Showing results by narrator "Maria Pendolino" in All Categories

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.

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?

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!

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?

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.

The First People had only four lights to illuminate the world. The First People asked First Man and First Woman to give them more daylight. In this traditional Navajo story, learn how First Man and First Woman created the sun, moon, and stars to give light to the First People.

Mary’s class is putting on a production of a play called Her Ladyship Was Irish. Mary is excited to be the stage manager, but she's nervous about how the other students' behavior will affect the show. As they put the show together, Mary learns about judging others and working as a team.

Precious is not looking forward to being a donkey in the school play. Precious thinks donkeys look silly and smell bad, that is, until Grandfather comes to visit on his donkey cart. Grandfather teaches Precious that donkeys are much than they seem—they are hardworking, loyal, and kind.

Some everyday problems can be solved using a series of steps called the Engineering Design Process.

Have you ever flown on a plane and heard the pilot speaking in some kind of code? Now you can understand what he is saying! The alphabet is different for airplane pilots. Instead of ABC, pilots say Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. Learn this new way of communicating with Click and Jane as they use the phonetic alphabet and pretend to be airplane pilots!

One of the most well-known constellations in the night sky, the Big Dipper, traces its origins to a Native American legend. Many animals attempted to break through Sky in order to spread light and warmth onto the Earth. Only one of them, a Great Bear—also known as Ursa Major—succeeds. How does Great Spirit reward him?

Tamitha is watching a horror movie marathon when there is a strange knock on her door. After finding a vampire outside, Tamitha is forced to turn him away. Now she must spend the rest of the night battling the vampire's silly attempts to come into her house. After many disguises and ruses to get inside, Tamitha finally agrees to allow him inside. Will she regret her actions? Will she be able to finish her horror movie marathon? By the end of the night, Tamitha finds a new friend and the vampire finds a new lease on life.

A brave young girl named Irene talks about a disease she has—type 1 diabetes—and how she and her dad work together to keep her healthy. Irene and her father teach all of her friends about her disease and how it can affect someone's body. She teaches them about blood sugar tests, insulin, and why and how people have diabetes. By teaching all of her friends about diabetes, she is able to teach everyone at the park that while she might have a disease, it does not mean she is not a normal little girl.

Samantha Smith hopes to shed her troubled past and reinvent herself as a freshman at San Diego University. When she crosses paths with a handsome tattoo-clad bad boy, her life is turned upside down, and Samantha finds herself with more adventure than she ever dreamed possible.

Savitri, a beloved princess in India, is searching for a husband. While on a journey to meet the princes in the region, she meets Satyavan, a former prince. They soon marry, but Satyavan is cursed to die in one year. Instead of letting her husband go, Savitri challenges Yuma, the god of death. Will she be able to save her husband?

Shelby has always been a shy little girl. No matter what she does, she is scared when she has to interact with new people. With the help of her brother and her superhero costume, will Shelby be able to be brave and have fun at the party?

What's a girl to do when nobody wants her help? Help anyway! The garden needs tending and the new neighbors just might need someone to save the day. Using several of the lessons she learned at Sunday school a young lady tries to be the best neighbor she can be.

Megan, her brother Zack, and their dog Tobi are camping in the forest when Tobi chases a squirrel away. Megan follows Tobi into the woods and see a large shadow of a shaggy-haired creature…

How would you survive a meteor impact? Learn about the different ways some plants and animals survived the meteor that killed all the dinosaurs! Do you think you could adapt as well as these tough creatures?

Bees pollinate the flowers of the plants we eat. Without pollination, plants can't grow fruits and seeds. Which foods would you miss if we didn't have honeybees? So next time you're eating a meal, stop and thank the bees for their hard work!