Spring 2026

What Good Is a Dead Tree?

A Science Mystery

  • Interest Level: Grade 4 - Grade 8
  • Reading Level: Grade 5

Creeaaakkkk . . . CRASH!

A mighty oak has fallen in the forest. But fifty years later, the only evidence that it was there is a dark mark on the forest floor. Where did it go?

Author and photographer Doug Wechsler invites readers to dig into this biological mystery and discover the answer to the disappearance. Trees are the basis of a lot of life in a forest—and that doesn’t stop when they die. Millions of creatures depend on dead trees for food and shelter. Following the fall of an oak tree, Wechsler explains how the tree is broken down by animals, insects, and fungi over the course of fifty years. Along the way, explore parts of a tree, insect lifecycles, and the magic of mycelia. And discover how rotten wood benefits the forest by providing essential nutrients for new trees to grow.

Format Your Price Add
9798348010539
On pre-order until 04/07/2026
$24.99
9798348027865
On pre-order until 04/07/2026
$37.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on library bound hardcovers and all eBook and eBook with Audio editions when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Grade 4 - Grade 8
Reading Level Grade 5
Genre Science
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Traditional Nonfiction
Copyright 2026
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Millbrook Press ™
Language English
Number of Pages 40
Publication Date 2026-04-07
Text Type Informational/Explanatory
BISACS JNF051100, JNF037040, JNF003000
Dimensions 10.625 x 8.875
Guided Reading Level TBD
Features Bibliography/further reading, Charts/Graphs/Diagrams, Glossary, Index, Photo captions, Sidebars, Table of contents, and Timeline

Author, Photographer: Doug Wechsler

Doug Wechsler is the author and photographer of 25 children’s books on natural science. Previously, he worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences as a wildlife biologist. Doug has been looking under and inside logs since he was knee-high to a salamander.