Wind Scorpions: Killer Jaws(Arachnid World (Hardcover))

What is that creature attacking a lizard with its the giant jaws? It's a wind scorpion! In this book, you will learn how wind scorpions are similar to and very different from other arachnids. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about the wind scorpion's body both inside and out. A hands-on activity demonstrates how wind scorpions are able to pick up prey to eat it. Learn more about this fascinating member of nature's Arachnid World. -- "Journal"

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. Markle is also the author of the Insect World series and several single titles. Her book Rescues! was named a Best Book by the Society of School Librarians International and a Recommended Title of Outstanding Nonfiction by the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award committee; Animal Heroes was named a 2008 Lasting Connections title by Book Links. Markle lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida with her husband, photographer Skip Jeffery.

Review :
The Arachnid World series looks at animals that are often confused with insects but are actually in a class by themselves. After introducing arachnids, each book looks more closely at one type, discussing its physical structure, life cycle, and characteristic behaviors. Large color photos, sometimes highly magnified, appear throughout the books and illustrate the text quite well. One uncommonly useful feature in each book is the pair of double-page spreads showing the animal's body, inside and out. First, a photo of the arachnid appears with its visible parts clearly labeled and certain features discussed more fully. Next, a large-scale cross section shows the critter's innards, with an arrow pointing out each significant organ and leading to related text boxes. In Mites, Markle discusses a variety of these usually tiny, sometimes parasitic creatures. Tarantulas looks at the lives of these large, hairy spiders and points out that they help control insect populations. Wind Scorpions introduces a group of arachnids that use supersize jaws to defend themselves and to attack their prey. Each volume concludes with a glossary, an activity, and short, annotated lists of books and websites. Solid additions to science collections. --Booklist -- "Journal" These well-crafted introductions take a close look at arachnids with extraordinary attributes. In each title, a succinct text describes general characteristics; major physical and behavioral characteristics shared by all of the featured invertebrates; distinctive traits of particular species; habitats; life cycles; feeding habits and diets, etc. Each book concludes with a story outlining the lives of representative males and females, from birth to reproduction as adults. Sharp, close-up color photos (extreme close-ups in Mites) depict each stage of their life cycles. In some sections, a photo appears on every page; in others, a full-page close-up alternates with each page of text. About a dozen species are depicted in Tarantulas and Mites, four in Wind Scorpions. Highlighting each title are detailed, double-page, anatomical diagrams of both external and internal key body parts. Hexagon-shaped sidebars, scattered throughout, offer additional facts. Addenda include information on related arachnids and a simple activity demonstrating a behavior discussed in the text (feeding, molting, etc.). Mites and Tarantulas offer more detail on anatomy than other introductions, such as Carrie Gleason's Feasting Bedbugs, Mites, and Ticks (Crabtree, 2011) and Alice B. McGinty's The Tarantula (Rosen, 2002); they also describe mating (and depict it in Tarantulas), which these earlier titles do not. As there is little information available on wind scorpions, Markle's books will also help fill a gap. Valuable resources for both students and arachnophiles alike. --School Library Journal -- "Journal"