Happy Tuesday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for WOMEN IN SCIENCE, WOMEN IN SPORTS, and WHAT’S INSIDE A FLOWER? all by Rachel Ignotofsky! I’m so excited because today I have excerpts of the books to share with you! These books are truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about them, PLUS enter for a chance to win print copies!
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky Published on July 26, 2016 by Ten Speed Press
Genres: History, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Science and Technology
Pages: 128
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Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. Full of striking, singular art, this collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
Women In Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky Published on July 18, 2017 by Ten Speed Press
Genres: Contemporary, History, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction
Pages: 128
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Women in Sports highlights notable women's contributions to competitive athletics to inspire readers young and old. Keeping girls interested in sports has never been more important: research suggests that girls who play sports get better grades and have higher self-esteem--but girls are six times more likely to quit playing sports than boys and are unlikely to see female athlete role models in the media. A fascinating collection full of striking, singular art, Women in Sports features 50 profiles and illustrated portraits of women athletes from the 1800s to today including trailblazers, Olympians, and record-breakers in more than 40 different sports. The book also contains infographics about relevant topics such as muscle anatomy, a timeline of women's participation in sports, statistics about women in athletics, and influential female teams.
What's Inside a Flower?: And Other Questions about Science & Nature by Rachel Ignotofsky Published on February 2, 2021 by Crown Books for Young Readers
Genres: Middle Grade, Non-Fiction
Pages: 48
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From the creator of the New York Times bestseller Women in Science, comes a new nonfiction picture book series ready to grow young scientists by nurturing their curiosity about the natural world--starting with what's inside a flower.
Budding backyard scientists can start exploring their world with this stunning introduction to these flowery show-stoppers--from seeds to roots to blooms. Learning how flowers grow gives kids beautiful building blocks of science and inquiry.
In the launch of a new nonfiction picture book series, Rachel Ignotofsky's distinctive art style and engaging, informative text clearly answers any questions a child (or adult) could have about flowers.
women in science
Nothing says trouble like a woman in pants. That was the attitude in the 1930s, anyway; when Barbara McClintock wore slacks at the University of Missouri, it was considered scandalous. Even worse, she was feisty, direct, incredibly smart, and twice as sharp as most of her male colleagues. She did things her way to get the best results, even if it meant working late with her students, who were breaking curfew. If you think these seem like good qualities for scientist, then you are right. But back then, these weren’t necessarily considered good qualities in a woman. Her intelligence, her self-confidence, her willingness to break rules, and of course her pants were all considered shocking!
Barbara had already made her mark on the field of genetics with her groundbreaking work at Cornell University, mapping chromosomes using corn. This work is still important in scientific history. Yet while working at the University of Missouri Barbara was seen as bold and unladylike. The faculty excluded her from meetings and gave her little support with her research. When she found out they would fire her if she got married and there was no possibility of promotion, she decided she had had enough.
Risking her entire career, she packed her bags. With no plan, except an unwillingness to compromise her worth, Barbara went off to find her dream job. This decision would allow her to joyously research all day and eventually make the discovery of jumping genes. This discovery would win her a Nobel Prize and forever change how we view genetics.
Barbara McClintock’s story is not unique. As long as humanity has asked questions about our world, men and women have looked to the stars, under rocks, and through microscopes to find the answers. Although both men and women have the same thirst for knowledge, women have not always been given the same opportunities to explore the answers.
In the past, restrictions on women’s access to education was not uncommon. Women were often not allowed to publish scientific papers. Women were expected to grow up to exclusively become good wives and mothers while their husbands provided for them. Many people thought women were just not as smart as men. The women in this book had to fight these stereotypes to have the careers they wanted. They broke rules, published under pseudonyms, and worked for the love of learning alone. When others doubted their abilities, they had to believe in themselves.
When women finally began gaining wider access to higher education, there was usually a catch. Often they would be given no space to work, no funding, and no recognition. Not allowed to enter the university building because of her gender, Lise Meitner did her radiochemistry experiments in a dank basement. Without funding for a lab, physicist and chemist Marie Curie handled dangerous radioactive elements in a tiny, dusty shed. After making one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin still got little recognition, and for decades her gender limited her to work as a technical assistant. Creativity, persistence, and a love of discovery were the greatest tools these women had.
Marie Curie is now a household name, but throughout history there have been many other great and important women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Many did not receive the recognition they deserved at the time and were forgotten. When thinking of physics, we should name not only Albert Einstein but also the genius mathematician Emmy Noether. We should all know that it was Rosalind Franklin who discovered the double helix structure of DNA, not James Watson and Francis Crick. While admiring the advances in computer technology, let us remember not only Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, but also Grace Hopper, the creator of modern programming.
Throughout history many women have risked everything in the name of science. This book tells the stories of these scientists, from ancient Greece to the modern day, who in the face of “No” said, “Try and stop me.”
women in sports
“The weaker sex!” It wasn’t the first times those untrue words were said, and it wouldn’t be the last. It’s what Bobby Riggs, a former tennis champ, said about women in 1973. But tennis player Billie Jean King stood up to this bully. With masterful skill, physical strength, and a sense of self-worth, Billie Jean would change the world with her tennis racket.
