STEM

Grab Your Boots and Go! — Cover Reveal for 3 Weeks in the Rainforest: A Rapid Inventory in the Amazon

3 weeks in the rainforest book

What one place on the planet has 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 430 mammals and a whopping 2.5 million different insects?  The Amazon Rainforest!

And I am lucky enough to write about some AWESOME scientists who have dedicated their lives to protecting it.

This is my NEW book coming from Charlesbridge Publishing, this fall to a bookstore near you! (October 14, 2025)

 

3 Weeks in the Rainforest book by Jennifer Swanson

 

How did I get the idea for this story? I visited the world famous Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. (See, museums not only have cool facts to learn, but you can also get ideas for a book there, too!)

 

The Field Museum of Natural History

 

The Field Museum is best known as being the home to Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. According to their website, “Sue is the largest, most complete, and best-preserved T. rex. At 40.5 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hip, SUE is physically the largest example of Tyrannosaurus rex out of the more than 30 less complete T. rex skeletons that have been discovered to date.”

But I didn’t want to write about Sue, instead I spent several hours in a different exhibit– one that showcased the awesome environmental efforts scientists at the Field Museum are doing to help preserve the Amazon Rainforest.

 

What is a Rapid Inventory? 

“​Field Museum rapid inventories are cooperative, rigorous surveys of the biological and cultural assets of a priority landscape for conservation.”– The Field Museum’s Rapid Inventory Website 

 

3 Weeks in the Rainforest intro

 

 

Why should we care about the Amazon Rainforest?

There are SO many amazing products that we use every day that come from the Amazon Rainforest! Plus, there are more species of animals in the Amazon than in any other place on the planet!

 

3 weeks in the rainforest book -- fish

 

The BEST part about a Rapid Inventory is that is involves SO many people collaborating to help protect the precious resource of the Amazon Rainforest. 

Broad collaboration forms the essence of our inventories. We work with stakeholders at all levels—from host-country and international scientists, to local villagers, to government agencies and civil society—to build on already-existing efforts, elevate local and regional expertise, and gather crucial biological and social information. Constructing the inventory with partners from the start is crucial for successful outcomes, as it cements common goals, provides clarity of roles, and ensures that the inventory results feed directly into action.”

 

What does the SOCIAL TEAM do? 

The COOL part about a Rapid Inventory is that it’s not just about the biology of the area, but it’s also about the social aspect– the PEOPLE– that live there. They get a say in how the land is protected. This is a very important part of the process. Social scientists go into the villages and meet with the people who live there to understand how they are already living and protecting the areas.

3 weeks in the rainforest social team

Community members map their natural resources, sharing their deep knowledge of the territory.

 

I am SO excited about this book for many reasons!

First of all, I grew up going to the Field Museum as a kid. To be able to collaborate with them on a book, is just the stuff of dreams. Secondly, the Rapid Inventory team from the Field Museum has a lot of really AWESOME female scientists! And they do some really amazing things.

When I asked icthyologist Lesley de Souza if she was worried about there being anacondas in the waters in and around the Amazon.  She said something to the effect of: “I don’t worry about them. You just have to be careful not to let them get too far up your legs.”  😮😮

This book is packed with  many other escapades, including a night encounter with peccaries and meeting a snake in the makeshift restroom.

 

I hope you check it out! This book would be perfect for kids (of all ages) who love learning about animals, new cultures, conservation, and how to save our planet!

 

You can PREORDER the book HERE:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/3-weeks-in-the-rainforest-jennifer-swanson/1146960437?ean=9781623543167

 

 

Dressing for STEM-cess! — Fun STEM/STEAM clothes to wear for classrooms or events

Being a STEM/STEAM author, teacher, librarian, or really anyone who loves this topic is fun! It’s even more fabulous when you can wear clothes that not only support your job, but also are FUN and might even promote curiosity.

But where do you find them? We have some great sites to find some STEM-tastic clothes!

 

Michele Cusolito in STEM dress

Michele Cusolito says, “Svaha is my FAVORITE!”

https://svahausa.com/ 

She loves the octopus dress with her book: A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea

Into the Ocean: The Twilight Zone

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Peggy Thomas also says, “Savha has cute dresses and shirts for kids and adults.”  Peggy’s book is The Soil in Jackie’s Garden

The Soil in Jackie's Garden

 

Carol Choinière Allen says, “I love SVAHA for science-themed clothes. When I was a teacher I had several items from them. Their dresses are cute and they all have pockets!”


