Category: young adult

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November KidLitWriMo begins Saturday

The October Writing Challenge ends this week, but the KidLitWriMo writers want to keep going . . . so we will. If you can write 30 minutes everyday for 30 days, you will have spent 15 hours writing your book! That’s what we did in October 2025.

If you only write on the weekdays (or are traveling for the holidays) use the 20 day schedule instead.

If you write *30* minutes a day for *20* days that adds up to *10* hours of writing. (It also helps you keep your story alive during a busy time of year.) Small steps make a difference.

Find out more here.

Copyright © 2025 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

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Engineering: How the Six Simple Machines Support the World

Engineering: How the Six Simple Machines Support the World
by Carla Mooney (Author) and Lex Cornell (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: Teen engineers learn how mechanical, structural, civil, and other types of engineering are based on the six simple machines that humans have been using for thousands of years. The screw, pulley, wedge, wheel and axle, inclined plane, and lever are used to build roads, skyscrapers, bridges, engines, and even other tools. They are the building blocks on which more complicated machines are based.

Dive deep into the history of simple machines, from ancient times to present day, and learn the physics behind how they increase efficiency and productivity through mechanical advantage. Hands-on STEM activities encourage use of the engineering design process as teens brainstorm and build practical prototypes and explore how we might employ simple machines in the future.

Snippet:

The author, Carla Mooney, is one of my former students.
Copyright © 2025 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)