and me, Jennifer Swanson would like to wish you all a very HAPPY 2019! We hope your year is filled with lots GREAT STEM books. Here’s a few of our own new titles that we’d like to share with you.
Coming soon!
Little Monsters of the Ocean: Metamorphosis Under the Waves by Heather L. Montgomery
Lerner Publishing, January 1, 2019
THE TORNADO SCIENTIST: Seeing Inside Severe Storms by Mary Kay Carson
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 19, 2019
Cat Science Unleashed: Fun Activities to do with your Feline Friend by Jodi Wheeler- Toppen(National Geographic Kids, August 2019)
Breakthroughs in Planet and Comet Research by Karen Latchana Kenney (Lerner Publishing, Feb 2019)
Breakthroughs in Mars Exploration by Karen Kenney (Lerner Publishing, Feb 2019)
Also look for:
This is a Book to Read with a Worm by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (Charlesbridge)
Save the Crash-Test Dummies by Jennifer Swanson (Peachtree Publishing, October 2019)
Have a FABULOUS 2019 and may your year be filled the excitement of STEM Books!
*****
Jennifer Swanson is the founder and administrator of STEM Tuesday. A self-professed science geek, Jennifer discovered her love of science when she started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer can be found exploring, learning, and writing about exciting STEM topics in her books. You can find her at www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Do you have your gifts bought already? Come on. Be honest. You are probably still shopping. I know I am. There’s always one person that has everything and you just can’t figure out what to get them. Here’s a tip, buy them a book!
And just because we are in the holiday mood here at the Mixed-Up Files, we thought we’d share some of our best book-buying tips with you. Hope you find them helpful. 🙂
For the reader who loves fantastical adventure stories like CORALINE,
try K.A. Reynold’s THE LAND OF YESTERDAY
Fantasy adventurer’s who enjoyed THE NIGHT GARDENER would surely be enthralled with
LOCKWOOD & CO: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
For kids who love graphic novels and sci-fi, pick up SANITY & TALLULAH by Molly Brooks
Have a budding explorer in your family? Give them Jennifer Swanson’s ASTRONAUT-AQUANAUT: HOW SPACE SCIENCE AND SEA SCIENCE INTERACT
Sporty aliens and their Earthbound fans will enjoy THE AMORPHOUS ASSASSIN in the Galaxy Games series by Greg R. Fishbone
Young readers who like a spunky, take-charge main character need to MEET YASMIN, by Saadia Faruqi
For readers who like music and magic become enchanted with THREE RULES OF EVERYDAY MAGIC, by Amanda Rawson Hill.
For readers who love wrestling, try TAKEDOWN, by Laura Shovan
For readers who love fantasy and adventure seek THE HOTEL BETWEEN, by Sean Easley
For readers who are dealing with complex family relationships and mental illness read WHERE THE WATERMELON GROWS, by Cindy Baldwin
For the young reader who is an animal advocate , check out Nancy Castaldo’s BACK FROM THE BRINK
or Patricia Newman’s SEA OTTER HEROES.
For readers who love space blast off with THE DISASTERS, by MK England
For mystery lovers puzzle through THE GALLERY by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
For kids who like spooky books dare to try Jan Eldredge’s EVANGELINE OF THE BAYOU
For kids who like impossible rescues and invading knights tilt with THE MAD WOLF’S DAUGHTER by Diane Margas
For kids who like an unconventional ghost story , THE PECULIAR INCIDENT ON SHADY STREET, by Lindsay Currie
For kids who like unconventional love stories about tolerance, acceptance, and how to be brave enough to be your authentic self read ONE TRUE WAY by Shannon Hitchcock.
For the reader who loves gross science that is also cool, check out Heather Montgomery’s
SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL
Didn’t see a recommendation that helps you? Leave your own! We always love to hear about middle grade books that are a great read.
Happy Holidays from the MUF team! May your joyous season be filled with amazing BOOKS… and the time to read them.
Bah-humbug! We didn’t have STEM books like that when I was a kid. Textbooks were perfectly fine for us.
No, my name is not STEMbeneezer Scrooge. Now, get off my lawn and leave me be. It’s time for my nap.
Who’s there? I thought I told you to skedaddle.
