Astronomy: Cool Women in Space(Girls in Science)

Head outside and look up. What do you see? At night you might see stars, the moon, the Milky Way, and planets! During the day all these things will still be there, but they’ll be hidden by the bright light of the sun. Astronomy is the study of celestial objects and what’s beyond the nebulous boundaries of space. In Astronomy: Cool Women in Space, young readers will be inspired by stories of women who have made great strides in a field that takes courage, persistence, and creativity to pursue. Most people have heard of Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, but have you heard of Maria Mitchell or Caroline Herschel? For many decades, female astronomers have been defining the field by making discoveries that changed the human relationship with space. Astronomy: Cool Women in Space will introduce young readers to three women who are bringing the science of astronomy forward and inspiring the next generation of astronomers. The primary sources, essentials questions, and knowledge connections within Astronomy: Cool Women in Space encourage both boys and girls to explore our celestial world while being inspired to ask what role they might play in the next discovery.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Look Up! Chapter 1: A Short Story About a Huge Space Chapter 2: Nancy Grace Roman Chapter 3: Maggie Aderin-Pocock Chapter 4: Andrea Ghez Timeline Glossary Resources Index

About the Author :
Anita Yasuda is the author of more than 100 books for children. She enjoys writing biographies, books about science, social studies, and chapter books. In 2012, she won the gold Moonbeam award for her book Explore The Wild West! 25 Great Activities. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP). She completed her degree at the University of Toronto. Anita lives with her family in Huntington Beach, California where you can find her on most days walking her dog along the shore.