STEM shoes

“I love my composition book shoes — bought them from Hot Chocolate Designs.
She wears them with her book:  Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings
Notable Notebooks book

 

 

 

 

 

Author Joanie Hackett wearing STEM dress

Jeni Hackett loves Mod Cloth as evidenced by her cool space print blouse.
She also recommends  Joanie  which “has some great STEM prints, including lots of dinosaurs, space, botany, and an entire Natural History collab with insects, ferns, whales, and more. “
Jeni wears them with her book, Super Hero Science
                                                                  Super Hero Science
    She wears them with her book: Robo-Motion: Robots that Move Like Animals
RoboMotion book

 

Sara Holly Ackerman with her book
and she wore it for the launch of her book, Not Just the Driver!
 Not Just the Driver!

 

 

 

Jocelyn RishBattle of the Butts bookJocelyn Rish said that TeeTurtle always has fun stuff!
She loves to wear STEM clothes when presenting her Battle of the Butts book

 

 

 

Catherine LIttle
Catherine Little said that you can find STEM clothes wherever you are. She is pictured here with her husband in red lab coats at the Ontario Science Centre Science School 

Anne of the LIbrary in the HIll

 

 

 

Kimberly Marcus author
Kimberly Marcus also agrees that you can come up with cool STEM clothes on your own.

 

                                                                                                  Frankensteins MAtzah book

 

 

Ilona Bray
Ilona Bray said Etsy is always a great place to look for cool ideas, too
She dressed up for her Magic Carpet Handbook presentation
Magic Carpet Handbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully, you’ll get some AMAZING STEM-cessful fashions here. Or feel free to share your suggestions below.

What do YOU wear?

STEM Author Spotlight– Laura Stegman

We are delighted to have Laura Stegman, author of The Chambered Nautilus on the blog today.

Laura StegmanLaura Segal Stegman is a Los Angeles-based publicist and author whose middle grade debut novel, Summer of L.U.C.K., and its sequel, Ready or Not, were published by Young Dragons. The Chambered Nautilus, the third in the L.U.C.K. trilogy, will follow. L.A. Parent Magazine lauded Summer of L.U.C.K. as a “good read,” Readers’ Favorite awarded it 5 Stars, and a Macaroni Kid reviewer said, “I was instantly captivated and couldn’t put it down.” Laura serves as a judge for Society of Young Inklings and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) writer competitions, and she shares her author journey in engaging virtual and in-person visits to schools and libraries. Her non-fiction credits include collaboration on the travel book Only in New York. Her feature stories have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine. A long-time publicity consultant, she owns Laura Segal Stegman Public Relations, LLC, which has represented a wide-ranging client list of businesses, arts organizations, and non-profit events over the years. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UC Irvine with a B.A. in Drama.

 

 

The Chambered Nautilus book

All about the book! Get ready for a whirlwind adventure with The Chambered Nautilus, the thrilling conclusion to Laura Segal Stegman’s enchanting Summer of L.U.C.K. trilogy.

Best friends Darby, Justin, and Naz are facing their biggest challenge yet. Since last summer’s adventure, they find themselves growing apart, making new friends, and being pulled in different directions. But when a ride at ghostly Mr. Usher’s carnival experiences a mysterious malfunction, the trio reunites to answer his desperate call for help.

With expulsion from camp and the carnival’s very existence on the line, Darby, Justin, and Naz will have to rely on their wits-and one another-to unravel the mysteries surrounding Mr. Usher’s plea. The camp’s newest attraction, the Chambered Nautilus, may hold the key, but it will take everything they have to unlock its secret.

Join them in a heart-pounding journey filled with friendship, courage, and the power of never giving up. Will they save the carnival and their cherished memories before it’s too late? Find out in this magical tale of adventure, discovery, and the true meaning of loyalty.

 

Laura, thanks for answering my questions:

JS: This is such a fun book with a great cast of characters. Were they inspired by yourself? Or maybe kids you knew or grew up with? You don’t have to give specific names, of course, but it’s always fun to learn where authors get their characters.

