Class 4A is studying reptiles, which makes class pet Slinky the snake a minor celebrity. The whole class collects worms from the field to feed to Slinky as a treat, but Katie refuses—she’s a vegetarian! Then when the magic wind appears, Katie learns what it’s like to be in someone else’s skin—scaly snake skin to be exact!

“Vivian French tells a gardening adventure and offers underground facts, including helpful hints on how to become a ‘wormologist.’ “ — USA Today Who would want to be friends with a wiggly, slimy worm? You can’t even tell which end is which! But there’s more to these lowly creatures than meets the eye. Kids are invited to find out where worms live, see how they move, and understand why gardeners consider them friends with the help of this humorous and informative look at an unappreciated — and fascinating — creature. Back matter includes further information about worms and an index.

While her class is studying reptiles, Katie, a vegetarian, refuses to feed worms to Slinky the snake, class 4A's pet, but when the magic wind turns her into Slinky, Katie learns that some animals cannot survive on vegetables alone.

Worms wiggle and bugs jiggle; frogs leap and caterpillars creep in this richly painted and cleverly engineered pop-up book that focuses on how creatures get from here to there. Illustrated.

Crawling through the dirt, worms are hard at work, helping plants to grow. Worms help the fruit and vegetables we eat by loosening the soil and feeding the plants. Read and find out about these wiggling wonders!

Choice Reviews, Outstanding Academic Title Techniques and systems for processing food scraps, manure, yard debris, paper, and more Turning waste into wealth sounds too good to be true, but many worm farmers are finding that vermicomposting is a reliable way to do just that. Vermicast—a biologically active, nutrient-rich mix of earthworm castings and decomposed organic matter—sells for $400 or more per cubic yard. Compare that to regular compost, sold at about $30 a cubic yard, and you’ll see why vermicomposting has taken root in most countries and on every continent but Antarctica. Vermicomposting is also one of the best sustainable solutions for organic waste management. Vermicomposting manure and crop wastes on farms improves crop yields while reducing demand for off-farm inputs. Vermicast has higher nutrient levels and lower soluble salt content than regular compost, and it improves soil aeration, porosity, and water retention. Plus, vermicast suppresses plant diseases and insect attacks. Municipalities, businesses, community gardens, schools, and universities can set up vermicomposting operations to process food residuals and other waste materials. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook details the ins and outs of vermicomposting for mid- to large-scale operations, including how to recycle organic materials ranging from food wastes and yard trimmings to manure and shredded office paper. Vermicomposting expert Rhonda Sherman shares what she has learned over twenty-five years working with commercial worm growers and researchers around the world. Her profiles of successful worm growers across the United States and from New Zealand to the Middle East and Europe describe their proven methods and systems. This book digs into all the details, including: Choosing the right production system Regulatory issues and developing a business and marketing plan Finding and managing feedstocks Pre-composting: why and how to do it Monitoring an active worm bed Harvesting, screening, testing, packaging, and storing vermicast Markets for earthworms and vermicast Food security: how vermicast benefits soils and plants Keys to success: avoiding common pitfalls From livestock farms and restaurants to colleges, military bases, and prisons, Sherman details why and how commercial-scale vermicomposting is a fast-growing, sustainable solution for organic waste management. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is the first and only authoritative how-to guide that goes beyond small-scale operations and demystifies the science and logistics of the fascinating process that is vermicomposting.

Fertilize your garden naturally--a guide to growing your plants in healthy, happy soil People want to know where their food comes from, who grows it and how it is grown. Interest in permaculture, backyard composting, and gardening in general, is growing. So how does the budding gardener ensure that his soil is healthy and nutrient-rich enough to support all the produce he intends to grow? Here's a hint--think worms! Vermiculture is the healthiest and most cost-effective way to ensure that your soil receives the nourishment that it needs. A simple vermicompost bin can produce the completely natural , nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used to boost soil health and, in turn, increase your crop yield. In true Crystal Stevens' fashion, Worms at Work is a practical, easy-to-implement guide to fertilizing your garden naturally. It discusses the vital role worms play in boosting soil health, and the reasons why every gardener should use vermicompost in order to decrease reliance on toxic synthetic fertilizers. Coverage includes: Simple designs to build your own vermicompost bin Caring for your worms Garden applications for your worm castings Lesson plans to incorporate vermicomposting into the school science curriculum Whether you're tending to a small backyard garden or managing a large farm, Worms at Work can show you how to start vermicomposting today in order to grow healthy plants in healthy, happy soil. Crystal Stevens is the author of Grow Create Inspire and has been co-manager of La Vista CSA Farm for the past 7 years. She teaches regular Vermiculture 101 workshops.

Goosebumps available soon on Disney+! They're creepy and they're crawly -- they're totally disgusting! Todd loves his basement worm farm. Worms are fascinating creatures--it's just a convenient bonus that they happen to gross out his family. But when Todd starts to find worms in unlikely and unwanted places, like his bed, his toothbrush, and his spaghetti--the tables have turned. Now Todd is the one running scared!

The earliest and greatest works of Greek literature - The Iliad and The Odyssey, have been attributed since antiquity to the poet Homer. This concise book is an introduction to the poet and his two great epics. Assuming no prior knowledge of Greek, the author supplies all the background information necessary to understand the poems. The book presents an overview of the Homeric question - considering the authorship, composition and transmission of the poems. It provides the historical background to the epics, literary readings of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and an analysis of the poet's plotting, narrative technique, and characterization. The author uses comparisons between the two poems to illustrate Homeric poetics. A final section reviews the important secondary literature on Homer and offers a guide to further reading. Throughout the author makes use of his own original research, especially on the relations between Greek alphabetic writing and the origins of Greek literature.