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African American Scientists and Inventors January and February 2024
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Picture Books & Beginning Readers
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Mae Among the Stars
by Roda Ahmed
A picture book story inspired by the first African-American woman to travel in space describes how as a child, a persevering Little Mae dreamed of dancing in space while surrounded by billions of stars.
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5-Minute Ada Twist, Scientist Stories
by Gabrielle Meyer
A charming storybook collection of sweet tales based on the Netflix series starring Ada Twist--perfect for read-alouds or bedtime! Revisit some of your favorite episodes of the Netflix series, in print for the first time, with this gifty storybook collection. Each of the 12 stories retells a beloved episode from the show, making it perfect for group read-alouds or when it's time to settle down for bed.
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Ada Magnífica, Científica (Spanish)
by Andrea Beaty
¿Por qué hace tac y por qué hace tic? ¿Por qué tienes pelos en la nariz? Ada Magnífica tiene la cabeza llena de preguntas. Como sus compañeros de clase Pedro y Rosa, Ada siempre ha sentido una curiosidad insaciable. Pero cuando lleva demasiado lejos sus exploraciones y sus complicados experimentos científicos, sus padres se hartan y la mandan al rincón de pensar. ¿Tanto pensar le hará cambiar de opinión?
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Jabari Tries
by Gaia Cornwall
Jabari tries to make a flying machine all by himself in his backyard, but when it doesn't work, he finds it is okay to ask for assistance from Dad and his little sister, Nika.
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Vivi Loves Science: Wind and Water
by Kimberly Derting
After a storm hits her town, Vivi and her classmates volunteer to help with the clean-up efforts at the beach. Includes an erosion experiment.
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Lab Magic
by Kelly Starling Lyons
Becoming scientists as soon as they step through the museum doors, Ty and Corey study bugs and hunt for fossils, but when Ty can't participate in a lab activity because of his age, he uses his big imagination.
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Nonfiction & Chapter Books
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Benjamin Banneker: Astronomer and Mathematician
by Melissa Maupin
Eighteenth-century mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker was widely known and respected in his time. Most of what he knew, he taught himself. His letter to Thomas Jefferson asked the future president to reconsider his racial prejudices.
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Patricia's Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight
by Michelle Lord
Born in 1940s Harlem, Patricia Bath dreamed of being a doctor--even though that wasn't a career option for most women. This biography follows Dr. Bath in her quest to become an ophthalmologist and restore sight to the blind. "Choosing miracles" when everyone else had given up hope, she invented a specialized laser for removing cataracts, becoming the first African American woman doctor to receive a medical patent.
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The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver
by Gene Barretta
A picture book account inspired by George Washington Carver's secret childhood garden describes how his experiences with growing things helped him develop a love of nature that shaped his adult achievements as a botanist, scientist and inventor.
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George Washington Carver for Kids: His Life and Discoveries with 21 Activities
by Peggy Thomas
Recounts the inspiring story of George Washington Carver, the first black graduate of Iowa Agricultural College who taught farmers how to nourish the soil, conserve waste and feed their families, developing hundreds of new products--including the sweet potato, peanut and other crops--which gained him a place in the national spotlight that continues to this day with his concepts of conservation, zero waste and plant-based products that are on the cutting edge of science. Includes a timeline, resources for further research and 21 hands-on activities.
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Rebecca Lee Crumpler
by J. P. Miller
Ever since she was young, Rebecca wanted to help people feel better, even before people knew much about modern medicine. She would not let anyone stop her from becoming the first African American woman doctor in the United States.
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Sweet Dreams, Sarah
by Vivian Kirkfield
Describes the life of Sarah Goode, who was born enslaved and grew up to invent a space-saving foldable bed and became the first African American woman to obtain a patent in the United States.
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Dr. Mae Jemison: Brave Rocketeer
by Heather Alexander
Mae Jemison is the first African American woman to travel to space. She's also a medical doctor who once joined the Peace Corps. And a trained dancer, too! Experience all the exciting moments in Dr. Jemison's thrilling life in this exciting biography, packed with two-color illustrations and fun facts, including the secrets of NASA.
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Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-soaking Stream of Inventions
by Chris Barton
An introduction to the life and creative achievements of NASA engineer and inventor Lonnie Johnson describes his childhood in a house full of siblings, the problem-solving talents that inspired his career and his invention of the Super Soaker.
