New to London, a nature-loving girl must learn to wear shoes and make human friends. When she finds a lost plant that responds to her just like a person, she doesn’t return it to the owner. But this plant is dying, and she has to steal its bespoke plant food from the owner.
Goodreads Blurb
A fantastical, botanical adventure about friendship, bravery – and finding home in a new place.
Fern has spent her whole life in the rainforest, and loves nothing more than climbing, exploring and talking to the trees. When she suddenly has to leave all that behind and move to London, with only an eccentric uncle for company, Fern feels entirely uprooted.
But when she meets a little plant that can understand her every word, it seems that things are looking up! That is until strange things start happening in the giant lily pads on the Thames, monkey vines on the London Eye, and now her new friend is starting to wilt…
Can they solve this growing mystery together – before it’s too late?
Paddington Bear meets Little Shop of Horrors in this botanical and brilliant debut for 8+.
My thoughts after Reading
This middle-grade book is about a girl who has to learn to live in London after traipsing round rainforests of the world with her botany parents.
Fern has to fly back to London to have a ‘normal’ life: wear shoes, go to school, make friends with real people rather than talk to plants. When a fellow passenger drops a little plant, she really should return it. But she is so delighted that it understands her, and responds by gesticulating with its tendrils and pods. After all, this passenger has so many other plants, surely she wouldn’t missing this baby one. But the plant is withering and Fern has to steal the plant food it’s been fed on.
The author has successfully given a good picture of the chaos in London. It reminded me of the adventures in The City of Secret Rivers. There are many things I like about this book: (i) It sends a subtle message about climate change and how we need to look after our planet. (ii) It features a woman-in-Science, and she very much reminded me of the antagonist in Beetle Boy. (iii) The plant theme in this book reminded me of The Halloweeds and the MG version of This Poison Heart. If you’ve been following my posts, you’d know that I have an interest in the properties of plants.
An imaginative story.
Opening Line: ‘Aren’t you beautiful? I could hardly pass you by without a quick look, could I? Besides, those two are always in such a hurry.’
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
Mrs Dabble tackles the arduous challenge of parenting with the help of an owl, octopus and a salamander. Invented by two women, a scientist and an engineer, it’s a machine that gives you the special feature of any animal.
In the 1683 London Great Frost, a guilt-ridden girl meets a delightful stranger and agrees to give up memories of her late brother for his return. But when discovers the history of this man, she must decide if she trusts him with the trade.My review
A home-schooled math genius finds her way in middle school and uses her math skills to help an charity house find new homes for animals in their care. My review
Captain Scott-like antarctic adventure. Designed, built and led by Harriet, twins set out in her sky-ship to find their missing explorer father. My review
In 19th century Scotland, the future Lady Almont wants to be a physician and sneaks out to attend a public anatomy demonstration. When her plans to attend the anatomy lectures are thwarted, she find another way to sit the Physicians’ Exams. But when she stumbles upon sinister activities in the Royal Edinburgh Anatomists’ Society, she must decide if there is something more important that a physician’s qualification.My review
Can you recommend anymore? Put them in the comments below!
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
In 19th century Scotland, the future Lady Almont wants to be a physician and sneaks out to attend a public anatomy demonstration. When her plans to attend the anatomy lectures are thwarted, she find another way to sit the Physicians’ Exams. But when she stumbles upon sinister activities in the Royal Edinburgh Anatomists’ Society, she must decide if there is something more important that a physician’s qualification.
Goodreads Blurb
Edinburgh, 1817. Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.
Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.
When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.
Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.
But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.
A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.
My Thoughts after Reading
This YA historical fiction is about a girl’s determination to be a doctor, despite society’s views and expectations.
Hazel is fascinated with the workings of the body and never gives up any opportunity to learn more about it. When she sneaks into the Royal Edinburgh Anatomists’ Society’s meeting and witnesses a live anatomy demonstration, it inspired her even more to be a physician. But she is a girl, and she must devise a way to attend in the anatomy lectures and sit the Physicians’ Exams.
Hazel is a girl and the middle child, forgotten and unimportant in her mother’s eyes. She takes this in her stride and learns to be independent. This resilience stands her in good stead as she embarks in the lonely journey of pursuing her dreams in a world where she is only expected to be at home.