Review :
Praise for Astronomy: Cool Women in Space Dr. Laura Trouille, Astronomer, the Adler Planetarium and Northwestern University "... I will be happily recommending this book to every aspiring astronomer who visits the Adler!" Victoria Obenchain, Science Teacher, Instructor at Sally Ride Science Camp "This book is a testament to the fact that women are incredibly important to science and that their contributions to understanding the universe as it is known today are huge!" Catherine Piper Shelton, Director of Curriculum and Technology, U.S. Space & Rocket Center "I see this book sparking an interest in astronomy for any girl. It connects the science with careers, and the past with the present--and future." Christopher Malott, Assistant Program Director, AstroCamp "Not only is this book a great introduction to astronomy, it does a great job showing that much of the important work in astronomy, past and present, has been by women." Praise for other books in similar series: Rocketry: Investigate the Science and Technology of Rockets and Ballistics Booklist "With clear explanations of the Newtonian and other physical principles involved, Mooney provides a history of rocketry, from steam-driven contraptions in ancient Greece to today's (OK, tomorrow's) SpaceShipTwo and NASA's next-generation SLS. The seven chapters are supplemented by instructions for making 25 low-tech models and launchers useful for demonstrating how rockets work and behave in flight... both the hands-on portions and the relatively extensive background information will give would-be rocketeers a strong liftoff." Cities: Discover How They Work with 25 Projects Winner of a 2014 Silver Moonbeam Award School Library Journal "According to the 2010 Census, 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas. But do they know what it takes to make a city run? From this well-organized and engaging text, readers will learn how cities developed and grew... this is a worthy title for any library collection." Booklist "Propounding the emerging interdisciplinary paradigm of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics), this hands-on informational book discusses how cities' complex structures and systems function together in an interdependent way. Through appealing illustrations, reader-friendly text, and fun hands-on experiments suitable for home and classroom, Reilly helps foster an appreciation for the way that cities function almost as organisms with vibrant systems and interdependent structures." Skyscrapers: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects National Science Teachers Association Recommends "... Skyscrapers would make an excellent resource for the history or science teacher desiring to try a project based learning (PBL) unit. With its timeline, glossary, and interesting prose, the teacher could challenge students with the question, 'Would a skyscraper make a good school?' In fact, this book would make a good springboard for a number of short engineering units. Skyscrapers is a terrific book, especially for elementary teachers looking for ideas to inject more engineering into their classroom." School Library Journal "Large font and an open layout make this title accessible to reluctant readers ... A useful title to supplement lessons on architecture, mathematics, or physics for classroom teachers or homeschoolers, and it's an appealing initiation to the subject." Kristine E. Barnes, PE, Structural Engineer "Skyscrapers is a fantastic introduction to the world of civil/structural engineering and the history of some really big projects and tall buildings. The projects help reinforce ideas and give kids a wonderful hands-on learning experience." Kenton D. Wesby, Art Specialist & STEAM Educator, SECME Master Teacher "This book is awesome. Skyscrapers effectively navigates the basic principles of STEM, at the same time making connections with language arts, social studies, and visual arts. A must have for any teachers' professional library." Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects Winner of a 2012 Gold Moonbeam Award National Science Teachers Association Recommends "This book is a treasure trove of information, experiments, and building challenges, and is an excellent, exciting, and easy way to incorporate STEM education into your classroom, science fair, or after school engineering club." Praise for Astronomy: Cool Women in Space CLEAR Reviews/Goodreads "Part history of astronomy, part biography of three notable women in science, this book offers an informative read for young women interested in astronomy either as a career or for recreation. The biographies cover Nancy Grace Roman, Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Andrea Ghez and encourages young women to follow in their footsteps with interesting facts, links and pictures. I would definitely call this a pep-rally for women in the sciences." Children's Literature “. . . . part of the Girls in Science series which includes: Technology: Cool Women who Code. These books would be an excellent addition for all school libraries to offer supplemental reading for science classes, and to encourage girls to pursue careers in science and technology. The series is consistently written, but each book takes a singular approach to its topic." School Library Connection ". . . Readable and accessible to students, the books are beautifully designed with color, graphics, comic illustrations, boxes, and short paragraphs. . A treasure trove of discovery, this interactive series promises to influence the next generation of female science stars. Highly Recommended" Ithaca’s Child "When you look into the night sky, you might see the moon, planets and a galaxy of glittering stars. But what lies beyond? This book profiles three astronomers – women who overcame challenges to achieve their “space dreams . . ." National Science Teachers Association Recommends "Looking for a book to use in reading circles that ties together literacy and science standards? This is the book that will fit the bill perfectly. . ." Publisher's Weekly Featured title in Tracking Trends in the Educational Space Booklist New SERIES NONFICTION SHOWCASE ". . . Numerous sidebars include further background information, mini profiles of more prominent females in STEM, and thought-provoking questions. A worth addition to STEM collections." Dr. Laura Trouille, Astronomer, the Adler Planetarium and Northwestern University “. . . I will be happily recommending this book to every aspiring astronomer who visits the Adler!” Victoria Obenchain, Science Teacher, Instructor at Sally Ride Science Camp “This book is a testament to the fact that women are incredibly important to science and that their contributions to understanding the universe as it is known today are huge!” Catherine Piper Shelton, Director of Curriculum and Technology, U.S. Space & Rocket Center “I see this book sparking an interest in astronomy for any girl. It connects the science with careers, and the past with the present—and future.” Christopher Malott, Assistant Program Director, AstroCamp “Not only is this book a great introduction to astronomy, it does a great job showing that much of the important work in astronomy, past and present, has been by women.” Praise for other books in similar series: Rocketry: Investigate the Science and Technology of Rockets and Ballistics Booklist "With clear explanations of the Newtonian and other physical principles involved, Mooney provides a history of rocketry, from steam-driven contraptions in ancient Greece to today’s (OK, tomorrow’s) SpaceShipTwo and NASA’s next-generation SLS. The seven chapters are supplemented by instructions for making 25 low-tech models and launchers useful for demonstrating how rockets work and behave in flight. . . both the hands-on portions and the relatively extensive background information will give would-be rocketeers a strong liftoff." Cities: Discover How They Work with 25 Projects Winner of a 2014 Silver Moonbeam Award School Library Journal “According to the 2010 Census, 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas. But do they know what it takes to make a city run? From this well-organized and engaging text, readers will learn how cities developed and grew. . . this is a worthy title for any library collection.” Booklist “Propounding the emerging interdisciplinary paradigm of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics), this hands-on informational book discusses how cities’ complex structures and systems function together in an interdependent way. Through appealing illustrations, reader-friendly text, and fun hands-on experiments suitable for home and classroom, Reilly helps foster an appreciation for the way that cities function almost as organisms with vibrant systems and interdependent structures.” Skyscrapers: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects National Science Teachers Association Recommends “. . . Skyscrapers would make an excellent resource for the history or science teacher desiring to try a project based learning (PBL) unit. With its timeline, glossary, and interesting prose, the teacher could challenge students with the question, ‘Would a skyscraper make a good school?’ In fact, this book would make a good springboard for a number of short engineering units. Skyscrapers is a terrific book, especially for elementary teachers looking for ideas to inject more engineering into their classroom.” School Library Journal “Large font and an open layout make this title accessible to reluctant readers . . . A useful title to supplement lessons on architecture, mathematics, or physics for classroom teachers or homeschoolers, and it’s an appealing initiation to the subject.” Kristine E. Barnes, PE, Structural Engineer “Skyscrapers is a fantastic introduction to the world of civil/structural engineering and the history of some really big projects and tall buildings. The projects help reinforce ideas and give kids a wonderful hands-on learning experience.” Kenton D. Wesby, Art Specialist & STEAM Educator, SECME Master Teacher “This book is awesome. Skyscrapers effectively navigates the basic principles of STEM, at the same time making connections with language arts, social studies, and visual arts. A must have for any teachers’ professional library.” Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects Winner of a 2012 Gold Moonbeam Award National Science Teachers Association Recommends "This book is a treasure trove of information, experiments, and building challenges, and is an excellent, exciting, and easy way to incorporate STEM education into your classroom, science fair, or after school engineering club."