Category: Biography

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STEM Friday #Kidlit Animal Allies

Chicago Review Press has done it again with their new middle grade/YA biography collection, Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan .

What a fantastic idea to gather stories of women all with a common love for animals!

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan has sorted the animals into five categories:  birds, arthropods, sea creatures, reptiles and amphibians, and mammals. Within each category, she has found three amazing female scientists who study those types of animals For example, Corina Newsome is saving seaside sparrows while Michelle LaRue uses satellites to study Antarctic birds. Lizzy Lowe takes on what many fear in researching spiders, and Erin Ashe lives out the dream of many studying dolphins and whales. Kristen Hecht chases the elusive hellbender amphibian while Enikö Kubinyi uses robots to get information on wolf pups.

As an entomologist, I went straight to the arthropod section. The first biography is of Dr. Corrie Moreau, who studies ants. She is currently working at Cornell University, where she is the curator of the insect collection. Corrie Moreau is passionate about ants, which comes across clearly in the text. We learn about her childhood, her education, about different aspects of the ants she studies (dracula ants!), and some of the pitfalls she encountered.

I love that Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan has included multi-sensory information, which pulls the reader right in. For example, we learn that Dr. Moreau can smell army ants and how Jasmin Graham feels standing out in the rain on a boat (headache and vertigo). Those are details you can’t get in an online search of a topic.

As for reading level, the suggested age is 12+, but mature middle graders will probably enjoy it as well.

Animal Allies is a must have collection for young readers who are interested in careers studying animals. It is also a wonderful choice for those interested in STEM, as well as nature lovers. Investigate a copy today!

Related:

Research more about the women who inspire you.

For example, the Bug Chicks –who are featured in Animal Allies — have a fun and educational series about insects on Vimeo.

You can get a feel for their somewhat offbeat approach in this video:

Then share what you find out with others!

Check our growing list of children’s books about women scientists at Science Books for Kids.

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 years and up
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press (May 17, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1641606223
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641606226

 

Disclosure: This book was provided as an e-ARC by the publisher. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

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Black Ballerinas by Misty Copeland

Back in 2015, we did a series of review posts of picture books about black ballerinas.

Imagine our delight when we discovered the middle grade collection of biographies, Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy by superstar ballerina Misty Copeland and illustrated by Salena Barnes.


(*Amazon Affiliate link- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)

Unlike most nonfiction biography collections, Misty Copeland’s approach is a very personal one. Told in the first person, each biography reflects how twenty-five different black ballerinas have influenced her career (“My Journey” in the title). In many ways it is Misty Copeland’s memoir.

Misty Copeland didn’t have a lot of exposure to ballet or prominent black dancers as a child. She was in her late teens when she saw black ballerina Lauren Anderson on a magazine cover for the first time. Seeing Lauren  inspired Misty and showed her that she wasn’t alone, that her dream to be a ballerina wasn’t impossible. Black Ballerinas was conceived to allow other youngsters see themselves as dancers.

The illustrations by Salena Barnes are equally inspiring. She captures the motion, the grace, and the magic of ballet on the page, while at the same time revealing the unique person who is the ballerina. Gorgeous! Beautiful! Breathtaking!

Black Ballerinas is a must have for young black dancers and aspiring ballerinas, but also would be lovely for anyone interested in music and dance to enjoy.

Related:

You can see more about Misty and the book in this interview:

Wise words to live by:  “Be open to guidance and advice. ”

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 years and up
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aladdin (November 2, 2021)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1534474242
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534474246

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#Nonfiction Monday STEM for Pride Month

Today we have a children’s book for Pride Month, STEM by Emilie Dufresne and designed by Danielle Rippengill.

Meet ten people from across the LGBTQIA+ community who have made an impact in STEM fields, from Polly Arnold, who is a chemist at Berkley to Alan Turing, a mathematician who was code breaker during WWII and did early work with computers.

The introduction explains the definitions of certain words, like what does it mean to have pride and what the letters LGBTQIA+ stand for.  There is a frank discussion of the differences between sex and gender. The back matter includes tips for being an ally, an extensive glossary, and an index.

STEM helps us remember being inclusive is important. When students see themselves reflected in their curriculum, they are more likely to  pursue STEM careers. STEM is also an easy-to-read introduction for those who want to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community and being an ally — regardless of age.

About the Author and Publisher:

Emilie Dufresne Is a French-Canadian writer and poet who has written a variety of children’s books. Danielle Rippengill is a designer from the UK. Children’s publisher Booklife is also from the UK.

 

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 – 9 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Booklife (June 1, 2021)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1839270829
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1839270826

Disclosure: The book was provided digitally by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

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#Nonfiction Monday Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth

Are you an advocate for any causes? I am an advocate for children’s books, and more specifically the middle grade title  Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth by Rachel Sarah.

In this book you will meet 25 girls and young women under the age of 25 who have decided to speak up for the Earth and for themselves. Eloquent and innovative, they hope to change minds and make a difference.

Young women like:

• Daphne Frias in West Harlem, New York City describes herself as “an un-apologetically fierce Latina, who is proudly disabled,” and is currently in medical school.
• Maya Penn in Atlanta, Georgia who is an eco-fashion designer, animator, producer and TED speaker.  Here she explains how even the dyes used to color fabric can harm the environment.

Although this video is from 2014, you can see on her Mayas Ideas 4 the Planet website that Maya is still incredibly active helping people and the Earth.

• Malaika Vaz in Goa, India who is a National Geographic Explorer and filmmaker.
• Vanessa Nakate in Uganda, Africa who founded the @TheRiseUpMovem1 and has been building solar-powered schools in Kampala.

Chicago Review Press books are all about getting hands on. If the stories  of these girls and young women inspire you, delve into the four pages of resources in the back matter to find out where you can make a difference, too.

Rachel Sarah is trained as a journalist, which shows in her clean and unobtrusive writing. She has gleaned personal details on each of the young women, making each of them stand out as memorable individuals.

Girl Warriors is an exciting book for young readers interested in activism and making a difference. Get inspired by a copy today!

Related:

Although there are many, many ways to make a difference, I am going to suggest considering the Green Bridges™ program from the Herb Society of America. Their goals are to create patches of native plant gardens across communities to:

  • help alleviate the problems caused by habitat loss and fragmentation
  • help protect nearby natural areas
  • remove or contain invasive species
  • provide food and shelter for local pollinators and other wildlife

 

Researching and choosing to plant responsibly-grown native plants can make a difference!

Side note:  Rachel Sarah and I are both members of STEAMteam books and our books released on the same day, April 6, 2021.

 

Reading age : 9 – 12 years
Publisher : Chicago Review Press (April 6, 2021)
ISBN-10 : 1641603712
ISBN-13 : 978-1641603713

 

Disclosure: The book was provided digitally for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.