For the
next couple of weeks, I'll be taking a break from Celebrate Science to cook and
clean and celebrate the season. I'll be back on January 7, 2019. Happy
Holidays!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Monday, December 17, 2018
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Paula Yoo
My
first nonfiction children’s book happened by accident. Or so I thought.
In
2002, I stumbled upon an article about Dr. Sammy Lee. I learned he was the
first Asian American to win a gold medal in diving at the Olympics.
I
had never heard of Sammy Lee before. The article fascinated me. Distracted, I
fell into a rabbit hole as I devoured information about this world-renowned
athlete.
As
a Korean American, I was inspired by Sammy Lee’s triumph over racism. I wished
I had known about him when I was growing up. His positive story would have
helped me cope better with the many painful incidents of racism I experienced as
a child and teenager.
When
I discovered that no children’s book had ever been written about Sammy Lee, I
decided to write Sixteen Years in Sixteen
Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story.
An
early reader advised me that my manuscript might not have a chance with
mainstream publishers. After all, according to statistics compiled by the Cooperative
Children’s Book Center, out of 3,150 children’s books published in 2002, only
46 (1 percent!) were written by Asian
Pacific Americans and only 91 (less than
3 percent!) were about Asian Americans. (The statistics for other diverse
groups were just as sparse.)
I
ended up submitting my manuscript to Lee & Low’s annual “New Voices”
contest for writers of color. To my shock, it won!
Lee
& Low published Sixteen Years in
Sixteen Seconds in 2005. That year, out of the 2,800 children’s books
published, 60 were written by Asian Pacific American authors and 64 books were
about Asian subjects/characters. The statistics were still deplorable, but I
was delighted that MY book was part of that 2 percent.
That
inspired me to write more children’s biographies of important Asian historical
figures. I suddenly had a mission—to make sure our community was represented,
to make sure our stories and our voices were heard.
This
led to two more picture book biographies—Shining
Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee & Low, 2009) about Asian American
film star Anna May Wong and Twenty-two
Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (Lee & Low, 2014) about Nobel
Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
CCBC
statistics from 2017 show that out of 3,700 books published, 274 were written
by Asian Pacific Americans and 310 were about Asian people/issues. That’s still
less than 10 percent of all books published. We still have a long way to go.
Statistics
are just as grim in our educational system. The absence of Asian American
history in our school curricula, along with the erasure of Asian Americans in
the media and in Hollywood, has far-reaching and disturbing implications on how
white people and other non-Asians view them. It leads not only to ignorance and
racism, but also to the treatment of all Asians as the perpetual foreign
“Other.”
All
of this drives my mission—and passion—to
chronicle the important contributions Asian Americans have made in our country.
I am currently working on a YA narrative nonfiction book about Vincent Chin to
be published in 2020 by Norton Young Readers. It describes how the 1982 beating
death of a Chinese American man by two white autoworkers in Detroit galvanized
the Asian American civil rights movement.
As
I look back on my writing career, I realize my first nonfiction children’s book
did not happen by accident. It was
fate. I will continue to write nonfiction in the hope that the struggles endured
by Dr. Sammy Lee, Anna May Wong, Muhammad Yunus, and Vincent Chin will never happen again.
Paula Yoo is a children’s book
author and TV writer/producer. Her upcoming YA nonfiction book about Vincent
Chin will be published by Norton Young Readers in 2020. Her other books include
the YA novel Good Enough
(HarperCollins 2008), Sixteen Years in
Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (Lee & Low 2005), Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee
& Low 2009) and Twenty-Two Cents:
Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (Lee & Low 2014).
Friday, December 14, 2018
My 17 Favorite STEM Books of 2018
Last year, around this time, I decided to
post my 10 favorite STEM books of the year. But guess what . . . I ended up
with twelve. I just couldn't narrow it down.
This year, I promised I'd be stricter with myself. But, once again, it was so, so hard.
This year, I promised I'd be stricter with myself. But, once again, it was so, so hard.
