Hippos in the Night by Christina Allen (J 591.96 ALL)
Being kept awake by munching hippos and roaring lion cubs--these are just two of the adventures experienced by a biologist on a scientific expedition in Kenya and Tanzania.
What It's Like to Climb Mount Everest, blast off into space, survive a tornado, and other extraordinary stories by Jeff Belanger (J 179 BEL)
Various "extreme experiences" are described, including Bethany Hamilton's experience being attacked by a shark and then relearning to surf, despite having lost her arm during the attack.
Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo (J 974.9 CAP)
Shark attacks in fresh water? This book describes a series of attacks by a "rogue shark" that took place locally, in Matawan Creek and off the Jersey Shore.
Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin (J 629.45 CHA)
Describes some of the most exciting moments in the US Space program. Illustrated by Apollo astronaut Alan Bean.
Reading Between the Bones by Susan Clinton (J 560.9 CLI)
Not so long ago, even the most knowledgable scientists didn't know that dinosaurs once walked the earth, but today the average five year old can pronounce their Latin names & spout off dinosaur facts. This books describes how scientist first began to understand what fossils are, how they shared that information with the public, and how the science of paleontology was developed.
Elephant Talk: The Suprising Science of Elephant Communication by Ann Downer(J 599.67 DOW)
Elephants have complex social ties, incredible memories--and they communicate using sounds too low for humans to hear. This book not only explores the latest scientific research about elephants--it explains how scientists study elephants and how that information is being used to help both humans and animals.
True Everest Adventures by Paul Dowswell (J 796.522 DOW)
Can you imagine what it takes to climb Mount Everest? After reading this book, you might long to travel to Nepal and Tibet--or you might decide that the "Expedition Everest" roller coaster at Walt Disney World is as close you want to come to mountain climbing--but you will definitely have respect for those who have scaled the world's tallest mountain.
The House of a Million Pets by Ann Hodgman (J 636.088 HOD)
This book reads like "Cheaper By the Dozen," but with pets instead of children. "A million" is an exaggeration, but Ann Hodgman has had many pets over the years--and shares many amusing stories about the animals that have shared her home.
Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose (J 598.072 HOO)
They call him "moonbird" because he has flown more than the distance between the earth and the moon. A mere four ounces of grit and determination, the bird known as "B95" migrates 18,000 miles each year ("from the land of penguins to polar bear country") and has been making this journey for nearly 20 years. An incredible survival story that serves as an inspiration to scientists and conservationists all over the world.
Bulu: African Wonder Dog by Dick Houston (J 636.7 HOU)
The adventures of a pet dog living in a wild animal sanctuary in Africa, as told by the dog's master, one of the co-founders of the sanctuary.
Dinosaur Bone War: Cope and Marsh’s Fossil Feud by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (J 560.9)
Just how did two esteemed scientists get caught up in a rivalry that led to tabloid headlines, destruction of scientific evidence, and financial ruin?
Ice Story: Shackleton’s Lost Expedition by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (J 910 KIM)
Can you imagine spending the entire winter trapped in the antarctic sea ice, never seeing the sun rise nor stepping foot on solid ground? That's exactly what happened to Shackleton and his men--and every one of them lived to tell the tale.
The Fairy Ring: Elsie and Frances Fool the World by Mary Losure (J 398.21 LOS)
Just how did two girls (ages 9 and 15) manage to trick respected adults (including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes) into believing that they had photographed actual fairies? Was it really a scam?
Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook by Anne Mazer & Ellen Potter (J 808.02 MAZ)
Do you secretly wish you could write as well as your favorite author? Or maybe you like writing so much that you keep a journal the way that Greg does in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. Spilling Ink is filled with inspiration and writing tricks for tween writers and wanna be writers.
Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America by Jim Murphy (J 974.7 MUR)
The Blizzard of 1888 resulted in life and death struggles throughout the Northeast and forever changed the way our country tracks weather and responds to natural disasters of all kinds.
101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12! By Joanne O’Sullivan (J 910.4)
Amazing adventures for the armchair traveler that just might inspire real explorations--especially since many of the places described can be visited without leaving the state of NJ.
White House Kids: The Perks, Pleasures, Problems, and Pratfalls of the Presidents' Children by Joe Rhatigan (J 973.09)
Jackie’s Nine by Sharon Robinson (J 796.357 ROB)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a famous parent? Jackie Robinson's daughter tells about a few of the high and low points of growing up as the daughter of an icon.
Heroes of the Environment by Harriet Rohmer (J 333.72 ROH)
The ecological headlines may be grim, but that doesn't mean that nothing can be done to help the environment. This book describes several inspiring projects that are helping our planet.
Our Farm: Four Seasons with Five Kids on One Family’s Farm by Michael Rosen (J 630 ROS)
Working farms today are in some ways very different from the living history museum that is Longstreet Farm. In this book, siblings take turns describing what it's like growing up on a twenty-first century family farm.
Duped!: True Stories of the World's Best Swindlers by Andreas Schroeder (J 364.16 SCH) and Scams! by Andreas Schroeder (J 364.163)
Could you be fooled into thinking New Jersey is being invaded by martians? Or that cars could run using engines powered by ordinary water? Or by any of the other scams described in these books?
Trapped in Ice! by Martin Sandler (J 639.2 SAN)
Twenty years before the Titanic, a fleet of 39 ships carrying 1,219 men, women, and children suffered severe damage from sea ice. Everyone's survival depended on great courage and selfless acts of heroism.
Brainstorm!: The Stories of Twenty American Kid Inventors by Tom Tucker (J 609.2 TUC)
Think kids have to wait until they grow up to make a difference in the world? Then, you haven't read about these twenty kids who came up with new inventions--some of critical importance, others merely fun--before reaching their eighteenth birthdays.
