Anastasia Suen

March 20, 2020March 21, 2020

Creating Makerspaces at Home

As you know, I write a STEM column for Booklist. When I sent in my April column idea to my editor for discussion this week, she wanted it to be published right away . . . so she asked me to write it for their blog, something I had never done before. Then she put me in touch with the Booklist blog editor and after a discussion of the idea with that editor, I wrote the article that day (not over the course of a week, as I usually do) and sent it in. She published it on the blog the next day:

Creating Makerspaces at Home

When I sent the article in, I asked the blog editor if she was interested in events that started on March 23. She said yes. I wrote another resources article for her that came out on Friday afternoon:

Creating Makerspaces at Home: Part II

Please share these resources with any parents you know who are suddenly homeschooling their kids. It takes a village.

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

March 20, 2020March 19, 2020

Kaia and the Bees

Kaia and the Bees
by Maribeth Boelts (Author) and Angela Dominguez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Kaia is the brave type. Like hottest-hot-pepper brave. But there is one thing that scares her: BEES! And right now, thousands of bees live on her roof because Kaia’s dad is a beekeeper. Her dad says that the world needs bees and that’s why they are beekeepers. But only he goes on the roof, not Kaia — unless she can find a way to be the brave girl she always says she is.

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

March 13, 2020March 12, 2020

Changing the Equation

Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM
by Tonya Bolden (Author)

Booktalk: This book celebrates more than 50 women who have shattered the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination, and pioneered in their fields, including groundbreaking computer scientists, doctors, inventors, physicists, pharmacists, mathematicians, aviators, and many more.

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

March 6, 2020March 5, 2020

Dr. Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System

Dr. Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System
by Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Author) and Chelen Écija (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Just how much would it cost to colonize Mars? Could a human survive on the blistering-hot surface of Venus? Space scientist Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes readers on the trip of a light-speed lifetime — from the proximity of the surface of our very own planet to the furthest sectors of the Solar System.

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

February 28, 2020February 27, 2020

Baby Loves Scientists

Baby Loves Scientists
by Ruth Spiro (Author) and Irene Chan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Baby loves to explore the world of science! What’s next for Baby after learning about physics, engineering, computers, and the natural world? Becoming a scientist of course!

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

February 21, 2020February 20, 2020

My Wild Cat

My Wild Cat
by Isabelle Simler (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: A merciless hunter, an unrivaled expert in stealth and deception–a cat is no ordinary pet! Sure, he may look harmless as he snoozes on the sofa, or under the rug, or on top of the radiator. Sure, he may seem sweet as he snuggles a stuffed animal, but don’t let that fool you! When you least expect it, he’ll pounce . . .

Snippet: At times, my fierce hunter goes on the attack. *

*From the tips of its whiskers to the bottom of its chin, a cat is very sensitive to vibrations, which allows it to detect changes in air pressure and sense when obstacles are nearby.

See the book trailer.

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

February 14, 2020February 13, 2020

Creek Critters

Creek Critters
by Jennifer Keats Curtis with Stroud Water Research Center (Authors) and Phyllis Saroff (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Do you like scavenger hunts? How do you tell if creek water is clean and healthy? Join Lucas and his sister as they act like scientists looking for certain kinds of stream bugs (aquatic macroinvertebrates) that need clean, unpolluted water to survive. What will they find as they turn over rocks, pick up leaves and sort through the mud? Read along to find out if their creek gets a passing grade.

Snippet: Galumph! We step right into the water. This part of the creek is called a riffle. It’s shallow and the water runs fast enough over thr rocks to make a bubbling noise. Downstream is a pool. It’s deep and the water is calm.

BONUS! Download the Teaching Activity Guide

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

February 7, 2020February 6, 2020

Seeds of Spring

My new Focus on STEM column: Seeds of Spring is in the February Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter.

Booktalk: Prepare for the first day of spring with a celebration of the tiny seed!

Snippet: These new picture books introduce young readers to the wonder of seeds as well as the changes that come as things grow.

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

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks
by Evan Turk (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, experience 23 of our 60 national parks.

Snippet:

See how the book was made.

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

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020

AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet

AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet
by Jon Scieszka (Author) and Steven Weinberg (Illustrator)

Booktalk: AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug are animals that have been hybridized to find other planets for humans to live on once we’ve ruined Earth. So off they rocket to the Plant Planet! Will that planet support human life? Or do Plant Planet’s inhabitants have a more sinister plan?

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