Elizabeth Rusch: 25 books

"Muddy Max takes that eternal struggle between kids and parents---whether to play in or stay out of mud puddles---and turns it into an epic tale full of secrets and superpowers and one very important lesson: Don't eat mud. It's earthworm poop." --Matthew Holm, co-creator of Babymouse and Squish "What...

Award-winning biographer Elizabeth Rusch and two-time Caldecott Honor–recipient Marjorie Priceman team up to tell the inspiring story of the invention of the world’s most popular instrument: the piano. Bartolomeo Cristofori coaxes just the right sounds from the musical instruments he makes....

Asteroids bombard our atmosphere all the time. Some are harmless, burning up in a flash of light. But others explode with a great sonic boom, smashing windows and throwing people to the ground. Worst of all, some asteroids strike our planet, blasting out massive craters and destroying everything nearby...

Big kids Anna and Oliver give young readers the inside scoop on what to expect when a new baby is expected. In a fresh picture book/comic style, Ready, Set . . . Baby offers up a funny, loving, reassuring peek into life as a big brother or sister—with solid information, kid-friendly humor, and even tips for parents on how to help kids thrive when the new baby arrives.

When Liza's mother takes away her beloved crayons, her world suddenly goes gray. How does the budding artist repond? She squirts her toothpaste angrily and stomps through mud puddles. Through these acts, Liza inadvertently creates art-and eventually discovers color in the world around her.Liza loved her crayons. She treasured turquoise, adored apricot, and flipped over fuchsia.

Journey to the wave-battered coast of the Pacific Northwest to meet some of the engineers and scientists working to harness the punishing force of our oceans, one of the nature’s powerful and renewable energy sources. With an array of amazing devices that cling to the bottom of the sea floor and...

The true story of how a scientist saved the planet from environmental disaster. Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s. Growing up in Mexico City, Mario was a curious boy who studied hidden worlds through a microscope. As a young man...

No one ever thought the Pacific Northwest was due for an earthquake, let alone a catastrophic one. But geologists are transforming our understanding of the grave dangers the population in the region of Cascadia face--will there be a big one? And what can be done to save lives? America's Pacific...

Laws change from culture to culture, decade to decade. Strange laws make criminals of ordinary citizens. Like the Massachusetts woman whose brother asks her for help, slave hunters at his heels. Or the little Irish girl who needs to protect a priest from a different kind of hunter. Or the Native American...

Water has always intrigued humanity. We walk along the shores and banks of oceans and waterways, take boats across the surface, or swim in the waters. But water hides secrets - including those of the creatures that live in its depths... - What if mermaids really do exist, and they lure...

What if magic were right in front of you every day, but hidden from your sight? For all you know, it is. Maybe the reason you love the tasty creations from the nearby chocolate shop is that one of the ingredients is magic. Perhaps some of the dreadlocks of the beautiful young...

Christmas, a time of delight, fun, merriment, and also a time of mystery. Investigate the mysterious side of Christmas with these 15 tales of mystery and suspense. From detectives to elves, superheroes to bounty hunters, sheriffs to ghosts, explore these stories that delight and surprise! Give...

Christmas: a time of family, friends, joy, merriment, and gifts. Especially gifts! Unwrap these 20 Christmas tales and find a wealth of Christmas delights. From action to urban fantasy, science fiction to women's fiction, crime to romance, bitter-sweetness to silly fun, you will...

Celebrate Halloween with these spooky, creepy tales. On that darkest night of the year, when the veil between the ordinary world and the world of scares and imagination fades away, treat yourself to stories that thrill and chill you. Some tales are sweet as candy, some chill to the bone. Are the monsters...