Termites: Hardworking Insect Families(Insect World)

Watch one of nature’s hardest-working insect families in action—termites! Hundreds of thousands of termites can live together in one nest. The termite queen spends her life laying eggs. The eggs hatch into workers that clean the queen, watch over the eggs, search for food, tend the nest’s gardens, and guard the nest and each other. But a termite family’s most amazing feat is building the huge mound that protects the nest. Thousands of tiny termites take mouthfuls of soil from ground level and climb to the top of the mound. Mouthful by mouthful, the soil piles up until the mound is up to six feet (3 meters) across! In this exciting book, you can learn what makes mound-building termites similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about termites’ bodies, both inside and out. And you can perform an experiment that shows you how termites use scent trails to find their way to food and home again. Learn more about this exciting member of nature’s fascinating Insect World.

About the Author :
Sandra Markle is the author of numerous award-winning books for children. A former elementary science teacher, she is a nationally-known science education consultant. Markle has received many honors for her series Animal Predators, Animal Scavengers, and Animal Prey. Several titles have been named as National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)/Children’s Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12, and Animal Predators was honored as a Top 10 Youth Nonfiction Series by Booklist. More than 500 schools participate in Markle's Book Explorers program which provides free resource-packed emails and classroom activities. Markle lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida with her husband, photographer Skip Jeffery.

Review :
"These books will please report writers, budding entomologists, and anyone who expects children's nonfiction to be as carefully documented as adult nonfiction. Built on an effective formula, each title begins with a page clarifying what an insect is, then moves on to name and describe its exterior and interior body parts, its life cycle, and its behaviors. A comparison with similar insects, a glossary, suggested books and Web sites, and activities round out each volume. The books are notable for the sharp photos placed precisely to enhance understanding. A diagram of internal organs is simple, well labeled, and approved by an expert on the featured insect. The main texts are clear and flow well, while tidbits framed in black hexagons add punch for those drawn to snappy facts. The two activities in each book range from testing your reflexes for comparison with those of a striking praying mantis to making paper like a hornet. Luna Moths and Hornets are the only full texts available at this level on these insects. Termites and Praying Mantises have competition from other publishers but hold their own well. Purchasers should note that Termites is about African mound-building termites, not the common American varieties. There is also one minor error in Termites, an incorrect accent for the word metamorphosis. In all, these books are both professional and appealing." --School Library Journal "These volumes have color photos of interesting insects and will make good browsing materials or research volumes. I found Luna Moths fascinating and Termites squirm inducing - I could almost hear them in my walls. Each volume describes the life cycle, predators, and how they compare to similar species. Each volume includes a glossary, list of suggested books, videos, and activities. Within each volume, there are diagrams and sidebars to help illustrate the text. The diagram of the internal organs of the Luna moth was particularly interesting. Students in higher grades may find that there isn't enough information in these brief titles for a full report, but the books provide a good introduction to the insects. Everyone from my 18 month old to my 17 year old enjoyed these books. I might even be persuaded to order some cocoons, but no termites. Index. Recommended." --Library Media Connection "With outstanding color photography accompanied by clear, scientific text, the Insect World series provides a close-up look at the life cycle and habits of some amazing organisms. Each small, 48-page picture book is written for students in grades 4 through 8. Colorful diagrams of each insect's body parts and fascinating facts provide readers with information. The books describe many facts about each insect. The bits of information around the page borders catch readers' attention. Where appropriate, an activity for students is provided. For example, this volume adds an activity on making paper, to help students understand the building material used by hornets. It's easy to understand why Markle is an award-winning nature writer. This series of books would be ideal for a class studying life cycles or as a reference set for libraries." --NSTA