What’s the solution? I’m picking 17! Three of my
favorites appeared on my #SibertSmackdown list a couple of weeks ago:
Joan
Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by
Felicita Sala;
Otis
and Will Discover the Deep: The
Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock,
illustrated by Katherine Roy
Stretch
to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth by
Carrie Pearson, illustrated by Susan Swan
Today, I’m sharing 14 more. Some of these aren’t eligible for
the Sibert, and some are middle grade titles. (The #SibertSmackdown activity
focuses on picture books.) And one of them is fiction!
I recommend adding all of these titles to your collection. The are well written, full of kid appeal, and most importantly of all, scientifically accurate.
Bonkers About Beetles by Owen Dewey
Bonkers About Beetles by Owen Dewey
The
Boy and the Diamond: The Creation of
Diamonds and The Life of H. Tracy Hall by
Hannah Holt, illustrated by Jay Fleck
Bugs
Don’t Hug: Six-Legged Parents and Their Kids
by Heather Montgomery, illustrated by Stephen Stone
Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzlaez
Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzlaez
Cute
as Axolotl: Discovering the World's Most
Adorable Animals by Jess Keating,
illustrated by David deGrand
Flying
Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible
Alvin by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Nicole Wong
Following Baxter by Barb Kerley
Following Baxter by Barb Kerley
The
Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria
Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
Itch: Everything You Didn't Want to Know About What Makes You Scratch by Anita Sanchez, illustrated by Gilbert Ford
Itch: Everything You Didn't Want to Know About What Makes You Scratch by Anita Sanchez, illustrated by Gilbert Ford
Nothing
Stopped Sophie: The Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by
Cheryl Bardoe, illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Something
Rotten: A Fresh Look at Road Kill by Heather Montgomery
Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Tyson by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Tyson by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Thank
You, Earth: Love Letters to Our Planet by April Pulley
Sayre
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Hooray for Celebrate Science!
Just
in case you haven’t noticed the shiny gold medal that’s now displayed in the
right-hand column of this blog, I’m delighted to announce that Celebrate
Science has recently been named a Top 25 Nonfiction Blog for Book Writers and Readers. Woo-hoo!
This
honor is bestowed by Feedspot, a service that can help you track all your
favorite blogs, news sites, youtube channels, and rss feeds in one place, which
makes checking your favorite sites as easy as checking your email.
To come up with the list of
honorees, blogs were ranked based on following criteria:
—Google
reputation and Google search ranking
—Influence
and popularity on Facebook, twitter, and other social media sites
—Quality
and consistency of posts
—Feedspot’s
editorial team and expert review
Congratulations
to The Nonfiction Detectives blog, which
is also on the top 25 list.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Patricia Newman
In
my Sibert Honor acceptance speech for Sea Otter Heroes, I mentioned a
teacher who once defined nonfiction as the facts and fiction as the heart. I’ll
be honest; she hurt my feelings.
Written like a mystery, Sea Otter Heroes explores the idea that we don’t know what we don’t know. Marine biologist Brent Hughes connected the dots to discover endangered sea otters are responsible for the health of a seagrass ecosystem. Seagrass sequesters carbon, provides a nursery for our food supply as it matures, and calms the waves that pound our coastlines. Now consider the new White House proposal to gut the Endangered Species Act. Without protection, sea otters and the benefits they provide could be lost to us and future generations. I want my readers to understand the effects of our actions.
I
was raised to care for myself, my family, and my community. My husband calls me
a professional volunteer. Building a performing arts center at my kids’ former
high school is my latest project. Time commitment: ten-plus years.
As
a kid, I spent a lot of time outside. I played kickball in the street, hiked,
ice skated, built snow tunnels, rode my bike, fished, planted trees, and sailed
on Malletts Bay (hello fellow Vermonters). I collected bugs and pressed fall
leaves for my season-deprived friend in Florida. I even read outside.
Outside
was part of me. Clearly there’s a connection between my love of the outdoors,
my urge to volunteer, and my string of environmental titles. But there’s more
to it. Like fiction, nonfiction comes from emotion. For me, that usually means
feelings of injustice and confusion. Injustice over problems such as mountains
of marine debris or elephant and rhino poaching. Confusion over how my time
(and money) might be most effective.
