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Find Awesome STEM books, classroom activities, writing tips, and MORE

Looking for STEM books and activities to use in your classroom or homeschool? Our STEM Tuesday post has that all and MORE.

STEM Tuesday shines the light on books about this amazing and critical topic. With all that is going on in the news lately, it is more important than ever to introduce young readers to the FUN and exciting STEM books that are out there.

STEM books ENGAGE. EXCITE. and INSPIRE young and old readers alike.

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<a href="http://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/school">School vector created by Freepik</a>

Image by Freepik.com

 

They encourage students to ask questions, have discussions, engage in problem-solving, and interact across boundaries of knowledge. They invite readers to notice the science all around them!

If you’ve always wondered where to find out about the great new middle grade  titles in STEM , look no further.  You have FOUND your spot!

It’s Searchable! With over 50 different topics, you’ll find just the right book,

activity, or writing tip you need!

https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/stem-tuesday/

 

 

How does STEM Tuesday work? 

EVERY MONTH  we highlight middle grade books with a particular topic in STEM

EACH WEEK we delve into the ways these books can be used in the classroom, offering resources for how to make connections between these STEM books and other topics,  making real-life connections to these STEM books that will encourage discussions and provide valuable resources, and finally we will be offering an interview with a real-life STEM author plus a giveaway of their book!

We have an amazing team of middle grade STEM authors and enthusiasts to bring the excitement of this topic alive.

Let me introduce you to the weekly topics and the fabulous STEM Tuesday Team:

Week 1:  STEM Book List of the Month

This week will highlight a list of 8-10 titles of STEM middle grade books that fit our theme of the month. They will all have links and a bit of information to intrigue you into learning more about them.

Week 2: STEM Tuesday In the Classroom

This week’s post will highlight a few of the books on week 1’s list and give teachers/librarians specific activities for using these books in the classroom. Designed for hands -on activities, discussions, engaging inquiry and MORE!

 

WEEK 3:  STEM Tuesday Crafts & Resources

An out-of-the-box way to use these STEM books in the classroom, library, or at home. Could be an ELA-Science type connection AND/OR a Real-World connection, or even genres of STEM books, how to write, them… whatever. Like the scientists many of us are, this week may be unexpected, but will always be EXCITING!  

 

WEEK 4: STEM Tuesday Author Interviews and Giveaways

This week  highlights one middle-grade STEM book author. You will get a peek inside the mind of an actual STEM author and learn how and why they wrote their book. Be sure to comment this week because you will be entered to win an autographed copy of the book!

 

 

Created by me, Jennifer Swanson, STEM Tuesday was established in 2017. CHECK OUT OUR AMAZING TEAM MEMBERS!!

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Science Rocks! And so do Jennifer Swanson’s books. She is the award winning author of over 25 nonfiction books for children. A self-professed science geek, Jennifer started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer’s passion for science resonates in in all her books but especially, BRAIN GAMES (NGKids) and SUPER GEAR: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up (Charlesbridge) which was named an NSTA Best STEM book of 2017 and an NSTA Outstanding Trade Book 2017Top reviews include a starred review in Booklist, and recommended reviews from School Librarians Workshop, Library Media Connection, and a Nerdy Book Club award. Her book, Geoengineering Earth’s Climate: Resetting the Thermostat, from 21st Century Books/ Lerner received a Junior Library Guild Selection. You can visit Jennifer at her website www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com.

Summer Reading Prep – From the Classroom

It’s that time of year when testing is winding down, classroom celebrations are taking hold, and the whiffs of summer are permeating the air. What better time to talk about summer reading with all your favorite middle grade books!

Why Summer Reading?

Experts agree that summer reading is a great way to prevent the summer slide – where students have the potential to lose the academic gains they’ve made over the school year. This is especially true for students who may struggle with reading and writing. Specifically, by sixth grade, the cumulative effect of summer reading loss creates a gap of 18 months or more between struggling and proficient readers. Over time, this summer reading loss accounts for about two-thirds of the gap between economically disadvantaged students and their wealthier peers. Summer Reading, therefore, is great for building vocabulary, comprehension, strengthening writing skills, and building background knowledge.

Most importantly, it can be fun!

Inspiring Students and Kids to Read This Summer!

