Earth's most extreme places

Profiles the rainiest locations around the world, discussing their record precipitation levels, geographic features, climates, and the reasons why these locations are so rainy. Includes a glossary and a list of additional resources.

Profiles the lowest locations around the world, discussing their geographic features, climates, and the reasons why these locations are so low compared to sea level. Includes a glossary and a list of additional resources.

Explores what it is like to stand at the top of Mount Everest, providing stats on how high the mountain is and where it is located. Includes a discussion of whether or not Everest is really the highest point on Earth, comparing it with Hawaii's Mauna Kea and Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo.

Examines some of the most arid places on Earth, such as Death Valley, the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and the Atacama Desert, discussing the science as to why these places are so dry.

Readers will want to don their raincoats as they learn about the torrential downpours that pound parts of India, Hawaii, and South America. How this precipitation affects the people, animals, and landscape of these sites will astound readers and remind them of the awesome power of nature. Colorful maps, fun fact boxes, and illustrative photographs support the eye-opening information in this text, which includes such important science curriculum topics as the water cycle and weather-related events such as flooding and monsoons.

Earth's landscape can be vastly different from region to region, and it's always changing! The shifting plates on which the planet's crust sits cause some areas to rise, while others sink. The Dead Sea in the Middle East is the lowest dry place on Earth, about 1,300 feet (396 m) below sea level. In the ocean, Challenger Deep is home to some creepy marine life, much different than anything we see near the surface. These interesting places and others are featured in this book, which interweaves intriguing science and social studies subject matter with many fun facts.

Everyone has experienced hot days in which it's hard to move without sweating. Readers will realize those days were cool compared to some of the sweltering locations vividly described within the pages of this volume. Death Valley, the Sahara, and Ethiopia are highlighted in text and on maps in this trip around the globe in search of Earth's hottest places. Why some locations are so hot, different ways of measuring temperature, and the health risks of extreme heat are just a few of the topics touched upon in this book, compatible with any science and social studies collection.

For those who have ever wondered what it's like to stand on top of Mount Everest, this attention-grabbing book is the closest way to visit the world's highest places without getting vertigo. But readers will be surprised to learn that the label "highest place on Earth" is a controversial one. They'll find out about the contenders for the prize, including Mount Everest, Hawaii's Mauna Kea, and Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo. They'll also travel to some jaw-dropping tall buildings around the world. Beautiful, vivid photographs give readers a true sense of what it would be like to visit these unique sites.

Few people enjoy a rainy day, but many places around the globe are in great need of rain. Readers will learn why rain and other forms of precipitation are so important to people, plants, and animals. They'll visit the driest places on Earth, including the Atacama Desert, Antarctica's Dry Valleys, and Death Valley. Maps and photographs of these remarkable sites and others aid in geography skills, while topics such as irrigation, water conservation, and even mummification will further interest and inform readers.

Many people know that Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth, but they might not know why. Readers of this globetrotting volume will learn how the sun's rays affect our planet's surface. They'll also discover other bitter cold places around the globe and how people manage to live there. In one town in Russia, people leave their glasses at home so they don't freeze to their face! Science and social studies topics combine to present some truly absorbing and chilling peeks at some of the world's most fascinating and frigid places.