STEM Tuesday

STEM Tuesday — On the Wing with Birds — Book List

By on April 5, 2022   /   Birds, STEM Tuesday  

It’s spring. Birds are on the wing and creating nests. Discover these amazing creatures in our April booklist. You’ll probably notice that some authors have written multiple books about birds. Explore them all and, perhaps, they will inspire a passion for birdwatching in your students.

Where Have All The Birds Gone? Nature in Crisis by Rebecca Hirsch

The author of Where Have All The Bees Gone? returns with this well-researched book about the world’s disappearing birds.

Superpower Field Guides – Ostriches by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Nicholas John Frith

This installment of the fun, graphic series focuses on fascinating ostriches that can outrun most horses.

Condor Comeback by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Tianne Strombeck

The population of California condors once reached the brink of extinction. This Scientists in the Field book details the recovery story of these highly endangered birds.

Birdology: Adventures with a Pack of Hens, a Peck of Pigeons, Cantankerous Crows, Fierce Falcons, Hip Hop Parrots, Baby Hummingbirds, and One Murderously Big Living Dinosaur by Sy Montgomery

This is another bird-focused title from Sy Montgomery that shouldn’t be missed. Readers will explore many species in this title for older readers.

Crow Smarts: Inside the Brain of the World’s Brightest Bird by Pamela S. Turner, photographs by Andy Comins, illustrations by Guido de FeLippo

Let’s talk about bird brains. Turner’s book focuses on the best and the brightest – crows. This is also a Scientists in the Field title that will introduce readers to the scientists at the heart of this brainy bird science.

Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3d-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle by Deborah Lee Rose and Jane Veltkamp

Animal rehabilitation is fascinating, but when it depends on cutting edge technology it is a leap ahead. This story involves a magnificent bald eagle and beak reconstruction.

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk by Jan Thornhill 

This 2016 book about the extinction of the great northern penguin known as the auk is worth searching for in your library. Readers will learn how their demise played a part in our modern conservation movement.

The Triumphant Tale of The House Sparrow by Jan Thornhill

Thornhill’s recent title explores the natural history of the perky little house sparrow that will be familiar to most readers.

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose

Can a bird fly the distance of the moon? It sure can. This is the story of a red knot that had an outstanding flying career.

The Race to Save Lord God Bird by Phillip Hoose 

Many birds are endangered and many have become extinct. The story of the race to save the ivory-billed woodpecker from extinction is as huge as the bird itself. It’s extinction has been as momentous as the dodo.

Crows: Genius Birds by Kyla Vanderklugt

This is a perfect companion title to Crow Smarts. Readers will love the comic format.

Falcons in the City: The Story of a Peregrine Family by Chris Earley, photographs by Luke Massey

Cities are full of wildlife. Explore these urban residents.

Photo of DESERTS author Nancy Castaldo

Nancy Castaldo has written books about our planet for over 20 years including, THE STORY OF SEEDS, which earned the Green Earth Book Award, Junior Library Guild Selection, and other honors. Nancy’s research has taken her all over the world from the Galapagos to Russia.  She strives to inform, inspire, and empower her readers. Nancy also served as Regional Advisor Emeritus of the Eastern NY SCBWI region. Her 2022 titles are When the World Runs Dry (Jr Library Guild Selection), The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale (Scientists in the Field) and Buildings That Breathe. Visit her at www.nancycastaldo.com. 

Patricia Newman writes middle-grade nonfiction that empowers young readers to act on behalf of the environment and their communities. Academy Award winner and environmentalist Jeff Bridges calls Planet Ocean a “must read.” Newman, a Sibert Honor author of Sea Otter Heroes, has also received an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book Award for Eavesdropping on Elephants, a Green Earth Book Award for Plastic, Ahoy!, and a Eureka! Gold Medal from the California Reading Association for Zoo Scientists to the Rescue. Her books have received starred reviews, been honored as Junior Library Guild Selections, and included on Bank Street College’s Best Books lists. During author visits, she demonstrates how young readers can use writing to be the voice of change. Visit her at www.patriciamnewman.com.

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STEAM Up Your Classroom with STEM/STEAM books!

By on March 22, 2022   /   Award-winning MG STEM Books, STEM Tuesday  

 

Happy Spring!  Now is the best time to talk to your kids or students about science. After all, it’s ALL around them.