I love the historical setting and learning more about what it was like back then, from the medical point of view. It made me appreciate the medical knowledge we take for granted today. I must warn you that there are a couple of scenes that might not be for the squeamish.
This book sits perfectly in the YA section for readers looking for feminine role models in STEM. It made me think of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate for middle-grade readers and Lessons in Chemistry for adult readers. 4/5
Prologue Opening Lines: “Hurry up!” “I’m digging as fast as I can, Davey.”
Chapter 1 Opening Line : The frog was dead, there was no doubt about that.
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
An inquisitive girl wants her grandfather to fit into middle school and partners with him in a science project. When the experiments do not go as expected, she learns that experiments are the only things in life that are unpredictable.
Goodreads Blurb
“Believe in the unexpected” with this hilarious, heartwarming, and much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Fourteenth Goldfish!
Ellie’s grandpa Melvin is a world-renowned scientist . . . in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy. His feet stink, and he eats everything in the refrigerator–and Ellie is so happy to have him around. Grandpa may not exactly fit in at middle school, but he certainly keeps things interesting. When he and Ellie team up for the county science fair, no one realizes just how groundbreaking their experiment will be. The formula for eternal youth may be within their reach! And when Ellie’s cat, Jonas Salk, gets sick, the stakes become even higher. But is the key to eternal life really the key to happiness? Sometimes even the most careful experiments yield unexpected–and wonderful–results.
My Thoughts after Reading
This middle grade book is about a confused tween trying to make sense of the confusing world of relationships.
Ellie has an old elementary best friend but now hangs out with Raj in middle school. Things become awkward when both feel that they should be ‘dating’ and this friendship falls away. There to distract her is her eccentric grandfather, who, from the previous book The Fourteenth Goldfish, has the physical appearance of a teenager. His old-fashioned ways in a youth body, and having to enrol in school again, is hilarious.
I like the science theme is this book. It is cleverly incorporated into the story without giving the impression of trying to teach the reader about astronomy or biology. 3/5
Opening line: Maybe it’s because I’m an only child, but my parents have always been a little obsessed with my eating.
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
It’s been over a hundred years since the landmark moment of women’s rights to vote. We are still striving for equality and diversity. There is a lot of effort to encourage girls to study the STEM. When Egmont announced the publication of Little Miss Inventor, social media when wild with support for the book, hailed as a positive role model for girls.
Books about great women throughout history have ballooned since. Here are a few:
When you read the books, you quickly realise these women faced prejudice in education and employment. Most of them resorted to working with no pay in dark, dank, dusty basements and garages. Many, though never awarded, were key players to the men who were awarded the Nobel Prize. I have to admit I have never heard of many of them prior to reading these books. Nevertheless, the more their names are floated around, the more we can bring awareness to these amazing scientists. Here are twenty-five of the women highlighted in the non-fiction books. This list of women is by no means exhaustive.
Ada Lovelace – If not for her, Alan Turing would not have built the programmable computer
Ada Yonath – X-ray Crytallographer, Chemist. She won the Nobel Prize in 2009 for her studies in ribosomes, the component in cells responsible for reading DNA codes.
Barbara McClintock – Geneticist. Winner in 1983 for her observations of gene movement on a chromosomes
Carol Grieder – Jointly awarded with Elizabeth Blackburn the Nobel Prize in 2009 for their DNA work, identifying the enzyme responsible for keeping our chromosomes healthy, which in turn delay the effects of aging.
Chien-Shiung Wu – Physicist. Known expert in beta decay, Wu was approached by theoretical physicists Tsung Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang to design an experiment proving that identical nuclear particles do not always act alike. This resulted in their 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for the theory that the law of conservation of parity did not hold true during beta decay, but Wu’s work was not acknowledged. On 11 Feb 2021, the US Postal Service issued a new Forever Stamp to honour her.
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard – Biologist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1995 for her work on the key stages of embryonic development.
Dorothy Hodgkin – Chemist. She won the 1964 award for her x-ray crystallography work, determining the structures of penicillin and vitamin B12.