Throughout history, women have been stereotyped as weak and routinely excluded from competitions, gyms, teams, and sports clubs. With no arena in which to prove themselves fit and strong, it was hard for women to fight this sexism. Of course, this stereotype has pervaded other segments of society throughout history. Women have been denied educational, civic, business, and leadership opportunities and have had to prove they are just as smart and hardworking as men. Female athletes like Billie Jean have had to fight the most basic stereotype of all: that women’s bodies are inherently not as strong or capable as men’s. Their progress has been truly inspiring.
During the 1970s, the feminist movement was in full swing in the United States, United Kingdom, and other developed nations. Women were demanding equal pay and equal opportunities. In 1972, the United States passed Title IX as part of the Education Amendments, making it illegal for U.S. schools to discriminate in funding based on gender. For the first time, many schools began funding women’s sports programs, and colleges began giving out women’s sports scholarships. Finally, women could pursue their athletic passions and show the world their true strength.
The backlash was inevitable. Many still thought women should do only traditional “ladylike” activities. Tennis player Bobby Riggs wanted to prove that women had no place in sports by beating the best female tennis player, Billie Jean King. In 1973, he challenged her to a “battle of the sexes” tennis match. At first she declined. But when Bobby beat Grand Slam winner Margaret Court in the “Mother’s Day massacre” game, Billie Jean understood there was more at stake than just a tennis match.
The whole world was watching as Billie Jean and Bobby entered the tennis court. Winning would not be enough; she would have to wipe the floor with him. And she did: 6-4, 6-3, and 6-3 for each set. Billie threw her racket into the air in victory as the crowd went wild!
Women around the world watched Billie Jean and felt empowered to stand up for themselves. Many thanked her for inspiring them to finally ask for a pay raise or a promotion. Men wanted their daughters to grow up strong and brave like Billie Jean. She used her sports star status as a leader off the court as well, lobbying and creating initiatives for equal opportunities in the workforce for women and people of color. This is the cultural power of sports: through entertainment and competition, they inspire courage. The fight for social justice often starts in the field or on the court. Through historic victories and setting new records, female athletes like Billie Jean shared their stories, broke down stereotypes, and created change.
Sports have always been a part of human culture, and athletes become heroes, social icons, and positive role models. Although sports should be about skill and hard work, societal prejudices often prevented women from competing. It took gutsy, fearless women to break down these barriers—to defy the rules, be resourceful, and take dangerous risks—all to prove their strength, independence, and ability to lead and change the world.
When the newspapers scoffed that a “weak “woman like Gertrude Ederle couldn’t swim across the English Channel, Gertrude decided that she would either drown or triumph. She triumphed—and set a new world record in 1926. When Althea Gibson, a black woman, played tennis during the segregation era, her talent was so undeniable she was able to cross the color line and become the first African American to showcase her skills at Wimbledon. The world would judge her on her skills, not her skin color, helping the civil rights movement and paving the way for athletic greats like Serena Williams. When Sue Sally Hale was told women were not allowed to play polo, she disguised herself as a man for 20 years to play the sport she loved. Sue Sally eventually leveraged her secret to force polo to become a co-ed sport, allowing her to become a leader on the field.
These are just a few examples of female athletes who proved their worth as individuals, showing the world what women can do and creating more opportunities for future generations. There are still problems in women’s athletics, such as a lack of funding and media coverage, and unequal pay. But with each generation, women defy expectations and accomplish feats of strength that challenge the status quo. This book is filled with stories of little girls who grew up to achieve their greatest dreams—stories of women who pushed themselves to the limit, did the impossible, and became legends.
what’s inside a flower?
About Rachel Ignotofsky
Rachel Ignotofsky is a New York Times Best Selling author and illustrator, based in beautiful Santa Barbara. She grew up in New Jersey on a healthy diet of cartoons and pudding and graduated from Tyler School of Art in 2011.
Now Rachel works for herself and spends all day and night drawing, writing and learning as much as she can. Rachel is a published author with 10 Speed Press and Random House Kids. She is always thinking up new ideas.
Her work is inspired by history and science. She believes that illustration is a powerful tool that can make learning exciting. She has a passion for taking dense information and making it fun and accessible. Rachel hopes to use her work to spread her message about scientific literacy and feminism.
Week One
| 7/26/2021 | BookHounds YA | Excerpt |
| 7/26/2021 | Two Chicks on Books | Excerpt |
| 7/27/2021 | #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog | Excerpt |
| 7/27/2021 | Kait Plus Books | Excerpt |
| 7/28/2021 | pagesofyellow | Review or Spotlight |
| 7/28/2021 | The Phantom Paragrapher | Review or Spotlight |
| 7/29/2021 | Feed Your Fiction Addiction | Review |
| 7/29/2021 | @ChristenKrumm | Review or Spotlight |
| 7/30/2021 | Do You Dog-ear? | Review |
| 7/30/2021 | Lifestyle of Me | Review |
Week Two
| 8/2/2021 | 100 Pages A Day | Review |
| 8/2/2021 | Locks, Hooks and Books | Review |
| 8/3/2021 | Jazzy Book Reviews | Review |
| 8/3/2021 | The Momma Spot | Review |
| 8/4/2021 | Nerdophiles | Review |
| 8/4/2021 | Two Points of Interest | Review |
| 8/5/2021 | Everyone’s Librarian | Review |
| 8/5/2021 | Midnightbooklover | IG Post |
| 8/6/2021 | onemused | Review or Excerpt |
| 8/6/2021 | booksaremagictoo | Review |
Enter here for a chance to win print copies of all three books by Rachel Ignotofsky!
(US Only)
What do you think about these books? Have you added them to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
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