Written like a mystery, Sea Otter Heroes explores the idea that we don’t know what we don’t know. Marine biologist Brent Hughes connected the dots to discover endangered sea otters are responsible for the health of a seagrass ecosystem. Seagrass sequesters carbon, provides a nursery for our food supply as it matures, and calms the waves that pound our coastlines. Now consider the new White House proposal to gut the Endangered Species Act. Without protection, sea otters and the benefits they provide could be lost to us and future generations. I want my readers to understand the effects of our actions.
My
books—part biography, part science adventure—tell inspiring true stories of
scientists who make a difference. I hope these stories empower children and
show them their voices matter, which the Common Core might tempt readers to
identify as the author’s purpose. But my purpose goes beyond “persuade, inform,
or entertain.” Just as fiction authors write about themes that resonate with
them, so too do nonfiction authors. My themes first have to light my fire with a personal connection, a
narrative, and a Wow! factor.
![]() |
Standing in front of the soon-to-be completed performing arts center. The blue arrow points to me. |
![]() |
Hopping my way to victory on July 4th sack race |
![]() |
Me (right) examining the skull of a long-dead elephant with a guide in Kenya |
My
challenge is to simultaneously tell the truth, inspire, and offer hope for
myself and my readers. In my books hope is synonymous with science.
I
used to volunteer for the San Diego Zoo, and traveled to Kenya on a safari led
by one of the zoo’s geneticists. During the trip I became fascinated by
elephants’ social relationships and cognitive capabilities. Eavesdropping on Elephants explores the value of listening to them in order to save
them from extinction. I’ve added QR codes to the narrative to bring kids into
the forest to see and hear the elephants as the scientists did. The closer kids
get to the wild the more they will care.
As
a zoo volunteer, I understood how zoos promote conservation, but many people
don’t. Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
braids together three fascinating success stories about endangered species
and the zoo scientists who protect them. The scientists go to incredible
lengths to save orangutans, black-footed ferrets, and black rhinos, but they
started out as kids who loved animals. Readers identify with that. One mother
wrote to say, “My son is now more than ever convinced that he wants to study
animals...you lit a fire in him with this book. For that, I am grateful!”
Ultimately, my books meet an emotional need within me. But if they also resonate with
readers, I know kids have found the heart I’ve woven through the pages.
Patricia Newman writes books that inspire
kids to seek connections to the real world. Titles such as SEA OTTER HEROES,
EAVESDROPPING ON ELEPHANTS, and NEEMA’S REASON TO SMILE encourage readers to
act and use imagination to solve problems. A Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient,
her books have received starred reviews, two Green Earth Book Awards, a
Parents’ Choice Award, been honored as Junior Library Guild Selections, and
included on Bank Street College’s Best Books lists. Her author visits are
described as "phenomenal,” "fantastic," "mesmerizing,"
"passionate," and "inspirational." Visit her at www.patriciamnewman.com.
Friday, December 7, 2018
“It reads just like fiction.”
I’m delighted to see a noticeable uptick in the number of nonfiction
books being reviewed online by educators. That’s progress! Thank you, thank you,
from the bottom of my heart—and the hearts of so many young readers.
But as an unabashed nonfiction lover, perhaps even a
nonfiction cheerleader, the joy in my heart instantly plummets, becoming a
twisted knot in my stomach, whenever a nonfiction book review includes the words, “It reads just
like fiction.”
What exactly does that mean?
I think the reviewer is intending these five words as a
compliment, but let me ask you: What’s wrong with a nonfiction book reading
like nonfiction? After all, that’s what it is.
Don’t we want kids to take pride in who they are?
Don’t we encourage students to celebrate their differences?
Shouldn’t we treat the books they read with the same respect?
Please remember that the language we use affects the way
children think about the world and about themselves. It’s so, so important to honor
and encourage the reading choices of all students.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
20 Great Expository Nonfiction Read Alouds
The
following list includes some of my favorite expository nonfiction titles that
are perfect for sharing in 10 minutes or less.
Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons by Sara Levine and T.S. Spookytooth (Millbrook Press, 2013)
Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin
Page (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014)
Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson and
Gennady Spirin (Holt, 2013)
If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian and Barbara Hirsch Lember (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000)
Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell and
Richard P. Campbell (Boyds Mills Press, 2014)
Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs by Melissa Stewart and Stephanie
Laberis (Peachtree, 2018)
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011)
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