Posts Tagged women in 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

 

 

STEM Tuesday– The Science of Art– Book List

 

 

 

Scientists follow a variety of paths as they engage in their work;  some of them may surprise you. Explore the intersection of art and science by looking at the titles below. You won’t be disappointed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folding Tech: Using Origami and Nature to Revolutionize Technology by Karen Kenney

Origami, the ancient art of paper-folding is increasingly being used to stunning effects to solve some of the most pressing problems in the world today. This book takes a look at all those technologies that use folding – proteins, space probes, self-assembling robots, and many more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan and Micah Rauch

With a mix of invention, experimentation, and art, Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest thinkers of all time, gave the world a number of new insights into science, engineering, and much more. With STEM activities and questions to think about, this book encourages children to look at our world in a deeper and more connected way.

 

 

 

 

 

The Science of Fashion (Inquire & Investigate) by Julie Danneberg and  Michelle Simpson

Discover the science behind clothes! Be it sneakers or shirts, clothes and accessories need to be created and arrive on shelves for you to wear. Taking a look at the fashion industry and the science behind it is what this book is all about. Fun and interactive with hands-on projects for readers, you’ll think twice about your clothes after reading this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections of Everything by Richard Platt and Stephen Biesty

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to have x-ray vision? Wonder no more! Explore what your favorite things look like, and how they are made, by looking inside them. From a doughnut to a spacesuit, you’ll get a view that might surprise you. With the help of Chester the Tester, and his sidekick the Inspector, you’ll learn about how things are made and enjoy every minute.

 

 

 

 

Science Art and Drawing Games for Kids: 35+ Fun Art Projects to Build Amazing Science Skills by Karyn Tripp

If you want to discover how science and art intersect, this is the book for you! With more than 35 hands-on activities, there are plenty of projects to choose from that will give readers engaging insight into the world of science. From paintballs to mazes, this book proves that science can be fun – and artistic too!

 

 

 

 

Mimic Makers: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature by Kristen Nordstrom and Paul Boston

Nature is the inspiration for many inventors; from engineers to designers. In this engaging book, you’ll meet ten scientists who use plants and animals as the starting point for creating new technology. It’s called biomimicry. What they’ve designed will inspire you to take a closer look at mother nature and perhaps invent something of your own.

 

 

My Crazy Inventions Sketchbook: 50 Awesome Drawing Activities for Young Inventors by Lisa Regan and Andrew Rae. 

If you like to invent, this is the book for you! With inspiration from actual inventions too crazy to be real, this book is designed to get your creativity in gear. There’s a lot to explore in this book, with page after page of ideas and innovations – once you read it you’ll be ready to invent something yourself! 

 

 

 

 

 

From Here to There: Inventions That Changes the Way the World Moves by Vivian Kirkfield and Gilbert Ford

Have you ever wondered where cars and rockets came from? Someone had to invent them. This book takes you back in time to when these everyday objects weren’t invented yet. You’ll meet the men and women who invented new ways to travel, discover what made them curious, and learn how what they created changed the world. 

 

 

 

 

Inside in: X-Rays of Nature's Hidden World - Schutten, Jan Paul

 

Inside In: X-Rays of Nature’s Hidden World by Jan Paul Schutten and Arie Van ‘t Riet

Who knew X-rays could be so jaw-droppingly beautiful! Using amazing X-ray photographs, this book shows us creatures and their natural habitats in unique ways. This book is a perfect blend of science and art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

 

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman

A nonfiction biography of Maria Sibylla Merian, one of the first people to observe and document live insects, and one of the first to observe the life cycle of a butterfly, something we all know and take for granted now. The book has original illustrations by Maria Merian herself! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Summers can be found exploring and trying to identify any plants and animals she comes across. Visit her at her website: https://susan-inez-summers.weebly.com/

 

 

Shruthi Rao is at home among the trees. Her home on the web is https://shruthi-rao.com 

 

STEM Tuesday — Women Who Changed Science — Author Interview with Kirsten W. Larson

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 Kirsten W. Larson, author of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane. “This inspiring work shines a light on a lesser-known inventor who was the first woman to design an airplane,” says School Library Journal.

