Blastoff! Readers Level 1

There are dump trucks with tires as high as two grown men! These enormous trucks could never share a street with other vehicles. This explains why “off-road” is how they roll. They are built… More →

Some trains have so many cars that they are miles long. The longest freight train in history had 682 cars filled with iron ore. This beast of a train needed eight locomotives to pull it… More →

Modified pickup trucks, or monster trucks, offer drivers an adrenaline rush and audiences action-packed shows. They race around rugged tracks and crush regular cars beneath their oversize… More →

When kangaroos gather in large groups, they get loud and physical. Males duke it out in boxing matches, jumping and jabbing with feisty determination to earn the “dominant male” title. Be… More →

Animals with an appetite for hedgehogs must work hard for their dinner! They need a pain tolerance for sharp spines and the strength to pry tightly curled bodies. Get a feel for why hedgehogs More →

When it comes to lemurs, it's a woman's world. Females rule—they eat first, win all family arguments, and fight enemies on the front lines. Learn why you'd want to be “one of the ladies” in a More →

Ostriches are birds that can't fly. They take it in stride, sprinting in short bursts instead. When ostriches can't run from danger, they face it head on. Well, with their heads on the… More →

Warthogs are named for the thick knobs of skin between their eyes and snouts. These unsightly protrusions provide a cushion that comes in handy not in the face of predators, but against the… More →

When bullies like lions and hyenas are on the prowl for a lunch to steal, leopards keep their cool. The clever cats drag their kill with them as they climb high into trees, where they can… More →

In an act known as “pronking,” gazelles leap straight into the air with their backs arched before landing on all four feet. Their motive is a mystery, but it may just be their way of telling… More →

Nothing says “bonding” like picking bloodsucking pests from your neighbor’s fur. Baboons of the same troop develop strong relationships this way, often beginning and ending each day with a… More →

Ants, ants, and more ants are on the menu for these long-snouted insectivores. Just how many ants can an anteater eat? Up to 30,000 in one day! Learn where anteaters live, how they hunt, and… More →