Women In Stem

Women In Stem

Juvenile biography
These days in higher education there is a great deal of interest
in getting women into the STEM fields that too many people still
consider men's work. I think one positive step that we can take is to
surround our youngest girls with irresistible stories of woman
mathematicians, engineers, and scientists--stories that inspire and
show, rather than just tell, that women belong. I found two wonderful
volumes at Orono Public Library.
Katherine Johnson (Suzanne Slade's A Computer Called Katherine)
faced two obstacles: being a girl and being black. (As we are
reminded in the artist's note, Katherine grew up in a time of
segregated schools when separate was far from being equal and many
black children didn't even start high school.) From the beginning she
loved numbers. She even tried counting the stars in the sky. In
school she skipped grades, passing her older brother. Starting
college at fifteen, she exhausted the school's math classes and needed
harder ones created just for her. Her after graduation career gave
new meaning to the saying: the sky's the limit.
She recently died at the age of 101. Now that's something to
aspire to!
Can you imagine, as a child, submitting a name for a newly
discovered planet and having it chosen?Venetia Burney did just that.
You can read about her in Alice B. McGinty's The Girl Who Named Pluto.
The year was 1930. Venetia's class was studying the solar
system. She lived in a household where she was encouraged to ask
questions. Her grandfather was the retired head librarian of Oxford
University. Can you imagine the dinner conversations that went in
that home?
In addition to the planets, Venetia was fascinated by
mythology. The linking together of those interests gave her a
suggestion for a name for Planet X.
Both of these books are most excellent reads for girls who dream
big.
[Tobago insisted on creating content for the purrrsonal note and shout
out for this review.]
On a purrrsonal note, today is one of the most excellent observations
of the year: national nap day. Of course we cats celebrate it each
and every day, but you hoomans need to be reminded. Honestly! How do
you think we stay so breathtakingly beautiful and maintain the energy
to wake you up in the wee hours of the morning? Next time your
eyelids start drooping, instead of reaching for coffee or an energy
drink, try recharging with a cat nap.
A great big shout out goes out to all hoomans who foster and adopt
rescue cats (All right. And rescue goggies [dogs] too) and to Anna
who drove my Jules to Waterville Humane Society just so she could take
me home and make me part of her family on my 3rd birthday and two days
before Christmas (with the big colorful scratching post set up in the
living room).
Don't forget that you can't buy live, but you can adopt it!!!
Tobago Anna Hathaway
And Jules Hathaway


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