Extreme Nature! Q&A (Smithsonian Q & A (Children's Paperback)) by Melissa Stewart (HarperCollins Children, $6.99; ages 5 - 9).

What is the largest living thing on Earth? Which living thing swims the fastest? Which has the longest tongue? These are just some of the questions about nature answered in this first edition of a new 24-book series put out in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution.

In the next installment, Extreme Stars Q&A by Sarah Thomson, young scientists will learn why some stars die in enormous explosions and how matter disappears into mysterious black holes. This series of books will captivate curious young readers and allow them to explore mysteries that exist on Earth, in the Cosmos, and beyond.