Anastasia Suen

Hack Your Kitchen: Discover a World of Food Fun with Science Buddies
by Niki Ahrens (Author, Photographer)

Booktalk: Young scientists will learn all about many different scientific principles and properties using everyday tools and ingredients from their own kitchens! Make a lemon volcano, flour craters, edible paper, and more with these hands-on science projects.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

March 12, 2021March 11, 2021

Stay Healthy with Sesame Street ®: Understanding Coronavirus

Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Stay Healthy with Sesame Street ®: Understanding Coronavirus
by Mary Lindeen (Author)

Booktalk: Familiar characters from Sesame Street answer questions about coronavirus, COVID-19, and quarantine for young children.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

March 5, 2021March 4, 2021

Women’s History Month

My new Focus on STEM column: Women’s History Month is in the March Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter.

Snippet: Fill your bookshelves with these new STEM biographies for Women’s History Month and discover the contributions that women in STEM fields have made in the past — and are still making today. Then invite your tweens and teens to play the free online game Foldit and help scientists design a brand-new protein that will attach to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

February 26, 2021February 25, 2021

Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species

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Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species
by Ana Pego (Author), Isabel Minhós Martins (Author), and Bernado P. Carvalho (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Inspired by biologist Ana Pêgo’s life’s work, this book for ages 10-16 looks at plastic pollution in the ocean and explains why it is such an urgent contemporary issue.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

February 19, 2021February 18, 2021

Explore Mars

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Explore Mars
by Jackie Golusky (Author)

Booktalk: After Earth, Mars is the most explored planet in our solar system. Rovers travel across its surface to find out answers to scientists’ questions. What is Mars like? Did it ever have life? Learn all about this strange world next door! Access a downloadable 3D printer model from NASA via Page Plus QR codes.

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See NASA’s Mars Rover Perseverance land on February 18, 2021.

For touchdown, fast forward to 1:39

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

February 12, 2021February 11, 2021

Amazing Islands: 100+ Places that Will Boggle Your Mind

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Amazing Islands: 100+ Places that Will Boggle Your Mind
by Sabrina Weiss (Author) and Kerry Hyndman (Illustrator)

Booktalk: From islands that have been taken over by animals to disappearing islands, islands made of shells, artificial islands, and even islands that were once prison colonies, this book for ages 7-11 takes you on an exciting tour of some of the smallest land masses in the world. The book also includes a world map, which plots all the islands found in the book, plus fold out flaps with engaging lists of island facts, including the top 10 biggest and 10 smallest inhabited islands in the world.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021

High-Tech LEGO Projects: 16 Rule-Breaking Inventions

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High-Tech LEGO Projects: 16 Rule-Breaking Inventions
by Grady Koch (Author)

Booktalk: A collection of 16 scientific and technical projects to build with parts from the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics set and other components. You’ll find a motion-activated animal cam, a Morse code transmitter, a laser security fence, a motion-sensing radar detector, an automated insect trapper, a heat-seeking infrared cannon and more! Every project brings together science, mechanics, electronics, optics, and software to create complex instruments for studying and measuring the world around you with step-by-step directions.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

January 29, 2021January 28, 2021

Living vs. Nonliving (Science Showdowns)

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Living vs. Nonliving (Science Showdowns)
by Maddie Spalding (Author)

Booktalk: This chapter book illustrates the differences between living and nonliving by explaining what makes an object living or nonliving and the features of both. A chart compares the concepts to help solidify readers’ grasp of the material. Additional features include a table of contents, a phonetic glossary, an index, and sources for further research.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

January 22, 2021January 21, 2021

Blizzards (Spot Extreme Weather)

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Blizzards (Spot Extreme Weather)
by Anastasia Suen (Author)

Booktalk: Brr. You don’t want to be caught in this snow storm. With turbulent winds, colossal drifts, and teeth-chattering cold temperatures, blizzards can quickly become extreme winter weather. Using a search-and-find framework, emergent readers learn simple facts about blizzards, including snowflakes formation and whiteouts.

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See the snowflakes?
Frozen water turns to ice.
Crystals form to make snow.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

January 15, 2021January 14, 2021

Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table

Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table
by Isabel Thomas (Author) and Sara Gillingham (Artist)

Booktalk: Each of the 118 elements is visually presented with its respective letter symbol and atomic number, as well as a map of where it’s located in the periodic table. Additional details show where each element is found in the universe (from food on our plates to the center of a star), its unique properties, atomic diagram, secret chemistry, and working examples of how its’s used or changing the world.

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)