Not sure where to start? STEM Tuesday can help!  Look at our site! Each month comes with a Book List for the topic we are covering that month. Just search by topic on our home page HERE

Then click on the search by topic part and you’ll get a drop down menu where you can select the topic you’re looking for. Most of the books on the list are already attached to Bookstop so you can just click on the title and ORDER and you’re done!

 

 

If you’re looking for more ideas of STEM/STEAM books for kids, check out STEAM Team Books! It’s a website that highlights the amazing fiction and nonfiction books that have come out that year.

​STEAM-related books bring the spirit of inquiry, discovery, and creative problem-solving to your learners

while engaging them in rich literacy experiences.

 

Here are some suggestions from the STEAM Team members for “Books for Kids Who Like…” 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! 
If you use STEM Tuesday to choose books for your classroom and/or to do activities in your classroom, let us know.

Is there a topic that we haven’t covered that you’d like to see?

Leave us a comment below or send an email to stemmuf@gmail.com

Have a STEM-RIFIC DAY!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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STEM Tuesday — Diversity in STEM– Interview with Ella Schwartz

By on March 22, 2022   /   Diversity in STEM, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the fourth Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today we’re interviewing Ella Schwartz, author of STOLEN SCIENCE: Thirteen Untold Stories of Scientists and Inventors Almost Written out of History.  

Mary Kay Carson: Tell us a bit about your book Stolen Science.

Ella Schwartz: Stolen Science is the story of thirteen scientists and inventors who performed ground breaking work but did not get the credit they deserved. I know first-hand just how hard it is for women to be successful in the field. We’ve made great strides in recent years, but time and again women and marginalized groups have had to claw their way to success in the sciences, only to have their discoveries stolen from them – and that’s not fair! I set out to write Stolen Science to finally give credit where credit is due!

MKC: Why did you choose to write the book? 

Ella: Picture a scientist in your head. Chances are, that scientist is white, male, and often dead. As a woman with a background in science and engineering, I very rarely got to see someone who looked like me represented in my field. That’s what I set out to fix when I began writing Stolen Science. I feel deeply that children today need to see diversity represented in the sciences. Young girls, children of color, and immigrants must be inspired by example to pursue STEM fields. I set out to write Stolen Science with that goal in mind.

MKC: Stolen Science features lesser-known individuals, many who lived in the 1800s. How did you learn about them?

Ella: When I began researching this book, I wasn’t sure what I’d find. I knew there was probably plenty of scientists who had performed brilliant work that never got the credit they deserved, but I never expected just how many stories I’d uncover! Some of the stories from the 1800s were tricky to research, but thankfully these stories are beginning to come to light. For example, Mary Anning is one of the scientists I feature in the book. I’m pleased to see a lot of recent publications on this fierce and brave scientist.

MKC: It sounds like you spent some quality time in research archives and libraries. Do you have a favorite discovery you’d like to share?

Ella Schwartz writes fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. She is always asking questions and trying to learn new things. The books she writes are for kids who are just as curious as she is. Find out more about her and her books at www.ellasbooks.com.

Ella: The research for this book was, at times, intense! One of my favorite stories in the book is on Jo Anderson, an enslaved man who invented the mechanical reaper that became the backbone of the industrial revolution. There hasn’t been a lot of research on Jo Anderson so telling his story required me to dig deep into research. I knew this was a story that deserved to be told and I was honored to tell it. But I also knew this was a big responsibility. I had to get the story right. I’m very grateful to the staff at the Wisconsin Historical Society for sharing original letters and documents on Jo Anderson that helped me form the true story of this incredible man.

MKC: Why do you choose to write STEM books? Is it your background?

Ella: I do have a STEM background! I received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering and have had a twenty+ year career in cybersecurity. When I’m not writing, I work as a cybersecurity professional on federal government initiatives. I started writing STEM books because a writing mentor once told me “write what you know.” That seemed to make sense at the time. But I kept on writing STEM books because I truly feel STEM must be open for everyone. It doesn’t matter what your gender, color, background, or religion is. STEM is for you.

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Your host is Mary Kay Carson, author of Wildlife Ranger Action Guide, The Tornado Scientist, Alexander Graham Bell for Kids, Mission to Pluto, and other nonfiction books for kids. @marykaycarson

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