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The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just
by Mélina Mangal
A picture book introduction to the work of lesser-known scientific pioneer Ernest Everett Just describes how his all-encompassing approach to research was challenged by discrimination but ultimately led to important discoveries about egg cells and the origins of life.
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Lewis Latimer: Engineering Wizard
by Denise Lewis Patrick
Lewis Latimer was one of the greatest inventors of his time. He was also an engineer who transformed the lightbulb at Thomas Edison's company. And he was a gifted artist, too!
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Urban Biologist Danielle Lee
by Kari A Cornell
As a child, Danielle Lee loved looking at plants and animals. Learn how Lee's love of biology and rap and hip-hop music led her to become an urban scientist, teacher, and popular blogger.
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Wonderful Hair: The Beauty of Annie Malone
by Eve Nadel Catarevas
Madam C.J. Walker is commonly thought to be the first black woman millionaire. That honor actually belongs to Annie Turnbo Malone. Annie turned her personally developed hair products into a thriving business, including a school that taught her patented Poro method of self-care. Madam C.J. Walker was one of her most successful students.
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The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague
by Julia Finley Mosca
Recounts to true story of Raye Montague, a gifted female African American mathematician and engineer whose perseverance in the face of sexism and racism during the 1940s-‘70s earned her well-deserved praise as a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.
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Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner
by Janice N. Harrington
A picture book introduction to history's first African American entomologist describes the lifelong fascination with insects that prompted Charles Henry Turner's scientific career, revealing how he navigated racial prejudice while making important discoveries.
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Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil deGrasse Tyson
by Kathleen Krull
A STEM-focused Step Into Reading portrait of groundbreaking physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson describes the thirst for knowledge that shaped his early years and the achievements that rendered him the Hayden Planetarium’s director and America’s most-recognized living expert on the cosmos.
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Who Is Neil deGrasse Tyson?
by Pam Pollack
From his childhood through his tenure as the director of the Hayden Planetarium, kids can learn how Neil deGrasse Tyson became one of America's best-known scientists.
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Groundbreaking Scientists
by J. P. Miller
Read about the men and women who have improved our lives through science including Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, astronaut Mae Jemison, inventor George Washington Carver, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, and many more.
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Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM
by Tonya Bolden
Award-winning author Tonya Bolden explores the black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in America. Including groundbreaking computer scientists, doctors, inventors, physicists, pharmacists, mathematicians, aviators, and many more, this book celebrates over 50 women who have shattered the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination, and pioneered in their fields. In these profiles, young readers will find role models, inspirations, and maybe evenreasons to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow. These stories help young readers to dream big and stay curious.
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A High Five for Glenn Burke
by Phil Bildner
When sixth grader Silas Wade does a school presentation on former Major Leaguer Glenn Burke, it's more than just a report about the irrepressible inventor of the high five. Burke was a gay baseball player in the 1970s - and for Silas, the presentation is his own first baby step toward revealing a truth about himself he's tired of hiding. Soon he tells his best friend, Zoey, but the longer he keeps his secret from his baseball teammates, the more he suspects they know something's up - especially when he stages one big cover-up with terrible consequences.
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Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont
by Nick Brooks
Stumbling on his ex-best friend Kareem, new-kid Juan Carlos, and an extraterrestrial visitor named Cheese, self-proclaimed genius inventor Ethan Fairmont must join the three to pull off the ultimate intergalactic rescue with mysterious agents on their trail and their families and friends in danger.
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Sleepover Scientist
by Kelly Starling Lyons
Hosting her first sleepover, Jada has lots of scientific activities planned, but when her best friends just want to hang out, can Jada figure out the formula for fun and save the sleepover?
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Planting Peanuts
by Christine A. Platt
Ana & Andrew get to start a backyard garden! They go along to the nursery to pick up peanut seedlings. While they're planting, Mama and Papa tell them about one of the first African American botanists, George Washington Carver.
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The Time Quake! An Adventure with an Engineering Genius
by Jared Sams
A day of DJs and dancing is interrupted when Qianna and the QTs experience a timequake caused by the mysterious disappearance of the ingenious engineer Granville T. Woods, prompting them to find him before the world they know disappears forever.
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