Gutsy Girls Go for Science - Paleontologists

Age range 8 to 11

Hands-on science projects pair up with inspiring biographies of female paleontologists in a full-color book for ages 8 to 11 that will have kids digging in their own backyards and making real-world learning connections!

Who were the first people to walk upright? What kind of life existed millions of years ago? How have organisms changed through the eons? These are the kinds of questions that keep paleontologists awake at night! In Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Paleontologists with STEM Projects for Kids, readers ages 8 to 11 meet five female paleontologists who made breakthrough discoveries of ancient life from millions of years ago, including Mary Anning, Mignon Talbot, Tilly Edinger, Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, and Mary Leakey. These women all led fascinating lives while working in the field and in the lab, often facing challenges because of their gender and race.

“School Library Journal Series Made Simple "These sprightly biography anthologies spotlight five women whose curiosity and determination led them to break barriers and change perceptions. QR codes support information relayed in time lines, archive photos, reflective questions, sidebars, and pull quotes. The codes are used to their very best effect, sending readers to news reports, archival video, websites, TEDx talks, and even a webcomic. Each link is listed in the backmatter. The five or six activities per book range from simple observation to rather involved projects and forgo detailed instructions, instead encouraging readers to make choices and assemble materials and create their own challenges. Engineers is a standout for showcasing little-known stories like water safety pioneer Ellen Swallow Richards, while Programmers has the best activities and uses real programming tools. VERDICT: A holistic approach incorporating personal stories, history, and STEM content. "”

School Library Journal Series Made Simple
"These sprightly biography anthologies spotlight five women whose curiosity and determination led them to break barriers and change perceptions. QR codes support information relayed in time lines, archive photos, reflective questions, sidebars, and pull quotes. The codes are used to their very best effect, sending readers to news reports, archival video, websites, TEDx talks, and even a webcomic. Each link is listed in the backmatter. The five or six activities per book range from simple observation to rather involved projects and forgo detailed instructions, instead encouraging readers to make choices and assemble materials and create their own challenges. Engineers is a standout for showcasing little-known stories like water safety pioneer Ellen Swallow Richards, while Programmers has the best activities and uses real programming tools. VERDICT: A holistic approach incorporating personal stories, history, and STEM content."
A Mighty Girl Weekly Round Up

"This girl-empowering STEM series introduces aspiring young scientists to a variety of career fields through the stories of groundbreaking women who made their mark in four disciplines: Paleontology, Space Exploration, Computer Programming, and Engineering. Each Gutsy Girls book introduces five remarkable role models, telling each woman's story in an engaging chapter-length biography filled with full-color photos, artwork, timelines, and sidebars full of fun facts. Hands-on 'field assignments' encouraging experimentation and critical thinking are interspersed throughout the books, including ones focused on building a space rover, preparing specimens, and designing a web page. These fascinating books' combination of women's history and STEM activities will encourage young readers to imagine themselves as the gutsy scientists of the future. Ages: 8 to 11"

Booklist
"The Gusty Girls Go for Science series (4 titles) combines STEM projects with illuminating biographies of influential female scientists, who helped transform their fields--not just as the first women to study or accomplish something but frequently as the first scientist who did. Here readers get a quick introduction to paleontology before digging into the contributions made to the discipline by Mary Anning, Mignon Talbot, Tilly Edinger, Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, and Mary Leakey. While all five women are white, some diversity is pulled in through the book's QR codes that link to articles and videos of modern scientists at work. Time lines, photographs, and inviting illustrations add kid appeal to the interesting text, which is further broken up by informative sidebars and hands-on projects that simulate paleontological digs and activities."
Praise for Technology: Cool Women Who Code from the Girls in Science series

National Science Teachers Association Recommends
"Coding is extremely popular with students now as they work to develop games and apps to meet the common social and gaming interests. Written like a magazine with short reading areas followed by "Ask & Answer" essential questions, the book focuses on reading comprehension and reasoning skills while also teaching about technology then and now. . . This book is anything but dull and definitely not 'textbooky'".

The Children's Book Review

A Book Series Teaching and Inspiring Girls About Science

Gutsy Girls Go for Science is a new 4 book Science series that highlights the careers of five famous female scientists and trailblazers in the fields of engineering, space, programming, and paleontology. Each book begins with a basic introduction for each field explaining its history, introducing key vocabulary, and what to expect when reading further in the book. Each biography begins with the woman's picture, a timeline displaying key life events and accomplishments. and what they are known for in the science world. The 18 pages devoted to each woman include easy-to-read stories of their works and contributions, photographs, and inserts of engaging critical questions. At the end of each section, readers are presented with "field assignments" that include ideas of how they can continue the legacy of that particular woman along with hands-on STEM projects that take the ideas one step further. Each book ends with an informative resource page and glossary. The books in this series are excellent primary resources and would be worthwhile additions to not only the personal library for future scientists but for classroom libraries as well.

Karen Bush Gibson is the author of more than 30 nonfiction books for children and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. One of her books about women aviators was named a 2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People by the NCSS and a selection in Air & Space/Smithsonian's Best Children's Books of 2013 roundup of aviation and space-themed books. Karen lives in Norman, Oklahoma.Shululu (Hui Li) has always been driven by curiosity. She received a PhD in computational chemistry from the University of Chicago and is the illustrator of the Physical Science for Kids set of nonfiction picture books from Nomad Press. She is devoted to bringing joy and science to young readers through fun illustrations! She lives with her husband in New York, New York.

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