Mary Kay Carson: Tell us a bit about your book Wood, Wire, Wings. How did you come to write it?

Kirsten Larson: WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illustrated by Tracy Subisak, is the true story of early airplane designer Emma Lilian Todd. Todd was the first woman to design a working airplane on her own, which flew in 1910. That’s only seven years after the Wright Brothers, and she worked during the same period as the Wrights as well as Glenn Curtiss and other notable early aviation pioneers!

The idea for that book came straight out of the pages of the best-selling picture book, ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts. The book contains a timeline of female firsts in aviation towards the end, and there was Lilian’s name. I had never heard of her even though I’ve lived and worked around airplanes my whole life. I knew I had to tell her story, especially when I found out how few people had heard of her.

MKC: To whom did you imagine yourself writing to while drafting the book? 

Kirsten: Writing picture books is always a balance. I always keep my reader in mind, primarily students ages seven and up. That means I have to think carefully about what students know and what they need to know to understand the story. And then there’s always the question of what can be shown in the illustrations, because often pictures say things far better than my words ever could. Yet because picture books are designed to be read by an adult to a child, especially for younger students, I can often use richer language than you might find in very early middle grade like chapter books.

MKC: Did you chose a particular angle or slant or the book? Why?

Kirsten: When I’m writing a book, I try to think of all the ways it might appeal to different readers and fit into school curriculum. In the case of WOOD, WIRE, WINGS, the narrative of the book closely follows the engineering design process, from Lilian’s to initial design to testing, tweaking, and testing still more. That was deliberate. I wanted to book to be able to be used to teach the engineering design process. I also wanted readers to realize that few inventors or engineers get things right on the very first try. Instead, it’s 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, as Edison supposedly said. In other words, it’s about persistence. I felt that was a message readers needed to hear.

MKC: What other books for kids about women who changed science would you recommend?

Kirsten W. Larson is also the author of A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything, illustrated by Katy Wu (Clarion, 2021), THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle, 2023), and THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW, illustrated by Cornelia Li (Little, Brown 2024). THE LIGHT OF RESISTANCE, illustrated by Barbara McClintock, (Roaring Brook, 2023) is her first graphic nonfiction. Kirsten lives with her family near Los Angeles. Find her on social media @kirstenwlarson or at Kirsten-w-larson.com.

Kirsten: I could rattle off at least a hundred. I appreciate that STEM Tuesday has included my picture book here, as many picture books, especially biographies, are for the upper elementary age group. A few of my favorite Women Who Changed Science picture books include Teresa Robeson’s QUEEN OF PHYSICS, illus. Rebecca Huang, Laurie Wallmark’s HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE, illustrated by Katy Wu, and HIDDEN FIGURES by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman.

In terms of non-picture books suitable for middle grade readers, I am a huge fan of Joyce Sidman’s THE GIRL WHO DREW BUTTERFLIES, Martha Freeman’s BORN CURIOUS: 20 Girls Who Grew Up to Be Awesome Scientists and Tonya Bolden’s CHANGING THE EQUATION: 50+ U.S. Black Women in STEM.

MKC: Why do you choose to write STEM books?

Kirsten: I think I gravitate to STEM books for a few reasons. First, I do have a background in STEM. For many years, I worked in public affairs at NASA, which gave me a crash course in STEM communication. I’m also intrigued by how scientists and engineers go about their work; I find so many parallels between STEM processes and the process of writing and publishing books. STEM and writing are deeply creative fields that require deep observation, a willingness to revise ideas, and dogged persistence. Finally, I gravitate to underdogs and people who turn traditional notions on their heads. That means I often write women’s stories, whether they are in STEM or other fields, or even fictional characters like Wonder Woman.

 

Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane (Calkins Creek, 2020) by Kirsten W. Larson and illustrated by Tracy Subisak.

Download a complete educator’s guide and access other teaching resources on the author’s website. You’ll find all the resources here.

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