Provides information on reservoirs, including service reservoirs, embankment reservoirs, and valley-dammed reservoirs.

The modern period of history is often considered to have begun with the Renaissance, one of the rare periods of genius in the world's history. This volume traces the Renaissance from its beginnings in Italy in the fourteenth century to its spread across the rest of Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Along with the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman writing, the Renaissance represented a new age in the fields of science, literature,...

Even as the national bird of the United States, the bald eagle has not always been universally beloved. Hunting, poisoning by DDT, and other human activity reduced bald eagle numbers from many thousands to fewer than 1,000 by the 1960s. Young readers are introduced to this incredible bird and the story of its recovery after it reached the brink of extinction. They will learn what actions were undertaken to protect the species and how its disappearance...

Water that lurks beneath the Earth's surface is usually far easier to ignore than the water that covers it-until that water bursts forth above ground as geysers and hot springs. This engaging volume explains to young readers where this water comes from and its relationship to volcanic activity underground. They will also learn where on Earth these spectacular eruptions are found, how geothermal energy can be harnessed for our use, and much more. Striking...

Planes, trains, and automobiles-these are just some of the many achievements of mechanical engineering. This volume will show readers that they do not have to know complex equations to appreciate the impact the field has had on the world. Accessible text introduces young readers to the machines and engines that power the devices, vehicles, and appliances they encounter on a daily basis. Boxes explain important terms and concepts of mechanics and encourage...

Young readers are fascinated by how the things around them are constructed. This volume will answer many of the questions they have, by first addressing the job of civil engineers and then explaining how some of the world's greatest engineering marvels were built. Students will learn how tunnels such as the English Channel Tunnel are built under water; how dams like the Hoover Dam are built and the purpose they serve a community; and why the Panama...

Anthropologists, scientists who study humans and their ways of life, are continually finding and interpreting artifacts left by our earliest ancestors. They have helped us understand our origins as well as the intriguing cultures that developed as humans spread across Earth. This volume is a concise introduction to this diverse and fascinating field. Readers will learn of the various branches of anthropology, including archaeology and biological anthropology,...

A V-shaped flock of geese flying overhead on a fall or winter's day is a familiar sight to most of us. But, as this vibrant volume shows, there are numerous other animals that also migrate for various lengths of time and for various reasons. Colorful photographs allow readers to follow birds, zebras, whales, turtles, and more as they migrate to find food, shelter, breeding grounds, or more suitable climates. Readers will learn how air, land, and water...

Afflicted with chronic pneumonia as a child, Kate DiCamillo found solace in books and dreamed of becoming a writer. Her first book, Because of Winn-Dixie, the story of a lonely girl and her dog, resonated with audiences and earned DiCamillo a Newbery Honor. A later book, The Tale of Despereaux, won her the Newbery Medal. DiCamillo has written many more stories, some of which have been adapted to film, and has won many more major awards for her work....

The Wicked Witch of the West's cackling threat, "I'll get you, my pretty. . ." from the Wizard of Oz might be as memorable and instantly recognizable as a witch's iconic pointy-hatted crone image. This volume delves into the stereotypical image of witches and their newts, caldrons, and headwear and investigates their historical origins. Historical fact and imaginative fiction are carefully sorted through, with reference to literature, films, and other...