While students are still in school, Rebecca Alber recommends the following ideas to drum up excitement for summer reading:

  1.  Invite students to give booktalks to the class. Want a great way to have students celebrate what they’ve read all year? Have them share their favorite books to inspire summer reading lists.
  2. Introduce students to book series. Banish the “I don’t know what to read next” whining with great book series that students can race through.
  3. Consider setting up a social media platform for students to share their favorite summer reads. Middle schoolers are probably all talking to each other anyway, so why not steer their conversations towards great summer reads?
  4. Advise families to take their kids to bookstores and the library. Send a note home with a list of libraries and bookstores (independent if possible) in the area and region. Have them travel to someplace new to check out a new bookstore!

At home, Reading Rockets recommends the following ideas:

  1. Read with your child every day. Whether this is family reading time or sitting down and reading aloud to your kid (please, please, please read aloud to your middle schooler!), having a daily reading schedule should be part of the routine!
  2. Start a kid’s book club. Keep it simple, keep it fun, and encourage reflection. Check out Read Across America’s tips for book clubs.  
  3. Connect the reading to real life. You might already have a vacation planned this summer or you might want to explore somewhere new. Either way, find ways to reinforce what your children are reading about through all your trips and activities this summer.

 

Finding Books

Chances are your library already has a summer reading list ready to go for children. They are the first and best resource for you. If you want more ideas on where to find books to read, check out the following.

  1. Best of Book Lists. Here is School Library Journal’s Best of Middle Grade Books 2024 list. Browse their archives for more books!
  2. Children’s Literature Expert Maria Salvadore has booklists from 2008 until present along with more book ideas on her popular blog.
  3. Check out the classics. There are amazing new middle grade books all the time, many featured on this blog. There are also books that have been recommended throughout the ages. Diversify your reading list as best as you can!

 

What are your plans for summer reading with students and kids?  Share in the comments below!

 

Author Interview with Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel

cover of book: The Secrets of Lovelace AcademyWe’re excited to have Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel on here today to talk about her new release. Let’s start with learning a bit more about you, and then we’ll talk more about The Secrets of Lovelace Academy.

Did you love to read as children? If so, can you tell us some favorite books?

Courtney and Marie both loved, loved, loved to read as children. While Marie has too many favorite childhood books to list, she does have special book from middle school that put her on the path to writing historical fiction about women, although she didn’t know it at the time. The Mists of Avalon, a female-centric retelling of the Arthurian legend, that opened her eyes to women’s stories hidden in the past. Courtney’s favorite childhood book was the now out-of-print The Littlest Rabbit by Robert Kraus.

girl with dog

Courtney with her dog Brandy

What was your biggest fear when you were young? Did you get over it?

Marie’s biggest fear (aside from playing dodgeball, see the below answer to a question about embarrassing grade school moments) was probably pursuing her interests, even if they were uncool. This leads to the answer to the next question…

What advice would you give to your younger selves?

Be brave sooner.

Are your pasts woven into the story? If so, how?

Elements of both Courtney and Marie’s lives can be found in THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY. For example, as former attorneys, they know what it’s like to be the only woman or girl in the room, which is something that they drew upon in crafting the experiences of the main characters, Lainey Philips and Mileva Maric Einstein.

childhood pic

Marie as a child

Would you be willing to share an embarrassing grade school moment?

Marie has no problem sharing that she could never, ever climb to the top of the rope in elementary school gym class. And she still has nightmares about being pummeled in dodgeball.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

While Courtney has always known she’d like to be a children’s book writer, Marie was more of a history lover, who didn’t realize that she could uncover the hidden voices in history through fiction until she already an attorney.

What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a writer?

Staying patient as the book nears its end!

Can you tell us a little about the novel?

The Secrets of Lovelace Academy is a historical adventure about a young girl plucked from a London orphanage to begin attending the prestigious Lovelace Academy. Fitting in amongst the many privileged students within the schools’ ivy-covered walls presents challenges unlike the ones Lainey has faced in the past — as well as more secrets than she could have ever imagined. Terrified she’ll be cast out of the academy, Lainey grabs at her chance to prove herself by traveling to Switzerland to meet a female scientist crafting a groundbreaking theory, none other than physicist Mileva Maric, wife of Albert Einstein.

How did you come up with the idea for Lovelace Academy?

