Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

developing urban, or city, blues.

Famous blues performers include Riley

“B.B.” King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy

Waters, and Buddy Guy. Blues music

has greatly influenced several other

musical styles, including jazz, rock, and

soul.

#More to explore

Folk Music • Jazz • Popular Music

• Rock Music

The Blue Ridge Mountains are covered with

forests in most places. A haze that often

hangs over the forests gives the mountains

their blue color.

B.B. King is a well-known blues guitarist

and singer.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Blues 95

 

Blume, Judy

The U.S. author Judy Blume writes

popular books for children and young

adults. Her books are read all over the

world. They have been published in

more than 20 languages.

Blume was born on February 12, 1938,

in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her name was

originally Judy Sussman. Blume was her

first husband’s last name. In 1961 she

graduated from New York University

with a degree in education. Her first

book, The One in the Middle Is the Green

Kangaroo, was published in 1969.

Blume’s books contain language, situations,

and concerns that feel real to kids.

Her books talk about adolescence in an

honest, understandable way. Blume

became famous when her novel Are You

There God? It’s Me, Margaret was published

in 1970. Blume used her own

memories of growing up to write the

book.

Many young readers liked how Blume

wrote realistically about their concerns.

However, some adults thought that

Blume’s books were too direct in their

discussion of sensitive subjects. They did

not want the books to be available to

children. Some people tried to have

Blume’s books removed from schools

and libraries.

Blume’s experiences led her to speak out

against the banning of books. Blume

also started the Kids Fund, which

encourages parents and children to talk

openly with each other.

Boa Constrictor

The boa constrictor is a large nonpoisonous

snake. It kills its prey by coiling

around it so tightly that the animal cannot

breathe. Despite this deadly

strength, the boa constrictor has become

a popular pet. These snakes normally

have mild tempers. They belong to the

boa family, along with anacondas, tree

boas, and many other types of snake.

Boa constrictors can be found in Central

and South America. They live in a vari-

Judy Blume

A boa constrictor coils around a tree branch.

96 Blume, Judy BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

ety of habitats, including tropical rain

forests, grasslands, and drier areas.

Boa constrictors have thick, muscular

bodies. Most of them grow to about 10

feet (3 meters) in length. But some

South American boa constrictors have

grown to more than 18 feet (5.5

meters). Most boa constrictors have

brown and gray bodies with brown,

black, and white markings. Some boa

constrictors have silver or red bodies.

During the day the boa constrictor rests

in tree hollows, old logs, and animal

homes called burrows. At night it hunts

a wide variety of birds, reptiles, and

mammals. It hunts most animals on the

ground. But it moves up into trees to

hunt birds and bats.

Most types of snake hatch from eggs laid

by the female. However, the eggs of boa

constrictors develop inside the female’s

body. The female gives birth to live

babies, often 25 or more at a time. The

baby snakes measure from 1 to 2 feet

(0.3 to 0.6 meter) long.

#More to explore

Anaconda • Pet • Snake

Boat

For thousands of years people have used

boats to move goods and people across

water. Today the word boat means a

small watercraft used for fun or for carrying

small loads. Larger boats that carry

many people or tons of goods over long

distances are called ships.

Parts of a Boat

Most boats have several common parts.

The hull is the body, or frame, of the

boat. The walls of the boat are called

bulkheads. The deck is the floor of the

boat. Underneath the boat are the keel

and the rudder. The keel runs from the

front to the back of the boat. It sticks

into the water to keep the boat from

tipping over sideways. The rudder is

attached to the back of the boat. It helps

to steer the boat.

The sections of boats also have special

names. The front of the boat is called

the bow. The back is called the stern.

The left side of the boat is called port.

The right side is called starboard.

Types of Boats

Boats come in many different sizes and

types. In general they can be grouped

There are many different kinds of boats, but

most have the same basic parts.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Boat 97

 

into three main categories. These are

based on the type of power needed to

move them through the water.

Many boats need the effort of human

muscles to move them. These include

canoes and kayaks, which are small,

lightweight boats with pointed ends.

People use paddles to move canoes and

kayaks forward. Rowboats are wider and

heavier than canoes. People move rowboats

forward with oars.

Sailboats are boats with sails, or large

pieces of cloth, raised on posts called

masts. Sails catch the wind, which

pushes the sailboat along. Sailboats

range in size from small, one-person

boats to huge sailing ships that can cross

oceans.

A motorboat is any boat that is

powered by a motor. Engines can be

inboard or outboard. An inboard