Welcome to the Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero by Valerie Tripp (author of the American Girl book series) on September 8th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive, original content from Valerie, plus 5 chances to win a SIGNED copy of Izzy Newton!
Girls in STEM
By Valerie Tripp
Here’s what I’d say to young girls who are interested in STEM:
Go for it!
You are already a scientist. You observe, test, evaluate, and draw conclusions constantly. STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math—is not restricted to labs or science fair booths or classrooms. You’re doing STEM stuff everywhere, all the time, when you cook, run, feed you pet, quench your thirst, dive into a wave, wash your hands, learn to do a cartwheel, spend time on your laptop, look up at the stars, cut an apple into parts and divvy up the shares. Know this, embrace this, celebrate this—and take responsibility for both exploring AND protecting this extraordinary, exciting, surprising universe.
And don’t be afraid to fail. In science there are lots of false starts, explosions, wrong turns, disappointments, and what seem to be failures, just as there are in your life and friendships. Science shows us the importance of paying attention to those goofs and flops. You already know that mistakes are common, and it’s what you decide to do after that matters. That’s true in science, too. Chaos, mess, and failure are essential parts of all creative endeavors like science. Don’t worry. Things heal. Mistakes are forgiven. You have plenty of time to tidy up. We’re all plunked down here in this abundant, complicated, and beautiful universe full of wonders seen and unseen. We’d be crazy and lazy not to explore it just because we’re afraid of messing up, right?
When I write the books in the “Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad” series, I’m tapping into the fascination that girls like you have with science, technology, engineering, and math. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Solving Mysteries And Revealing Truths and the stories are present day mysteries inspired by science. The mysteries must lend themselves to the dual purpose of being an objective problem in the school building as well as, metaphorically, a problem in the group of S.M.A.R.T. Squad girls. Like you, my S.M.A.R.T. Squad characters are independent, self-aware, and mindful of their responsibilities toward others. They’re fully launched into the wide world of their school and community. Because they live in the 21st century and use the Internet, the entire universe of existing knowledge is available to them to explore, assess, and apply—just as it is to you.
The ideas for the stories spring from your interests: I’m just listening, responding, celebrating, and organizing those ideas. The S.M.A.R.T. Squad stories are fueled by humor, relatable experiences, joys, and sorrows, and by my respect and affection for my readers. I’ve seen how you support one another, so in your pursuit of STEM and in your friendships, I hope you’ll celebrate being a team. Just like you and your friends, the S.M.A.R.T. Squad girls are a diverse group with different backgrounds, interests, talents, flaws, and obsessions. When, out of kindness and curiosity, they put their five dissimilar brains together to solve a problem, the synergy is amazing. Solving the mysteries requires effort and stick-to-itiveness. It also requires collaboration and mutual respect: the girls combine their abilities so that there is not one hero. Instead, we see what happens when talents are stirred together.
Don’t let anyone discourage you from your energy, passion, purpose, and drive for STEM. Pack your school backpack with tolerance, compassion, hope, creativity, and a scientist’s way-of-being-in-the world, which is full of wonder, both in the sense of curiosity and awe. Keep on being smart and funny and stubborn and kind. Challenge assumptions with a cheerful skepticism. Ask, “I wonder what will happen if I do this?” Be inspired by the debt of gratitude we owe to scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematicians who heal us, solve mysteries daily, and keep us safe and connected (especially now.) Whether they’re delving into the interior mysteries of our own brains and bodies or sending us into space, what they do touches and enriches all of our lives. You can, too.
And don’t fall for any of that nonsense about divisions between abilities. You know that artists must use principals of STEM to create, just as scientists must be just as creative as artists are. You are way past wasting time buying into stereotypes of gender, such as that boys are more physically active, louder, stronger, more mischievous, and more interested in science than girls are. Hah! NOT.
So get out there! Be active, curious, and focused. Take yourself seriously. Your actions matter because they will shape the times we all live in. Be mindful, pay attention, learn, and live fully with courage and zest. Take that interest you have in STEM and use it to change the world.
*****
Blog Tour Schedule:
September 28th – Multicultural Children’s Book Day Blog
September 29th – Pragmatic Mom
September 30th – Novel Novice
October 1st – Bookhounds
October 2nd – Here Wee Read
When middle school mishaps happen, five friends form the S.M.A.R.T. Squad and use their collective skills and the power of science to bring order to their school.
Science reigns supreme with this squad of young brainiacs. Join Izzy Newton and her friends in the first adventure of this fun new middle-grade fiction series from National Geographic Kids.
A crowded new school and a crazy class schedule is enough to make Izzy feel dizzy. It may be the first day of middle school, but as long as her best friends Allie Einstein and Charlie Darwin are by her side, Izzy knows it’ll all be okay. However, first-day jitters take an icy turn when Izzy’s old pal Marie Curie comes back to town. Instead of a warm welcome, Marie gives her former pal the cold shoulder. The problems pile up when the school’s air-conditioning goes on the fritz and the temperature suddenly drops to near freezing. The adults don’t seem to have a clue how to thaw out the school. Cold temperatures and a frigid friendship? Izzy has had enough of feeling like an absolute zero. She rallies the girls to use their brainpower and science smarts to tackle the school’s chilly mystery … and hopefully to fix a certain frozen friendship along the way. Will the girls succeed and become the heroes of Atom Middle School?
About the Author: Part of the creative team behind the American Girl series, Valerie Tripp has written many of the American Girl books about Felicity, Josefina, Samantha, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen. She also wrote American Girl’s Welliewisher and Hopscotch Hill School books. Tripp has also written numerous levled readers, songs, stories, skills book pages, poems, and plays for educational publishers and is the editorial director of the Boys Camp series. She is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries.
GENEVA BOWERS
Geneva Bowers is a self-taught illustrator who lives in the North Carolina mountains. Her drawing career started at age seven, when she wanted to draw horses better than her sister. Bowers works mostly digitally, using a vivid palette and simple shapes to create interesting images that reflect whimsy with a touch of realism. She has illustrated several webcomics, books, and book covers and is a 2018 Hugo award winner.
GIVEAWAY
- One (1) winner will receive a finished copy of Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero SIGNED by Valerie Tripp
- Check out the other four stops for more chances to win
- US/Can only
- Ends 10/11 at 11:59pm ET
I would like to meet Elizabeth Blackwell who was the 1st woman to graduate from medical school in the United States.
Book looks great! Want this book for my twins!
I would like to meet Albert Einstein.
I would enjoy meeting Dian Fossey.
Marie Curie! Ahead of her time!
My great-grandfather was a scientist, James E. Talmage. He was a strong proponent of viewpoint that science and religion did not need to be in opposition, that one could accept scientific principles and teachings without sacrificing religious faith. Put another way, he believed that one’s religious beliefs could grow and accept the truths that science would reveal. I would love to talk with him about this, because I am so distressed by much what of what I am seeing today, and my difficulty with the religion he and I shared began when I was told by leaders that physicians and the psychiatric community was wrong but the church doctrine knew better.
I would love to meet Marie Curie- she was super smart!
I would like to have a conversation with Alexander Graham Bell.
I would like to meet Marie Curie.
I would like to meet the famous scientist Galileo.
Dr Percy Julian
I’d like to meet Caroline Herschel.
Jane Goodall. is who I would like to meety. Thank you