Esther Lederberg – microbiologist, who worked alongside her husband in the study of bacteria genetics, which earned him the Nobel Prize in 1958.
Elizabeth Blackburn – Jointly awarded with Carol Grieder the Nobel Prize in 2009 for their DNA work, identifying the enzyme responsible for keeping our chromosomes healthy, which in turn delay the effects of aging.
Irene Joliot-Curie – Marie Curie’s daughter. She won the Nobel Prize in 1935 for creating synthetic radioactive elements
Francoise Barre-Sinoussi – Virologiest. She won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for the discovery of HIV.
Gertrude Elion – Chemist. She won it in 1988 for her systematic approach to drug discovery using knowledge of the disease and its biochemistry.
Gerty Theresa – Biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in 1947 for her work that showed how cells converted food to energy in a biochemical cycle.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell – Astrophysicist. Her observations on naturally-occurring radio waves in space earned her adviser Antony Hewish a Nobel Prize.
Linda Buck – Biologist. She won Nobel Prize in 2004 for work on how we use our olfactory nerves.
Lise Meitner – discovered nuclear fission with Otto Hahn, but being Jewish unable to return to Germany and Nobel prize 1944 awarded to her colleague only Otto Hahn.
Maria Mayer – Physicist, winner in 1963 for our understanding of the nuclear shell structure
Marie Curie – Physicist and Chemist. She was awarded two Nobel Prizes, one for the discovery of Polonium and Radium in 1903 and the other for Radiation in 1911.
Mary Sherman Morgan – She is the chemist whose rocket fuel invention launched America’s first satellite
May-Britt Moser – Psychologist and Neurologist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2014 for her work in the science behind location memory through her discovery of grid cells.
Nettie Stevens – Geneticist who discovered X and Y chromosomes and their role in determining the gender of babies, but the Nobel Prize went to her former advisor Edmund Wilson, who made the discovery simultaneously and independently.
Rita Levi-Montalcini – Biochemist. She was awarded the Nobel prize in 1986 for discovering growth factors, which are key to several medical aspects such as tumour growth and wound healing.
Rosalind Franklin – chemist and x-ray crystallographer who captured an x-ray photo that proved the DNA is a double helix. Four years after her death from ovarian cancer, Watson, Crick and Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize.
Rosalyn Yalow – Medical physicist who created a method to measure hormones in the body, leading to the understanding of insulin and diabetes. She won the Nobel Prize in 1977
Tu Youyou – Physician. She won the award in 2015 for her work in isolating Artemisinin, which has served as the starting point for the discovery of malaria drugs
Look up the Nobel Prize Laureate Website for names of women who had won this prestigious prize. In an environment where women faced obstacles at every turn, whether education or employment, to have gained the recognition is no mean feat. They had to work and fight so much harder just to be awarded the same prize.
The first Nobel prizes began in 1901, we have now in the twelfth decade. Scanning through the list of women Nobel prize STEM winners, there were two decades (1920s and 1950s) where none of the winners were women. Six of the decades only had one woman winner. The naughties (2000-2009) saw the most winners: five winners, over 3 years. As we near this decade, we currently stand at only four female winners in 2014, 2015 and two in 2018. I cannot help but feel surprised at this statistic. Nevertheless, we are now even more aware of diversity and equality. For example, The Royal Society of Chemistry launched “The Diversity landscape of the Chemical Sciences” in Feb 2018 to look at the current state and set out future directions to address barriers that affect STEM women’s progression and retention. The Institute of Physics has a similar initiative. The landscape is changing. With continual commitment, I am confident that the number of female Nobel Prize winners will increase in future decades.
To nurture girls for the future generations, exposure during their formative years is essential. For example, reading the books about women-in-STEM opens their worlds to these possibilities. They have real examples of role models. I have only listed a small handful of non-fiction books; there are many more out there. However, not everyone enjoys reading non-fiction. If you believe in the theory that boys prefer non-fiction and girls don’t, then the plethora of non-fiction books on women-in-STEM might not be the correct move to inspire girls. In my search for women-in-STEM books, I became aware that the fiction book equivalents are few and far between. If you are looking for them, they are listed in my previous post on Twelve Books about Women-in-STEM. If you are a children’s author, I encourage you to write about them in your next book.
