STEM Tuesday

STEM Tuesday– Light and Color– Author Interview – Laura Mucha
September 22, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today we’re interviewing Laura Mucha, author of Kaleidoscope: Step into a world of color. Kaleidoscope paints a vivid and often creepy picture of humankind’s quest to create coloful art materials. The history and science of color is on full display in vivid spreads that highlight specfic colors from indigo to dragon’s blood to vital green. Shocking tales of red candy made with bugs and poisonous wall paper will have kids shouting No way!” and “That’s awful!” and “How cool!” on repeat. And now, let’s dive into this vibrant interview: Emily Starr: Let’s start with the shocking: Your final spread shares that a color was made from dead bodies. Wow! How did you discover that information, and what other research surprised you most? Laura Mucha: I read about it in a general book about color – then to check it actually happened, I found it...
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STEM Tuesday– Light and Color– In the Classroom
September 8, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

Light and color are everywhere! We see them in rainbows after a storm, bright flowers outside, and the colorful images glowing on our screens. But have you ever wondered how light creates all those colors? Exploring light and color is a great way to get middle-grade students excited about science. In these books, readers can discover how light travels, bends, bounces, and separates into different colors. They can learn about how colors form and think about why objects look the way they do. They make a great starting point for classroom discussion and activities! Before Colors: Where Pigments and Dyes Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel and Madison Safer This browsable book explores the science and history of color in a BIG way…literally! Its large format makes it stand out on any bookshelf, and for good reason. Safer’s captivating illustrations and Pimentel’s straightforward explanations help demystify the amazing pigments...
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STEM Tuesday– Light and Color– Book List
September 1, 2026 by STEM Tuesday

Jump into the world of color and light with this month’s book list! The Illuminating World of Light with Max Axiom, Super Scientist (Graphic Science) written by Emily Sohn This engaging graphic science resource brings complex concepts about light and energy to life through an exciting superhero format. Clear explanations, vibrant illustrations, and accessible vocabulary help students build science knowledge while supporting visual learning. A valuable classroom tool for sparking curiosity and encouraging STEM exploration among upper elementary readers. Before Colors: Where Pigments and Dyes Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel and Madison Safer This browseable book explores the science and history of color in a BIG way…literally! Its large format makes it stand out on any bookshelf, and for good reason. Safer’s captivating illustrations and Pimentel’s straightforward explanations help to demystify all the amazing pigments that make up our world...
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