Showing results by author "Liz Huyck" in All Categories

Have you ever seen a feather in a hat? A long time ago, they were very fashionable. Some people would even put whole birds on their hats! To get the feathers, though, the birds had to be hunted. Learn about the women who fought to change laws in the name of conservation!

Your senses are an amazing part of the human body. They allow you to see, smell, hear, and taste things! Did you know you can trick them? Learn about the different optical illusions that will make your senses go wild!

What would you give for a bucket of pee? You might be surprised—pee is full of useful stuff! It’s had a lot of uses throughout history. See how people have used urine for important aspects of life— including cleaning your clothes and brushing your teeth!

After a wizard, a witch, and a goblin all fail to transform a frog with their magic wands, two scientists need to explain the rules of reality. While you can't actually turn frogs into diamonds, there are plenty of magical things that science can do!

Have you ever wondered why the sun is so bright? We know today that the sun is a giant star that is millions of years old, but this is a relatively recent discovery! Learn about the different theories that scholars throughout history developed about the sun and why it burns so brightly.

In ancient China, an alchemist mixed an exploding medicine and accidentally invented gunpowder. Learn about the development of gunpowder and other explosives, like nitroglycerin and dynamite, in this fun feature.

Did you know that humans are actually pretty slimy? Slide into the wonderful world of slippery, sticky slime! Learn about the important functions of slime, and how it is necessary for most living organisms. Slime helps with many important functions including eating, breathing, moving, and self-defense. Learn how many animals depend on slime—the number may surprise you!

Have you ever wondered what happens to your food when you drop it on the ground? Do you ever wonder why your toy doesn’t break when it falls to the ground? This story helps you learn about the different experiments that scientists have conducted over the last few decades to see what happens when something is dropped! From raindrops to pennies, this story answers any questions you might have about dropping things. You will finally be able to answer the question of whether the "5-second rule" really works!

In this funny story, Dr. Luke N. Fursumting, Archaeologist of the 41st Century, searches for the remains of the trickster god of his ancestors, Nol Ittering. Will this discovery earn him the title “Archeologist of the Year”?

Do you ever have trouble getting someone to agree with you on something? Reaching your goals can sometimes be hard if someone doesn't see eye-to-eye with you! Learn some tips to improve your persuasion skills as you follow along with two children as they try to convince their parents to get a family pet.

Do you love cats? Do you ever wish you could talk to them? You may be surprised to learn that your pet cat talks to you all the time! This book will teach you what your cat’s body language is saying to you, whether kitty is twitching her tail, showing her belly, or even just blinking at you. Meow!

Frogs and toads and newts, oh my! Amphibians are a special class of animals. Have you ever seen one? Learn what sets amphibians apart from reptiles, and then take a quiz to see if the animal of your choice makes the cut as an amphibian!

Have you ever wondered how war machines were created? Or the origin of beauty salons? Or maybe even how rubber is used in tires, and rubber shoes? Learn more about these renowned inventors and how their inventions helped shape modern life into the way we know it now!

Many things look very different seen up close. To us, the sun is a giant ball of light in the sky, but to other solar systems, it might look like just another star! Those tiny lights you see in the night sky are what our sun might look like from another planet far out in space. The sun gives light and energy to our entire solar system, and is necessary for many other things. Can you name them all?

A bicycle is a fun and efficient way to get from one place to another. But have you ever wondered what parts make up a bike? Some bikes have hand lever brakes while others do not. Riders with more experience usually set their seats a bit higher than those with less experience.

Have you ever wondered how pasta is made? While pasta only takes a few ingredients—flour, water, salt, and sometimes eggs—the process can be quite complex. Luckily, modern technology has greatly simplified the process from grain to flour, to dough, and finally to the pasta you find at the grocery store.

Even without cars or electricity, the Ancient Greeks had some pretty great thinkers. One of the greatest mathematical thinkers was Archimedes. Why do we always remember Archimedes yelling out "Eureka!" in the bathtub? Listen and find out!

During an era when women had few freedoms, there was one woman who spoke up for them. She was known as Nellie Bly, a pioneering female investigative reporter of her time. Well known for her record-breaking trip around the globe, her contributions also exposed corruption in a local hospital.

From water, to paint, to breakfast cereal, who could have guessed that all of these things have metal in them? There's metal all around! This story includes a fun experiment to pull iron out of cereal.

Inventing is all about ideas—ideas for making products better or creating new ones. To put these ideas into action, young inventors need tools for tinkering. Find out how to put together your own inventor's workshop with simple tools and common household objects.