CHAPTER 1 WELCOME TO THE DESERT Waves of heat rise from the dry ground The sun above is scorching Cacti stand tall and quiet Everything is still As dusk falls life begins to stir The desert awakens The Sonoran Desert in Arizona has many saguaro cacti 5
Deserts are very dry places All deserts receive less than 10 inches 25 cm of rain per year Even when rain does fall the water evaporates quickly Some deserts are hot and sandy Others are very cold Some deserts even have mountains FUN FACT Death Valley is in the Mojave Desert The highest temperature on Earth was recorded there It was 134.1 degrees Fahrenheit 56.7°C
The Racetrack Playa in Death Valley is known for the lines formed by stones pushed by the wind Deserts may look barren But most of them are full of life They are home to many types of plants and animals Every continent on Earth has at least one desert 7
