Weather

My fascination with weather began as a child and my interest has not stopped since.  In fact, I have been a weathercaster for several television stations off and on over the past 30 years.

As a former classroom teacher, I set up a weather station for my students to monitor and report weather conditions to a local TV station. That led to my debut as a weathercaster in San Luis Obispo, Ca.  It also led to a number of science kits and weather books for teachers getting developed, including a weather station for schools to set up, and units of instruction to accompany it.  Over the years, I have been a consultant to the Weather Channel and I have been a weathercaster at 5 different TV stations.

I hope that my books get you interested in weather, too!

How Does a Cloud Become a Thunderstorm?

How did ancient peoples explain thunderstorms?  How does the Sun send ocean water up into the clouds?  How do electric charges form in a storm cloud?  Find out the answers in this How Does it Happen? series edition. 

32 pages,  Published by Heinemann-Raintree
Hardcover  ISBN 978-1-4109-3444-4
Paperback  ISBN 978-1-4109-3452-9

How Does a Waterfall Become Electricity?

What is the world's tallest waterfall?  How do dams help generate water power?  What happens when a waterwheel spins?  Find out the answers in this How Does it Happen? series edition. 

32 pages,  Published by Heinemann-Raintree
Hardcover  ISBN 978-1-4109-3448-2
Paperback  ISBN 978-1-4109-345-7

Lightning and Thunderstorms

What happens when a plane is hit by lightning?  Why does lightning look like a streak one time and a row of glowing balls another?  How do rocket ships create lightning as they fly?  These questions and many more are answered, as well as unforgettable personal accounts by people who have been struck by lightning.

61 pages,  Published by Simon and Schuster
ISBN 0-689-82018-6

Storm

Step inside Storm and find yourself in the eye of a hurricane.  Discover how wind causes catastrophic destruction.  Learn about firestorms, dust storms and sandstorms.  Read an account of taming a hurricane and imagine yourself as a storm chaser, tracking down a wild tornado.

128 pages,  Published by Templar Publishing
Hardcover  ISBN 978-1-84877-186-4

Tornado! The Strongest Winds on Earth

Tim heard the faint sound of the loudspeaker- "Ladies and Gentlemen!  A tornado has touched down near Elm Street, just a few blocks south of the school..."  Tim panicked.  Elm Street!  His neighborhood!  His house!

56 pages,  Published by Perfection Learning
Hardcover ISBN 0-7807-7860-X
Paperback ISBN 0-7891-2871-3

Tornado Watch

A non-fiction book on the fascination of studying, chasing, observing, photographing and learning all about tornadoes--which produce the strongest winds on earth.

24 pages,  U.S. Published by Harcourt Achieve Inc.
ISBN 0-7578-9844-0

The Weather Report: Lesson Plans, Worksheets, and Experiments

Teach your class the hows and whys of the weather- and also teach them elementary physics and geography along the way.  Through more than 80 reproducible worksheets (with answer keys) and dozens of experiments, your students will learn how to read thermometers and barometers, why humid days feel so hot, how to identify different clouds, and much more.

159 pages,  Published by Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories
ISBN 0-8224-7511-1

The Weather Report: Lesson Plans, Worksheets, and Experiments (Japanese Translation)

Teach your class the hows and whys of the weather- and also teach them elementary physics and geography along the way.  Through more than 80 reproducible worksheets (with answer keys) and dozens of experiments, your students will learn how to read thermometers and barometers, why humid days feel so hot, how to identify different clouds, and much more.

160 pages,  Japanese translation published by arrangement with Simon & Schuster Education Group through The English Agency (Japan) Ltd.
ISBN 4-491-01326-8  Printed in Japan

•      How weather changes from day to day and over the seasons

•      How to describe weather conditions in measurable quantities

•      How water circulates through Earth’s atmosphere

•      How clouds directly affect weather

•      How climate is affected by Earth’s features

•      How local weather conditions can be used to forecast weather

80 pages,  Published by Evan-Moor
ISBN 1-55799-832-9

Whirlwind

One windy day, when Matt and Dad are out flying a kite, they see storm clouds approaching.  The sky grows darker and thunder rumbles in the distance.  A small piece of cloud starts spinning down toward the ground.  Dad realizes that this is no ordinary storm.  "That's a full-blown tornado!" he cries.

32 pages,  U.S. Published by Harcourt Achieve Inc.
ISBN 0-7578-6893-2

Wildfire

Scott is home alone on a Saturday afternoon, watching his favorite weather presenter give a report on the southern California fires.  Pushed on by the hot, dry Santa Ana winds, the fires move quickly towards Scott's neighborhood, and soon the residents have to evacuate.  Will Scott be able to save his cat, Mittens, and reunite with his family before it is too late?

48 pages,  Published by Nelson Cengage Learning
ISBN 978-0170373128