"Sixty-six million years ago, an object the size of a city descended from space to crash into Earth, creating a devastating cataclysm that killed off the dinosaurs, along with three-quarters of the other species on the planet. What was its origin? In Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, Lisa Randall proposes it was a comet that was dislodged from its orbit as the Solar System passed through a disk of dark matter embedded in the Milky Way. In a sense, it...

"The story of planet Earth, its history and how and why it changes over time, for kids 10 and up. Here's Earth's "biography" through the eras, eons, and ages, including extinction events (sorry, dinosaurs!) and introduction of new species (hello, humans!), told in biography form, with lots of humor, illustrations, and facts"--

"In the tradition of E.H. Gombrich, Stephen Hawking, and Alan Weisman-an entertaining and uniquely informed narration of Life's life story. In the beginning, Earth was an inhospitably alien place-in constant chemical flux, covered with churning seas, crafting its landscape through incessant volcanic eruptions. Amid all this tumult and disaster, life began. The earliest living things were no more than membranes stretched across microscopic gaps in...

A long, long time ago, when the earth was extremely hot, a huge amount of vapor was released, creating clouds. As the clouds got bigger and heavier, it started to rain. Three of those raindrops were brothers who came down to cool the hot earth and traveled, as water does, to every corner of the earth, including apartment building pipes and muddy rivers. Written by a scientist, this is a great book for all curious children and budding young explorers....

Discusses prehistoric life from the appearance of the first tiny plants to the first people.

"Information about rocks and minerals for children"-- From amethysts and tanzanite to the sparkling geodes and erupting volcanoes, get the latest geological insights and intel straight from the field from National Geographic explorer and geophysicist Dr. Sarah Stamps. Ready to go on a rocking great adventure? Travel across the globe to find out how the Earth formed so YOU can become an absolute expert. Get up close to the layers of rock beneath...

The Beginning brings an incredible story to life: the most astonishing history of the Universe. It is the story of who we are, where we are, and how we came to be here. It is the story of life itself. Beautifully illustrated throughout, and containing a wealth of factual information to complement extraordinary narrative, The Beginning will take you on a journey of wonder: from alien landscapes to "upside-down" continents, violent collisions, and mass...