{"product_id":"heather-and-the-wildfires-isbn-9781662670428","title":"Heather and the Wildfires","description":"\u003cb\u003eGet whisked away with Heather Whirl, Weather Girl and her magical umbrella as she and her friends experience wildfires and the impact of climate change in this chapter book for readers ages 6–9, the second in a series!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeather Whirl is fascinated by the weather and concerned about the climate. In this second adventure, Heather’s magical umbrella, given to her by her eccentric great-grandmother, lands her and her friends near a raging wildfire! Heather and her friend Edward and animal companions–Fog the dog and a lizard named Blizzard–observe and learn how such fires come about. They also lend a helping hand in building a fire break, and document their adventures. Heather’s journal entries, notes from her helpers, definitions, and activities provide additional information for children wanting to learn more about the weather and climate.Linda Oatman High is an experienced and versatile children’s book author of more than 25 books for children (and teens), including picture books and middle-grade and YA novels. Her work includes \u003ci\u003eHound Heaven\u003c\/i\u003e, which was nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Award; \u003ci\u003eCity of Snow: The Great Blizzard of 1888\u003c\/i\u003e, which was added to the 2005 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book list; and many others. Linda holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College, and she teaches both nationally and internationally.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKris Aro McLeod is an author, illustrator, and elementary school art teacher. She has illustrated several children’s books, including\u003ci\u003e The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Catch a Kiss\u003c\/i\u003e, and Li\u003ci\u003ezzy and the Last Day of School\u003c\/i\u003e. She has illustrated and written poems for \u003ci\u003eLadybug\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSpider\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eCricket \u003c\/i\u003emagazines. Her work has been reviewed in \u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e, and others.\u003cb\u003eChapter 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom Gingersnaps to Wildfires\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIt was a gray day in November, clouds hanging heavy and dark. Heather and Edward were\u003cbr\u003ehelping Heather’s father to bake gingersnap cookies from Nanny Pippa’s recipe when Heather’s eyes suddenly changed color.\u003cbr\u003e“Uh-oh,” said Edward.\u003cbr\u003e“Here we go again. Your eyes are purple! And I see red and green slashes.”\u003cbr\u003eEdward and Heather both looked at Heather’s magic umbrella, standing in a corner by the door. Fog ran to the umbrella and sniffed it. Blizzard skittered to the dog’s side.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e[Page 8]\u003cbr\u003eThe gem on the handle of the umbrella was flashing frantically.\u003cbr\u003eHeather turned off the cookie mixer. Edward spilled some honey on the floor and his shoes.\u003cbr\u003e“Oh, no!” he said. “My new shoes! Plus, I have flour all over my shirt.”\u003cbr\u003e“No time to worry about your shoes or your shirt,” said Heather. “It’s time for another adventure.”\u003cbr\u003eEdward followed Heather to the umbrella. Heather’s pets looked up at her.\u003cbr\u003e“Let’s go!” said Heather. “Bye, Dad!”\u003cbr\u003e“Be safe!” Heather’s father shouted as Heather picked up the umbrella. The four friends hurried outside into the chilly November day. Heather popped up the umbrella and pressed the gemstone.\u003cbr\u003eHeather’s entire body twisted, along with the umbrella.\u003cbr\u003eSwirling, whirling, twirling fast as a human tornado,\u003cbr\u003eHeather flew high into the sky. So did Edward, and Blizzard, and Fog. It was wild and crazy and weird, just like the first time, and Heather’s heart flipped exactly as it had on her last wild weather adventure.\u003cbr\u003eHeather blinked, and her body landed gently upon the ground, her three friends dropping down beside her.\u003cbr\u003eThe smell of smoke hung thick in the air, and all four of them began to cough.\u003cbr\u003e“Holy guacamole!” squeaked Blizzard. “Look!”\u003cbr\u003eThe lizard pointed into the distance, toward high hills.\u003cbr\u003eThe hills flamed with fire.\u003cbr\u003e“Dude!” said Fog. “We’re in California! The West Coast of America.”\u003cbr\u003eEdward lifted one shoe after another, still examining the mess of sticky honey.\u003cbr\u003e“How do you know we’re in California?” he asked.\u003cbr\u003e“Um, that sign over there.” Fog lifted a paw, pointing.