Everything Has Its Place by Headline Books / Zoom Into Books

They’re creepy and they're crawly, mysterious and jolly, they're altogether essential, to the family of Earth! Science teacher and author, Howard Mize, brings the tiniest bugs and the importance of forests together in this beautifully illustrated story about the harmony of our ecology and environment. Everything Has Its Place is a book about life and the connections that all organisms share that will encourage discussion and learning about the world in which we all live.

Howard Mize is a nature lover and a science teacher. He has been teaching for seven years and holds a B.S. in Recreation and Parks Management from West Virginia University, a B.A. in Secondary Education from West Virginia State University. He is currently working on a master’s degree in STEM Education through the NASA Endeavor program and Adams State University. Howard lives in Charleston, West Virginia with his family.

“As an author, parent, and former science teacher, Everything Has Its Place works for me on every level. It pairs solid science with endearing illustrations in a way that will entertain while informing and opening discussions that will surely be carried over into everyday observations long after the book is placed back on the shelf. Best of all, it will help kids (and perhaps even parents!) overcome the "yuck factor" that too often inhibits a child's natural curiosity by showing how interconnected creatures are with one another, and thus with us. It even has a fun summary and lists references, elements all too often missing in children's books. This one will become a favorite.” —Danny Kuhn, Award Winning Author

There are many organisms in this world. All are special and do their part, to make our Earth a special place, a natural work of art.

Howard J. Mize illustrated by Nadeem Jones

Everything Has Its Place by Howard J. Mize illustrated by Nadeem Jones copyright ©2019 Howard J. Mize All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents, except where noted otherwise, are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any other resemblance to actual people, places or events is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books. The Headline Kids Educational Series is a continuing series of 6 x 9 paperback books for the classroom, home school environment, parents and caregivers. The authors of these books are teachers, parents, and exceptional individuals who love children. The subject matter will be different in every book but all give inspiration to imagination and creativity. There is a learning element in every book and/or easy activity to do at home. Headline Kids celebrates children and these books will increase early learning and reading skills. To order additional copies of this book, or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Kids P. O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.headlinebooks.com Ashley Teets—Art Director Lucas Kelly—Design/Layout Published by Headline Books Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books ISBN-13: 9781946664495 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018956890

PR I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D STAT E S OF A M E R IC A

This book is dedicated to my family: Jack, Holden, Hunter, and Jennifer. Without your love, support, and encouragement I’m not sure this book would have ever been written. Acknowledgments Thank you to my family for tolerating my habit of capturing and releasing every spider and insect that happened to wander into the house. Secondly, I would like to thank Millie Snyder for her kindness and for helping me to find a publisher. I also want to thank my friends and colleagues who offered up their insight and constructive criticism in order to help bring my ideas to fruition.

Everything has a purpose. They all have their own space. They all have a job, to make the world a special place.

Some are seen as gross or useless but they’re not, as you will see. They all have a special purpose, just like you and me.

Some people think that spiders are hairy, scary, and better when dead. But don’t think of how weird they are, think of all the good they do instead. Spiders hide in dark corners and use bugs to make their pies. If we didn’t have the spiders just think of all the flies!

Since we’ve mentioned flies, what about them? They do more than buzz around and bug your Uncle Clem. Flies like to hang around rotten things. They eat and lay their eggs. If flies didn’t help to break things down there’d be garbage piled around your legs!

Speaking of legs, these are things some creatures never sprout. Unfortunately these animals can freak some people out!

Worms live and work under ground. Without legs they move real slow. But they work hard to loosen the soil and make nutrients to help your grass to grow.

Snakes are legless creatures that slither, slink, and crawl. If you think of them in a better light, they’re really not bad at all. They make meals out of things you may not think are nice. They eat spiders, roaches, other snakes, and lots of rats and mice.

Rats and mice are called rodents, but there’s more than just a few. Some you see almost every day because squirrels are rodents too. You may ask, “What’s a squirrel doing in a book about things that work all day?” When all you ever see them do is run around and play

But squirrels are very helpful. They gather nuts and seeds. They bury them in the ground and down amongst the weeds. Now squirrels are quite forgetful, in case you didn’t know. They spread the seeds and forget about them, which helps new plants to grow.

You know what else helps plants to grow? Insects known as bees. Please don’t swat these creatures just because you’re afraid they’ll sting your knees. Bees buzz around from bloom to bloom and help plants reproduce. If there weren’t any bees there wouldn’t be fruit to make your juice!

Now that we’re talking about plants, how do they come into play? All that they seem to do is stand around all day. Some people think that plants just live and die then fall, but if we really think, they just may be the most helpful ones of all.

What job do plants perform and why should you really care? If it wasn’t for all the plants we couldn’t breathe the air! Plants breathe in carbon dioxide which helps to clean the air. Then they exhale oxygen and spread it everywhere.

All living things that are not plants need oxygen to stay alive. If it wasn’t for plants doing their job we simply could not thrive. All the animals that you can name; every mammal, reptile, bird, and bug has to have fresh air to live. So give your plants a hug! There are many organisms in this world. All are special and do their part, to make our Earth a special place, a natural work of art

They all have a job to do as you can plainly see, to keep the world in good shape just like you and me. You just have to care a little bit. It’s really not a chore, to make sure that this world of ours is better than before.

Did you know? Spiders

• There are over 37,000 species of spiders. • Some spider silk is as strong as steel. • One spider can eat up to 2,000 insects every year.

Flies

• There are over 125,000 species of flies. • Flies don’t have teeth; they use a long tongue called a proboscis. • Some flies drink nectar and some drink blood.

Worms

• There are about 2,700 different kinds of earthworms. • In one acre of land there can be up to a million worms. • The largest earthworm ever found measured 22 feet. • Worm slime contains nitrogen, an important nutrient for plants.

Snakes

• There are about 3,000 different kinds of snakes. • The smallest snake is about 4 inches; the largest is about 30 feet. • Snakes smell with their tongues.

Rodents

• There are over 1500 types of rodents. • Rodents have front teeth that grow continuously. • Most rodents eat plants but some also eat insects and other animals.

Squirrels

• There are over 200 species of squirrels. • Squirrels are 1 of three types: ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. • The biggest squirrel is about 36 inches while the smallest is around 5 inches.

Bees

• There are about 20,000 species of bees. • Some bees form colonies while others live alone. • Bees live on every continent except Antarctica.

Plants

• There are over 300,000 plant species. • Some plants eat small insects. • Bamboo can grow 3 feet in a day.

References Spider Facts:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0623_040623_spiderfacts_2.html

Fly Facts:

http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-flies/

Worm Facts:

http://extension.illinois.edu/worms/facts/

Snake Facts:

https://kidskonnect.com/animals/snake/

Rodent Facts:

http://easyscienceforkids.com/all‐about‐rodents/

Squirrel Facts:

http://www.scienceforkidsclub.com/squirrel‐facts.html

Bee Facts:

https://kidskonnect.com/animals/bee/

Plant Facts:

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/plants.html

There are many organisms in this world. All are special and do their part, to make our Earth a special place, a natural work of art.