Thursday, February 25, 2010

Women's History Month 2010: Book Lists and Resources

Books Lists

Other Resources

From Wild Rose Reader

Two Books I Recommend for Women’s History Month

The Sky’s the Limit: Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls
Written by Catherine Thimmesh
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Houghton Mifflin, 2002

Women written about in this book include:
Vera Rubin—Dark Matter
Denise Schmandt-Besserat—Origins of Writing & Counting
Donna Shirley— Manager of Mars Exploration Team that Built Sojourner Rover
Jane Goodall—Ethologist & Chimpanzee Expert
Mary Anning—Fossil Hunter & Dinosaur Expert
Sue Hendrickson—Fossil Hunter
Anna Sofaer—Discovered the Sun Dagger site in Chaco Canyon & Founder of The Solstice Project
Mary Leakey--Paleoanthropolgist

Chapter Three provides brief glimpses of inquisitive young girls who thought outside the box. The back matter of The Sky’s the Limit includes a Selected Timeline of Discoveries by Women from the 1300s to 2000 and Web site resources.

Look Inside the Book ...

Awards and Honors
2003 Minnesota Book Award for Children's Nonfiction
Smithsonian Notable Book 2002
Outstanding Science and Social Studies Trade Book for Children 2002


Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
Written by Catherine Thimmesh
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Houghton Mifflin, 2000

Here’s a list of the women that Thimmesh writes about in this book:
Ruth Wakefield—Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mary Anderson—Windshield Wipers
Stephanie Kwolek—Kevlar
Patsy O. Sherman—Scotchgard
Grace Murray Hopper—Computer Compiler
Bette Nesmith Graham—Liquid Paper
Ann Moore—Snugli
Margaret E. Knight—Paper Bags
Jeanne Lee Crews—Space Bumper
Valerie L. Thomas—Illusion Transmitter

The sections about the women inventors are concise and filled with interesting information about their inventions—some of which came about by accident…like chocolate chip cookies and Scotchgard.

The book ends with the section called Girls (Even the Young Ones) Think of Everything. In this section, you can read about Becky Schroeder, a ten-year-old girl who “created a tool that enabled people to write in the dark.” The tool is called the Glo-sheet. You’ll also find out about the no-spill feeding bowl invented by eleven-year-old Alexia Abernathy.

Look Inside the Book ...

Awards and Honors
2001 IRA Children's Book Award
Children's Book of the Month Club Best Nonfiction Book 2000
Minnesota Book Award finalist
Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children 2001
Smithsonian Notable Book 2000


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