Courtney and Marie were looking for a way to engage younger readers in the stories of historical women who’ve left behind important legacies. After a series of fits and starts, they created the world of Lovelace Academy, where girls and young women are encouraged to study math and the sciences — very rare for the early 1900s — and where they have the opportunity to encounter some of these incredible women from the past.

Is there a special reason you chose to write about orphans and homeless children?

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Courtney with her sister

Courtney and Marie were intrigued by the notion of a brilliant girl from difficult circumstances who was propelled by a desire to prove herself — in the classroom and outside of it. This dovetailed with their interest in sharing the hardships endured by these unfortunate children during this time period, as a way to offer a unique view on the past and some perspective on our present.

How did you come up with the character of Lainey Philipps?

Courtney was inspired by her own dear mother. She had been a stellar math student as a child, at a time when that subject was challenging for young girls to pursue.

Are your other characters based on anyone you know?

Although, of course, Marie never met Mileva Maric Einstein (she lived from 1874-1948), she has spent so much time researching her that she feels like she knows her.

What parts of the story of Mileva Maric and Albert Einstein are true?

The Secrets of Lovelace Academy contains part of the story of Mileva Maric and Albert Einstein and the manner in which their collaboration and marriage led to some of the most important theories in modern physics. This tale is shared in full in The Other Einstein, which is Marie’s heavily researched novel inspired by the real-life relationship of Mileva and Albert and the work they did together.

What historical research did you do to make the 1900s setting accurate and to detail the life of the Einsteins?Einstein information

Marie, who loves nothing more than getting lost in the rabbit holes of history, spent an enormous time researching Mileva Maric Einstein, the early years of Albert Einstein, and the time period in which she and Albert lived. This involved locating and studying the existing letters between Mileva and Albert as well as letters exchanged between Mileva and her best friend, researching early physics theories, understanding the many goings-on in Eastern Europe and Switzerland during the early 1900s, and traveling through many of the pertinent areas, including the apartment Mileva and Albert shared (and that Lainey visits in our book) which is currently a museum.

Do you have any message or advice for the teachers and parents who will be sharing your book with their students and families? What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Courtney and Marie hope that readers — whether they be teachers, parents, or younger readers — find inspiration in Lainey and Mileva’s perseverance in a time period that wasn’t encouraging to bright young women and girls, and that helps them build the confidence to prevail in our own.

What are you working on now?

Together, Marie and Courtney are working away on something special to follow THE SECRETS OF THE LOVELACE ACADEMY. The moment when they are allowed to discuss it, they’ll share! 

Can’t wait to discover that secret! Please keep us posted. For now, you’ve made us all eager to read The Secrets of Lovelace Academy. Thanks so much for joining us, Marie and Courtney. And we look forward to seeing what you come up with next.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lainey Philipps has lived at the Sycamore Home for Orphaned Children since she was three years old. Now nearly a teenager, her life is hard, and she doesn’t expect it to get better—until a chance encounter during an open house changes everything when Lainey meets a woman who invites her to attend the prestigious Lovelace Academy.

Fitting in amongst the many privileged students within the ivy-covered walls of Lovelace Academy presents challenges unlike the ones Lainey has faced in the past. Her life of drudgery has hardly prepared her for the aristocratic airs and cutthroat academic ambition of the other girls. Terrified she’ll be cast out of the academy, Lainey grabs at her chance to prove herself by traveling to Switzerland to meet a female scientist crafting a groundbreaking theory.

Determined to prove her capability and reach her destination, Lainey must rely on her own wit—as well as a mysterious boy who has yet to prove himself as friend or foe. But the real test is what awaits her in Switzerland, at the home of Mileva Maric, wife of Albert Einstein.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years of experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms. She found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex, and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present day where readers can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. Marie is the author of many books for adults including the New York Times bestseller The First LadiesThe Secrets of Lovelace Academy, written with Courtney Sheinmel, is her first book for kids. Visit her online at AuthorMarieBenedict.com.

Courtney Sheinmel is a chocolate-lover, mac and cheese expert, mom to Archer, and the author of nearly thirty books for kids and teens, including the acclaimed Stella Batts and My Pet Slime series for young readers. Her book She Persisted: Helen Keller was part of Chelsea Clinton’s She Persisted series. Courtney received a National Scholastic Educator Award for her work as a writing instructor at the nonprofit Writopia Lab. Visit her online at CourtneySheinmel.com.