Showing results by narrator "Maria Pendolino" in All Categories

The McNaughton family is living during the influenza pandemic of 1918. The family sees how the disease affects other families in their neighborhoods and community until their own family begins to fall ill. As each family member comes down with the flu, they all must take care of one another and fight to stay alive. One child, Anna, takes comfort in her father’s arms one night after she takes a turn for the worse.

Have you ever heard of a bug hotel? There are some insects that help plants by spreading pollen and improving the soil, but they don’t always show up in every garden. To help encourage them to move in, some gardeners build little houses for them!

Have you ever wondered how insects defend themselves from predators? Some, like the stick insect and katydid, use amazing disguises to help blend into their surroundings! Others, like wasps, hornets, and some caterpillars, use a painful venom to discourage attackers. If you were a bug, what sort of defense would you use?

Mariel is a young girl who is struggling with her identity. As a Chinese-American being raised by her adoptive Latino family in Miami, she doesn't understand who she really is. All of the other kids make fun of her but Mariel feels connected to her Latino culture. After a trip to China, where she was born, Mariel learns about her Chinese heritage. Seeing the orphanage and all the children who are still up for adoption allow Mariel to be happy with her life. She is finally able to accept who she really is—a "Florida chica china by the way of Fujian!"

Anna and Jim find a baby seal trapped in a fishing net on the beach after a storm. With the help of their parents, the two siblings are able to get the seal untangled. But where is her family? See how this family helps Sally the seal, return to her parents!

Temika and her family are big on recycling paper. Temika and her brother Tyler are ready to argue about where paper comes from–trees or recycled paper. Mom says they’re both right! Dad suggests they make their own paper so that Temika can use it for her Grandma’s birthday card. Mom teaches them how to make homemade paper from scraps of white paper, colored construction paper, and even flowers!

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!

Did you know there were several women and girls who worked as spies during the Civil War? Thanks to the voluminous hoop skirts and petticoats they wore, their clothing made it very easy to hide messages and smuggle them to the soldiers. Take a look at some of the women who served as Civil War spies!

During the rainy season in the marshlands, Alligator has almost nothing to eat. When the dry season comes, Alligator digs a hole in the pond and waits for the animals to return. Without Alligator and her hole, there would be far fewer animals living in the marsh.

Tamitha is watching a horror movie marathon when there is a strange knock on her door. After finding a vampire outside, Tamitha is forced to turn him away. Now she must spend the rest of the night battling the vampire's silly attempts to come into her house. After many disguises and ruses to get inside, Tamitha finally agrees to allow him inside. Will she regret her actions? Will she be able to finish her horror movie marathon? By the end of the night, Tamitha finds a new friend and the vampire finds a new lease on life.

If you take a hike on a warm summer day, you'll see bees collecting nectar, foxes feasting on fruits and berries, and more! Learn about what animals do in the summer to get ready for the long winter ahead.

A brave young girl named Irene talks about a disease she has—type 1 diabetes—and how she and her dad work together to keep her healthy. Irene and her father teach all of her friends about her disease and how it can affect someone's body. She teaches them about blood sugar tests, insulin, and why and how people have diabetes. By teaching all of her friends about diabetes, she is able to teach everyone at the park that while she might have a disease, it does not mean she is not a normal little girl.

How do you know that spring is finally coming? The geese, of course! All you have to do is look for the V-shape in the sky and listen for all that honking as they migrate back from Canada!

Have you ever seen a rhino do the rumba? Join the rhinos as they dance the night away in this silly animal rhyme! How long will they be able to keep dancing before they get too tired?

Have you ever watched a race car take a pit stop? Learn about all of the different jobs members of the pit crew have. The pit crew does everything from change the tires of a race car to refilling the gas tank, all faster than you can count to ten!

For engineers and architects, mistakes are part of the creative process. Learn why the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans, how the reflections from the Walt Disney Concert Hall caused a heat ray, and what engineers and architects did to solve these types of problems.

When your fairy godmother is the most proper person in the entire kingdom you had better be on your best behavior, especially if you want dessert! What’s a girl with an itchy nose to do? Until she learns proper sneezing manners, she can’t have any cake. Of course, this isn’t just any cake—it’s the best chocolate cake in the entire kingdom. Perhaps there’s a spell book around that can help.

How would you survive a meteor impact? Learn about the different ways some plants and animals survived the meteor that killed all the dinosaurs! Do you think you could adapt as well as these tough creatures?

Patterns are an important and often beautiful part of our world. One such pattern is a tessellation, or a series of shapes that is arranged in a manner that repeats itself with no gaps. Learn how to make your own tessellation with a fun craft!

If you’re looking for a great invention, look no further than your bathroom or kitchen! Did you know that the first flushing toilet was invented four thousand years ago? Or that a melted chocolate bar sparked the discovery of the microwave? Learn about these great inventions and more!