 

LS: I appreciate your describing The Chambered Nautilus as a fun book! I sure had fun writing it! It’s the third in my middle grade trilogy about three kids whose friendship with a ghost livens up – to put it mildly – their summer camp experiences over a three-year span. In Summer of L.U.C.K., the first book, we meet Darby, Justin, and Naz, who are struggling with communicating, and the ghost, Leroy Usher, who helps them find their voices via adventures in his magical carnival. The kids have more magical adventures in the sequel, but Ready or Not sees Mr. Usher helping Justin, who faces a tricky choice: stand up to bigotry or let fear hold him back. In The Chambered Nautilus, the conclusion to the series, the trio receives an urgent plea from Mr. Usher, and they must figure out how to help him without destroying his beloved, now real-life carnival or getting expelled from camp.

It’s certainly accurate to say that the kid  characters were inspired by me. A lot of Darby is based on my own experiences learning to find my voice. I never lost a parent as a kid, the way Justin does, but I’ve felt his sense of not being heard. As for Naz, whose endearing personality makes me laugh, I share his tenacity and his love of junk food.

 

JS: Your book has a ghost! How cool is that? Can you explain what made you decide to put a ghost in it? 

LS: I needed a character not only with magical powers but who was also deeply compassionate. A friendly ghost fit the bill. I modeled Mr. Usher on the kind of loving, understanding adult that kids like me loved to be around. I had a grade school teacher like that. She helped me navigate tough times and gave me a sense of security and trust. Like her, Mr. Usher adores kids and does everything he can to help them, which is why Darby, Justin, and Naz are so drawn to him. My teacher’s name was Mrs. Warner, and for all I know she has passed on, but perhaps she haunts my old elementary school, still helping kids. Ha!

 

JS: Why did you pick a chambered nautilus? This is not a typical ride at a carnival.

Agreed! The Chambered Nautilus in this book exists nowhere but my imagination. The carnival attraction is shaped like a nautilus shell (think giant snail). When kids enter, they (and readers) learn all about chambered nautiluses and their threatened status. As they go from room to room – each smaller than the last, like a real nautilus – they must answer multiple choice questions about what they’ve learned to get to the final room and win a prize.

But it’s not as simple as all that. The Chambered Nautilus attraction is Mr. Usher’s son’s misbegotten attempt to bring his late father’s plans to life. Mr. Usher never intended it to be built anywhere except in his magical realm, but his son doesn’t know that. And of course everything goes wrong. When pieces of the carnival start disappearing, the three kids must rescue the trapped Mr. Usher so he can go back to rest once and for all.

 

JS: You have a little STEM in your book. Why did you add that?

My favorite book as a kid, The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton, had a chambered nautilus-related scene, so I knew a little about them. But as I did research for my book, I became fascinated by their intriguing biology, their intricately designed shells, and their precarious status as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. For young readers who’ve never heard of chambered nautiluses, I’m hoping to inspire their interest in these soft-bodied cephalopod class creatures, which have cruised in deep ocean coral reefs for more than 480 million years.

 

JS: What do you want young readers to find interesting and exciting about your book?

LS: Aside from discovering chambered nautiluses, I hope they’ll be engaged by the relationship between Darby, Justin, and Naz and enjoy sharing their adventures. In The Chambered Nautilus and the other two books in the trilogy, there’s a lot about finding self-acceptance, perseverance, ways to deal with life’s unfairness, and the power of friendship. It would be great if my readers also learn that whatever they’re struggling with, other kids struggle too, that they’re not alone, and that help is possible, even if you don’t have the guidance of a friendly ghost).

 

JS: Do you have any tips for writers who want to break into fiction children’s books?

LS: What helps me the most are these things, in no particular order:

1) Reading widely, especially contemporary middle grade but also other genres.

2) Making contact with as many other middle grade writers as possible, especially those at the same stage of their careers as I am.

3) Joining or creating a critique group.

4) Learning as much as possible about the publishing industry by taking advantage of the range of no-cost writer’s resources, from social media (X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, for me) to web sites/blogs.

5) Joining the SCBWI and, when eligible, the Author’s Guild, which offers everything from free contract reviews to webinars,  workshops, seminars, and events to website building and hosting and much more.

6) Continuing to write, never giving up, and remembering that there is no age limit to our dreams.

 

JS: What are you working on now?

LS: I’m deep in revisions for my fourth book, a contemporary middle grade novel about a self-conscious twelve-year-old who flourishes in an acting class only to confront her binge eating when it jeopardizes all her progress. This story of healing, self-acceptance, and hope is especially dear to my heart, and I hope it eventually finds a home. I also have an idea for another MG contemporary about a blended family, which is in such rudimentary stages that I haven’t been able to decide where the story begins.

 

Laura Stegman