Book picks similar to
How High Can We Climb?: The Story of Women Explorers by Jeannine Atkins


ya-middle-school
biography-autobiography-memoir
childrens
outdoors

Science Verse


Jon Scieszka - 2004
    / 'Cause whether his or hers amoeba, / They too feel like you and meba.What if a boring lesson about the food chain becomes a sing-along about predators and prey? A twinkle-twinkle little star transforms into a twinkle-less, sunshine-eating-and rhyming Black Hole? What if amoebas, combustion, metamorphosis, viruses, the creation of the universe are all irresistible, laugh-out-loud poetry? Well, you're thinking in science verse, that's what. And if you can't stop the rhymes ... the atomic joke is on you. Only the amazing talents of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, the team who created Math Curse, could make science so much fun.

Rutherford B., Who Was He?: Poems About Our Presidents


Marilyn Singer - 2013
    Illustrations by John Hendrix are full of hilarious wit and refined exuberance, and backmatter enriches the experience with short biographies, quotes by each president, and more.

Funny Girl


Betsy BirdCharise Mericle Harper - 2017
    A portion of the proceeds will support WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring organization for teen girls. Publication is set for spring 2017; Stephen Barbara at Inkwell did the deal for U.S., Canadian, and open market rights.

Dear Author: Letters of Hope (Top Young Adult Authors Respond to Kids' Toughest Issues)


Joan F. Kaywell - 2007
    And the creators of those books are more than just writers—they are mentors, confidants, friends, sometimes the only ones who understand. There is often an unspoken, unseen bond between an author and his or her readers. Dear Author brings this bond to light for the whole world to see and to celebrate. Laurie Halse Anderson, Chris Crutcher, Jerry Spinelli, Christopher Paul Curtis, and many more of today’s bestselling YA authors respond to this intimate mix of heartbreaking and heartwarming letters, giving a glimpse into the hearts and souls of kids today, and the writers who have changed their lives. It’s nothing short of inspirational.

Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge


Rachel Dougherty - 2019
    It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman's husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learn as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy. She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden, and she continued to learn about things only men were supposed to know:math,science,engineering.Women weren't supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. This is the story of Emily Roebling, the secret engineer behind the Brooklyn Bridge, from author-illustrator Rachel Dougherty.

Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?


Patricia C. McKissack - 1992
    A rich profile.--School Library Journal. A 1993 Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna


Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton - 2003
    Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition. They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college. Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything American History Textbooks Get Wrong


Rebecca Stefoff - 2019
    Having sold nearly two million copies, the book won an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship. Now Rebecca Stefoff, the acclaimed nonfiction children’s writer who adapted Howard Zinn’s bestseller A People’s History of the United States for young readers, turns Loewen’s beloved work into Lies My Teacher Told Me for Young Readers.Essential reading in our age of fake news and slippery, sloppy history, Lies My Teacher Told Me for Young Readers cuts through the mindless optimism and outright lies featured in most textbooks. Beginning with pre-Columbian history and then covering characters and events as diverse as Helen Keller, the first Thanksgiving, the My Lai massacre, 9/11, and the Iraq War, Loewen’s lively, provocative telling of American history is a “counter-textbook that retells the story of the American past” (The Nation).Like the original, this streamlined and abridged version for young readers is rich in vivid details and quotations from primary sources. Lies My Teacher Told Me for Young Readers brings this classic text to a new generation of readers (and their parents and teachers) who will welcome and value its honesty, its humor, and its integrity.

26 Fairmount Avenue


Tomie dePaola - 1999
    Tomie has many adventures all his own, including eating chocolate with his Nana Upstairs, only to find out--the hard way--that they have eaten chocolate laxative. He tries to skip kindergarten when he finds out he won't learn to read until first grade. "I'll be back next year," he says. When Tomie goes to see Snow White, he creates another sensation.

How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure


John Rocco - 2020
    But what did it really take to get us there?The Moon landing is one of the most ambitious, thrilling, and dangerous ventures in human history. This fully illustrated book tells the stories of the 400,000 unsung heroes--the engineers, mathematicians, seamstresses, welders, and factory workers--and their innovations and life-changing technological leaps forward that allowed NASA to achieve this unparalleled accomplishment.From the shocking launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik to the triumphant splashdown of Apollo 11, Caldecott Honor winner John Rocco answers every possible question about this world-altering mission. Each step in the space race is revealed, examined, and displayed through diagrams, experiments, moments of crisis, and human stories.

Barron's SAT


Sharon Weiner Green - 1998
    The newly revised edition of Barron’s SAT manual presents: A diagnostic test and five full-length practice tests with all questions answered and explained Test-taking tactics for the exam as a whole, and special strategies for each part of the test Subject reviews covering critical reading, grammar and usage, and math Detailed instruction in writing the required SAT essay An overview of the SAT, an explanation of the test’s scoring method, and study advice Year after year, Barron’s continues to provide comprehensive test preparation help to thousands of college-bound students who are about to take one of the most important tests of their lives.

The World At Her Fingertips: The Story Of Helen Keller


Joan Dash - 2001
    It's "riveting reading for sudents in need of inspiration, or who're overcoming disability or studying changing expectations for women (Kirkus)."

Science: A Discovery in Comics


Margreet de Heer - 2012
    In her easily accessible style, Margreet de Heer visualizes science and makes it approachable for those with little knowledge of the subject. Touching a number of topics in various scientific disciplines—including math, chemistry, physics, biology, geology, and quantum theory—this work and ponders questions such as Who exclaimed "Eureka" and why? What is the Philosopher's Stone? Why did Galileo get into a fight with the Church? and What happens when you have your DNA tested? This humorous yet substantive graphic account strips the subject of unnecessary complexity, making it a perfect introduction to exploring scientific concepts.

The McCandless Mecca: A Pilgrimage to the Magic Bus of the Stampede Trail


Ken Ilgunas - 2013
    The Magic Bus is becoming a national shrine, a holy pilgrim site, a modern-day Mecca. And I was determined to see it, too." So writes author and adventurer Ken Ilgunas, who, in the summer of 2011, moved up to Alaska and, like thousands before him, embarked on pilgrimage to explore the storied bus of the Stampede Trail, the very bus in which Chris McCandless of "Into the Wild" died twenty years before. What was supposed to be little more than a "literary tour" to a bus from a book that Ilgunas had "merely enjoyed" would become a humorous, enthralling, and, at times, treacherous journey, leading him to the very heart of Alaska.

Legends, Icons & Rebels: Music That Changed the World


Robbie Robertson - 2013
    Short profiles chronicle personal stories and achievements of extraordinarily talented artists whose innovations changed the landscape of music for generations to come. Carefully compiled like any great playlist, the line-up features originators, rebels, and risk-takers across diverse genres. From Ray Charles to Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan, Robertson shares anecdotes about these artists and the influence they had on his own musical journey. Always respectful of their reader, the writers never shy away from speaking about the difficult challenges these recording artists faced and the very human foibles that sometimes led to their tragic end. Most of all, it's the authors' passion and insights into these personal stories of creativity and collaboration -- and the power of music to shine a light on injustice and foster change -- that will fascinate, enlighten, and inspire music fans of all ages.