I started writing The Magic Mixer in 2007. It’s a machine that gives you the special feature of any animal, invented by a harried mum and her friend. The print book was published in 2013 but only available in Singapore. Fast forward five years. 2018. The announcement of Little Miss Inventor made me realise something about The Magic Mixer. It’s not just about a machine. It is a book about two women in STEM, a scientist and an engineer, two women who worked together and created a machine that leaves a legacy in this world. The ebook was published on 11 Feb 2020, to coincide with International Day of Women and Girls in STEM Day. May it make a small contribution to inspiring the next generation of women in STEM.
If you know of any fiction books with women-in-STEM, drop the name of the book in the comments below.
She was focussed on making work more efficient. For example, her own kitchen was enormous. It was designed for a household with three or four servants working in the kitchen. The sink, pantry, stove, dishes and refrigerator were all 6-12 metres apart. Even when her husband was alive, when her family was relatively affluent, they only had one cook. The sink was so low it hurt your back to do the washing up. She redesigned the kitchen layout that we now take for granted, where we don’t have to take more than a few steps to get to everything we need for food preparation. She also worked on the ergonomics for wheelchair users. The US government used her motions of the disabled to help rehabilitate amputees.
She died in 1972, but her legacy lives on in many things in our homes, eg foot-pedal on bins, egg-holders and shelves on refrigerators and electric food-mixers. You may have heard of Cheaper by the Dozen, the movie. She is, in fact, the mother of the twelve children. The movie is based on the book by the same name. The book, sadly, does not tell us very much about the mother. It was more about life in the household with their larger-than-life father, Frank Gilbreth. Lillian Gilbreth was mentioned from time to time, in a one-dimensional way. This befitted the era where women were seen and not heard. The sequel to the book, Belles on their Toes, gave us more of an insight into her role in the family. She was a widowed mother with children all under the age of nineteen. She was determined to realise her late-husband’s wish to put all eleven children through college. She was the bread-winner in a time when career women were almost unheard of. Even from the book covers alone, you can see the bias. Cheaper by the Dozen was about living their father while he was alive. Belles on their Toes was about living with their mother after he died. The first book had all pictures of all twelve children. The authors and title were clearly printed. The second book, however, was forgettable. The title and authors’ name was stuck on the spine. As for the cover, they could have used a generic gift-wrapping paper.
Despite the head-winds, through perseverance, resourcefulness and creativity, Lillian Gilbreth succeeded in seeing all her children through education, and earned herself several distinguished honours.
She is a real-life version of Mrs Dabble and Dr Patsy Gerlaxy in The Magic Mixer. Mrs Dabble’s three children are a handful, and like Lillian Gilbreth, she is determined to solve the problem. Failures are simply ways not to do them. The Magic Mixer is not just about a machine. It is a book about two women in STEM, a scientist and an engineer, two women who worked together and created a machine that leaves a legacy in this world.
May it make a small contribution to inspiring the next generation of women trail-blazers.
This middle-grade book is about a girl and her determination to help a lonely whale.
Iris is the only deaf girl in her school. Her mother wanted her to go to a mainstream school but she has difficulty fitting in. One day in Science, the teacher shows them the video of a whale that communicates in a different frequency to all the other whales. Its story moves Iris and she wants to do something to signal to the whale it is not alone in this big wide world.
This is an amazing read on many levels. It is very easy to get behind Iris, who feels isolated in school. She is also grieving for her grandfather. She had hoped to find solace in her grandmother, but her grandmother has withdrawn into her shell. In her pursuit of the whale, I learnt about oceanography and the work carried out. I also like the uniqueness of a girl tinkering with broken radios, let alone a deaf girl adept at mending vintage ones.
This books allows us to see deaf people as intelligent beings with needs and wants just like anybody. A must-read.
If this has captured your attention, here are some key dates coming up you might be interested in:
The story of a deaf girl’s connection to a whale whose song can’t be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.
From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she’s the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she’s not very smart. If you’ve ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.
