Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Women's History Month, part 3 - 3.16.22

Welcome to the third and last Women's History Month post!
Don't miss:

Today we're focusing on space and food!

Like a Diamond in the Sky: Jane Taylor’s Beloved Poem of Wonder and the Stars
Like a Diamond in the Sky:
Jane Taylor's Beloved Poem of Wonder and the Stars
written by Elizabeth Brown
illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
I think "Twinkle, twinkle little star" is probably one of the first songs I sang to my daughter when she was born.  This is the story of the author of that song, that was first published as a poem.  Jane Taylor was always attracted to the stars and poems seemed to be all around her.  But in a time when women were not published, both Jane and her sister had to publish under pen names.  Not one to give up, Jane continued writing her entire life, eventually being able to see her name in print!

How to Hear the Universe: Gaby González and the Search for Einstein's Ripples in Space-Time
How to Hear the Universe:
Gaby Gonzalez and the Search for Einstein's Ripples in Space-Time
written by Patricia Valdez
illustrated by Sara Palacios
What a fantastic STEM book for Women's History Month!  We've all heard of Einstein and his work on gravity, which is actually based on movement through space and time.  He also wondered about ripples - specifically if colliding stars could create ripples in space-time.  It wasn't until fifty years later that young Gaby Gonzalez started wondering about stars and space.  Years later, with her work on a machine named LIGO, and with other scientists, did she prove that these ripples do exist!
Written by the author of Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor, Patricia Valdez, and illustrated by one of my favorites, Sara Palacio, this book is a joy to read.

Blast Off!: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America Into Space
Blast Off! How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America Into Space
written by Suzanne Slade
illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
I love that we are hearing so many amazing women who are actually behind so many science accomplishments!  Who knew that the rocket fuel that astronauts and rocket scientists relied on was actually concocted by a woman?  Yup, it was Mary Sherman Morgan who worked at all the equations needed to put this dangerous, yet needed, fuel together. 
I love the illustrations by Sally Wern Comport, they absolutely radiate the feel from that time period!

Now on to the foodies!

Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes "the French Chef"
Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes "the French Chef"
written by Alex Prud'homme
illustrated by Sarah Green
I apparently did not know anything about Julia Child!  I thought she was French, had no idea she was American!  I also thought being a chef was something she just always was.  I loved learning more about this dynamic woman!  Although I still don't think there is any hope for me becoming a cook in my later years :)

Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution
Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution
written by Diane Stanley
illustrated by Jessie Hartland
If you've ever had your own garden, you know first of all the taste of your food is so different than what you get at the store.  You also know that the food lasts way longer; it's definitely more fresh!
All of these facts are things Alice Waters discovers.  And when she travels and lives and studies in France, Alice finds out this is how the French always eat.  When she gets back to California, it takes a few years of figuring things out, but eventually she opens her own French restaurant.  Filling it with people who want to be there and try new things, her restaurant blossoms and then thrives.  Alice eventually travels to local farms and starts buying produce that is fresh and serving whatever she has on hand - just like when she was younger and just like in France.
Definitely a fun book for the foodies in your school!


Hope you have found some new books over the past three weeks to share with readers this month.  Let's go mighty women and continue to learn and grow!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for all of the book recs, Michele! Love seeing all the science-y ones here!

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