\u003cbr\u003eHeather took a deep breath. She could feel the heat of the fires, even though they weren’t close.\u003cbr\u003e“My hypothesis,” she said, “is that we are near a wildfire.\u003cbr\u003eI can tell from all this smoke and heat.”\u003cbr\u003e“They happen a lot in California, don’t they?” asked\u003cbr\u003eEdward. He bit nervously on a fingernail.\u003cbr\u003e“Wildfires happen all over the world,” said Fog. “Anywhere that it is too dry.”\u003cbr\u003e“They need some rain!” said Edward.\u003cbr\u003e“I wish it would start raining right this minute!”\u003cbr\u003e“Let’s do a rain dance!” squeaked Blizzard, looking\u003cbr\u003eup at the sky and skittering in circles.\u003cbr\u003e“I wish that the magic of the umbrella could just make it rain!” said Edward.\u003cbr\u003e“I think wildfires may be caused by more than drought,” said Heather. “I’ll do some research and write about that in my Weather Journal when we get home.”\u003cbr\u003eThe four friends all gazed at the blazing fires.\u003cbr\u003e“One minute we were making gingersnaps,” said Heather, “and the next, we’re at a wildfire.\u003cbr\u003eWild weather adventures sure are surprising.”\u003cbr\u003e“It’s creepy how we can feel the heat from so far away,” squeaked Blizzard.\u003cbr\u003e“Lizards don’t melt,” huffed Fog. “And you’re from a tropical environment, bro. Try to imagine being inside of all this fur.”\u003cbr\u003eFog coughed and barked and coughed and barked.\u003cbr\u003e“Smoke’s getting to me,” the dog wheezed.\u003cbr\u003e“It’s burning my eyes,” said Heather.\u003cbr\u003e“I’m thirsty,” complained Edward. “I hope we don’t get\u003cbr\u003edehydrated out here in the middle of nowhere.”\u003cbr\u003e“I need water,” panted Fog. His tongue hung slobbering from his mouth.\u003cbr\u003e“My eyes hurt,” said Blizzard.\u003cbr\u003e“Try blinking a lot,” suggested Heather. “That might help our eyes to feel better.”\u003cbr\u003eThe four blinked again and again.\u003cbr\u003eThey suddenly stood much closer to the huge wildfires on the hills. The air burned hotter, and the smoke hung even thicker. The sky had turned a dark gray.\u003cbr\u003e“What in the world?” asked Edward.\u003cbr\u003e“The umbrella brought us closer,” said Heather.\u003cbr\u003eSmall embers floated through the air and several landed\u003cbr\u003eupon a pile of twigs and branches. The wood caught fire, and small flames flickered directly in front of the four friends.\u003cbr\u003e“Yikes!” squeaked Blizzard.\u003cbr\u003e“Too close for comfort,” huffed Fog.\u003cbr\u003e“My skin is so hot,” said Edward, his voice trembling.\u003cbr\u003e“Don’t panic,” said Heather. “Stay calm. We got this.\u003cbr\u003eThe magic takes us places so that we can help. And learn.\u003cbr\u003eLet’s carefully stomp out this little fire. We can do it! We’re wearing shoes.”\u003cbr\u003eEdward groaned.\u003cbr\u003e“First honey, and now fire?!” he said. “This is going to ruin my shoes.”\u003cbr\u003e“What’s more important: your shoes or putting out this fire?” Heather asked.\u003cbr\u003eEdward took a deep breath. “Let’s do this,” he said.\u003cbr\u003eHeather and Edward stepped carefully up to the hot embers and stomped and stomped until no flames or orange sparks remained.\u003cbr\u003eThey gave one another a high five, and then Edward leaned over, gasping for air.\u003cbr\u003e “See?” Heather said. “We’re learning a lot about wildfires, right?”\u003cbr\u003e“What I’m learning right now,” wheezed Edward between whistling breaths, “is that all this smoke is making my asthma act up. I can’t breathe very well, and I don’t even know if I have my inhaler.” He reached into his pocket.\u003cbr\u003e“Yes!” he said. “I do have it. Whew! I might need to use this if things keep getting worse.”\u003cbr\u003e“Dude,” panted Fog, “I can’t breathe well, either. And I really need water.”\u003cbr\u003e“Me, too!” gasped Blizzard. “Usually I only need water when I eat a lot of insects, but I haven’t had any flies or spiders today.”\u003cbr\u003eHeather’s heart leaped into her throat. It was hard to swallow. Her face burned so hot, and she was very thirsty.\u003cbr\u003eHeather took a slow breath, counting to four in order to calm herself. She coughed.\u003cbr\u003e“It feels like the heat is getting closer and the smoke is getting thicker,” she said.\u003cbr\u003eThe four friends looked at one another, eyes watering from the fires and from fear.","brand":"Astra Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303503417573,"sku":"NP9781662670428","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781662670428.jpg?v=1767728855","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/heather-and-the-wildfires-isbn-9781662670428","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}