, they ask their friend Bear for his recipe. Although the directions seem simple, Bizz and Buzz make mistake after mistake, like finding a little flower instead of adding a little flour. What will bee-come of the honey buns?Bizz and Buzz Make Honey Buns covers the concepts Friendship and Problem Solving.

Ella's best friend is her elephant. They do everything together—watch the moon rise, read books, and even go to the movies. But one day, Ella begins to look at her elephant differently. He can't fit through the doorway or in the bathtub or at the dinner table. It takes a bit of time apart for Ella to realize that elephants do make fine friends!