When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to “sing” to him! But he’s three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
Our two main characters are twins whose parents are holding down multiple jobs. To solve the problem of childcare, their STEM grandmother created a robot who would do the school run, monitor homework and even bake cakes for events. The only trouble was Grandmother created a functional robot. She did not create an cool-looking one. So the siblings are embarrassed to be seen with it. But when the robot malfunctions and the parents get rid of the robot, Jess and Jake miss it and plot to get it back.
Things I like about this book include its diverse characters, a woman-in-STEM grandmother and it also gives insight into the many activities of their daily lives eg swimming and school fund-raising events. If you enjoy inventions like these, you should also check out The Imagination Box and The Magic Mixer.
If you want to know more about the author, here’s the link to Dave Cousins website.
Goodreads Blurb
When Grandma creates a robot babysitter for twins Jake and Jess, chaos ensues!
Robin is embarrassing, clumsy and, worst of all, programmed to make them do their homework. They’re also pretty sure he thinks their dog is a baby. The twins decide they have to do something before everyone realizes that Robin is a robot. But getting rid of their new babysitter will mean putting aside their sibling squabbles and working together, which might be an even bigger challenge…
The first in a brilliantly funny series about a robot babysitter and the mayhem he causes, perfect for fans of David Solomons, THE NOTHING TO SEE HERE HOTEL and KID NORMAL!
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
UNESCO has designated 11 Feb to be the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Here are some fiction and non-fiction books about women and girls in STEM.
Mrs Dabble tackles the arduous challenge of parenting with the help of an owl, octopus and a salamander. Invented by two women, a scientist and an engineer, it’s a machine that gives you the special feature of any animal.
Non-fiction book review on Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. It follows the lives of black women
There are several non-fiction books highlighting women’s contributions to STEM. However fictions books with women in STEM, especially those as mentors, are few and far between. I want to make this a longer list. If you know of any more books, please leave the book title and if you know it, the author’s name in the comments below. Thank you!
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
This is a fun book. Matilda’s journey with her grandmother is a lighted and far-fetched roller-coaster ride. They go from one situation to another, meeting memorable characters along the way.
Matilda reminded me very much of the main character in Vote for Effie. She is creative and resourceful. This world is too small for a trail-blazer like her. Living with her organised parents is stifling her. She had a grandfather who understood her. But without him she is finding it hard to be herself. Fortunately for her, her grandmother comes out of her shell and reveals her past.
This is a story inspired by injustices of the past, the author cites a couple of real-life examples at the end of the book. What I also like about this book is the relationship between grandmother and grand-daughter – they needed each other to be true to themselves.
I learnt something new here. When I see the name Matilda on a book cover, I think of Roald Dahl‘s Matilda, an intelligent girl. After finishing this book, I thought our main character here was just as intelligent, but I wished the author had come up with a more creative name. What I hadn’t realised was The Matilda Effect is a real term coined to describe males getting the glory for women scientists’ achievements.
This is a good read for the younger end of middle-grade readers.
Goodreads Blurb
Matilda loves science and inventing. Her heroes are Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, and one day she wants to be a famous inventor herself. So when she doesn’t win the school science fair, she’s devastated – especially as the judges didn’t believe she’d come up with her entry on her own. Because she’s a girl.
When Matilda shares her woes with her Grandma Joss, she’s astonished to learn her grandma was once a scientist herself – an astrophysicist, who discovered her very own planet. Trouble is, Grandma Joss was also overlooked – her boss, Professor Smocks, stole her discovery for himself. And he’s about to be presented with a Nobel Prize.
Matilda concocts a plan. They’ll crash the award ceremony and tell everyone the truth! So begins a race against time – and against Matilda’s strict mum and dad! – on a journey through Paris, Hamburg and Stockholm, and on which they encounter a famous film star, a circus, and a wanted diamond thief…
Goodreads Blurb
Left behind in the mountains, a desperate boy harnesses a cure from the Great Fire Tree. Even when its dark powers brings tragedy, he believes it will bring his mother home again. For readers 11-14 years. More info
A harried mother wants to stay one step ahead of her children’s antics and experiments with the Magic Mixer. A machine invented by a female scientist and engineer, it gives her special animal abilities. But choosing the right animal proves more difficult that she thought. For readers for 6-9 years. More info
Justine Laismith 