Two polar explorers are out to solve a mystery: Where is their special seal, Patches? Scientists Roxanne Beltran and Patrick Robinson set off on a polar adventure, traveling to Antarctica to study the lives of Weddell seals. By finding Patches, a wily seal they’ve been tracking since its birth, they’ll be able to learn a lot about how much the seals get to eat and how many pups they raise. A Seal Named Patches takes young readers into the world at the very bottom of the globe, where they meet the extraordinary animals that live in cold, icy conditions. Through breathtaking photos and real-life stories, young readers will learn about how scientists do fieldwork, the challenges of researching animals in harsh climates, and even what it’s like to fly a helicopter over Antarctica. This engaging story will especially entertain and educate children in grades K-2 (ages 5–8.)

An introduction to seals, describing their habitat, behaviors, diet, and more.

The solitary leopard seal is a fierce hunter and a graceful swimmer. It spends most of its time swimming in the frigid waters of Antarctica. How does it survive in this extreme environment? With the help of color photographs and fun facts, this accessible text explores how the leopard seal's life cycle, body structure, and behaviors have adapted to make it one of the most fearsome predators in one of the coldest places in the world. An engaging final activity encourages readers to use what they've learned to create an Antarctic food web.

Tells the true story of the unique human-animal friendship between Harry Goodridge and Andre, the harbor seal who was as comfortable in Goodridge’s home as he was in Penobscot Bay. Andre swims with Harry and rides happily in the back seat of Harry’s car. He quickly picked up tricks—perhaps the first time a wild animal has been trained in a free-release situation. He became Rockport, Maine’s honorary harbormaster and was ranked “second only to Andrew Wyeth as the state’s most acclaimed summer resident.” Year after year, Andre swam south in the winter, only to return again to Harry the next spring. It’s a timeless and iconic Maine story.

Less than 100 years ago, the northern elephant seal was thought to be extinct. Today more than 250,000 elephant seals swim in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Mexico. In Return from Extinction: The Triumph of the Elephant Seal Linda L. Richards tells the story of their dramatic recovery. Elephant seals were hunted to near extinction for their precious oil before the Mexican government stepped in to protect them. Many people thought it was too late. Even though the life of the elephant seal is difficult and only 20 percent of pups born will make it to adulthood, the species adapted and came back from the brink. They are a true conservation success story.

A hard-hitting exposé of SEAL Team 6, the US military’s best-known brand, that reveals how the Navy SEALs were formed, then sacrificed, in service of American empire. The Navy SEALs are, in the eyes of many Americans, the ultimate heroes. When they killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011, it was celebrated as a massive victory. Former SEALs rake in cash as leadership consultants for corporations, and young military-bound men dream of serving in their ranks. But the SEALs have lost their bearings. Investigative journalist Matthew Cole tells the story of the most lauded unit, SEAL Team 6, revealing a troubling pattern of war crimes and the deep moral rot beneath authorized narratives. From their origins in World War II, the SEALs have trained to be specialized killers with short missions. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan became the endless War on Terror, their violence spiraled out of control. Code Over Country details the high-level decisions that unleashed the SEALs’ carnage and the coverups that prevented their crimes from coming to light. It is a necessary and rigorous investigation of the unchecked power of the military—and the harms enacted by and upon soldiers in America’s name.

Recounts definitive moments from the author's career as a Navy SEAL, discussing the missions that had the greatest personal meaning for him and explaining the lessons and values he hopes to pass on to the next generation.