Aye! It’s a spirit.
Leave me be! I’m just an old STEM guy stuck in my ways. I’m going back to sleep before Wheel of Fortune comes on.
“STEMbeneezer, log on and follow me!”
What in the world? Another STEM spirit!
Smooth, Ghost of STEM Present. Real smooth. But I’m not going to get on the internet to scour bookstores.
Haven’t you heard of online identity theft and spyware?
Jeez, leave me be, I’m going back to sleep. And where do you come up with these “original” names, anyway?
What are you? You must be the Spirit of STEM Future.
Aack! Don’t beam me up, Scotty! I don’t want to go!
NOOOooo!!!
A hint? For what?
Help meeeeeeee!
Holy bad dreams. What happened? How long have I been asleep?
I know that answer!
Come, on! The answer’s easy.
Graphic storytelling isa great format for STEM books.
I’m a changed man. Textbooks have their place but the graphic novel format really does work well with STEM storytelling.
Graphic storytelling + STEM = Natural match
Using graphics to define a STEM concept has been a natural partnership for ages. I present the evidence.
DaVinci designs are a graphical how-to manual
DaVinci’s water lifting device proposal
A canon design
Galileo’s graphic notes on his observations of Jupiter’s moons
Sir Issac Newton’s Graphic Notes
Illustrated concept from NEWTON’S PRINCIPIA
From Newton’s Notes on Alchemy
A young Isaac Newton’s graphical code listing his sins committed
Chemistry
If you have the reagents, you could probably make your own Vitamin A from this graphical reaction.
Maps of biological pathways
The Krebs Cycle, aka The “I wish I had a dollar for every time I memorized & forgot this pathway in my school days” Cycle.
TNF pathway from one of our lab’s publications. It tells the visual story of an E. Coli effector subverting the TNF inflammatory pathway.
Let the evidence show using graphics has worked in STEM since the STEM fields were born.
It’s only natural they work in the field of STEM storytelling, right?
Visual Storytelling
A picture is worth a thousand words.
UNDERSTANDiNG COMICS: THE INVISIBLE ART by Scott McCloud
This a book you must read whether you are interested in straight graphic storytelling or storytelling in general. It doesn’t matter if the storytelling is fiction or nonfiction, graphic storytelling can be a powerful option for a writer.
Sketchnotes
Sketchnoting is a great way to take notes for the visual-minded individuals. I follow Eva-Lotta Lamm and her work with sketchnotes. She offers a free, downloadable Mini Visual Starter Kit at her website to help you get started with sketchnotes.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you are now convinced that images and STEM go together. The graphic novel format for nonfiction and STEM books not only works, but it fits. Just as architects and engineers use a blueprint drawing to relay information to the contractor and specialists, STEM writers can use graphic storytelling to relay information to the reader.
Still not a believer? Go to the STEM Tuesday book list and give those titles a try. It’s a much less harrowing path than visits from a trio of STEM spirits.
Take it from me. STEM graphic novels and comics are the real deal!
Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal opportunity sports enthusiasts, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about sports/training related topics at www.coachhays.comand writer stuff atwww.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101, are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming around the Twitter-sphere under the guise of @coachhays64.
The O.O.L.F Files
The O.O.L.F. Files this month emphasizes the power of visual storytelling in STEM and to celebrate the season, a few links to STEM activities for the holidays. Enjoy!
In today’s Author Spotlight, Jo Hackl chats with award-winning author John Claude Bemis about his new graphic novel, Rodeo Hawkins & the Daughters of Mayhem. John Claude Bemis is the...
From the Mixed-Up Files is the group blog of middle-grade authors celebrating books for middle-grade readers. For anyone with a passion for children’s literature—teachers, librarians, parents, kids, writers, industry professionals— we offer regularly updated book lists organized by unique categories, author interviews, market news, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a children's book from writing to publishing to promoting.
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, please see here: Read MoreClose
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Breakthroughs in Planet and Comet Research by Karen Latchana Kenney (Lerner Publishing, Feb 2019)
Jennifer Swanson is the founder and administrator of STEM Tuesday. A self-professed science geek, Jennifer discovered her love of science when she started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer can be found exploring, learning, and writing about exciting STEM topics in her books. You can find her at www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
