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WEBSITE: http://www.lauriewallmark.com/
CITY: Ringoes
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COUNTRY: United States
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PERSONAL
Married; children: two daughters.
EDUCATION:Princeton University, degree; Goddard College, degree; Vermont College of Fine Art, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, computer scientist, and educator. Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg Township, NJ, former computer-science instructor; former scientific programmer in the pharmaceutical industry. Former owner of a mail-order book company. Cochair, Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature. Speaker at conferences; presenter at schools.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
AWARDS:Outstanding Science Trade Book selection, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award, California Reading Association, Amelia Bloomer List selection, American Library Association, Crystal Kite Award, Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Atlantic Region, and Cook Prize Honor Book selection, all 2017, all for Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine; Best Books for Kids selection, New York Public Library, and Best Informational Books for Young Readers selection, Chicago Public Library, both 2017, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal, 2018, all for Grace Hopper; NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book selection. SCBWI (Atlantic Region) Crystal Kite Award, and Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award, all 2019, all for Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life; NSTA Best Stem Book selection and Mathical Honor Book selection, both 2020, both for Numbers in Motion.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
In addition to her work as an educator on the college level, Laurie Wallmark writes books for children—particularly girls—that are designed to inspire an interest in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and math. Wallmark’s picture-book biographies, which include Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, and Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor, focus on intelligent and focused women who helped advance the technology developing during their lifetime. In addition to continuing along this path in works such as Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalvski, Queen of Mathematics and Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars, she shares her lighthearted side by teaming up with illustrator Michael Robertson to create the toddler-friendly Dino Pajama Party: A Bedtime Book.
In Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine readers encounter one of the first women to play a significant role in the evolving field of computer science. Born in England in 1815 and the daughter of famed Romantic poet Lord Byron, Lovelace developed an interest in geometry and scientific thinking in childhood. When a bout with the measles left her paralyzed, she was home schooled and challenged with math problems of increasing complication. At age seventeen, Lovelace met Charles Babbage, an inventor whose “difference engine”—a mechanical calculator—is considered a forerunner of the modern computer. Then developing a second device, an “analytical engine,” Babbage asked the teen to create an algorithm—a set of mathematical instructions—he could use to test the prototype of this device once it was completed. Although the analytical engine was never completed, Lovelace’s role as the first “computer programmer” secured her a permanent place in the history of computer technology.
Praising the illustrations contributed by April Chu, Angela Leeper recommended Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine in Booklist, calling it a “beautiful tribute to this female computer pioneer.” A Publishers Weekly contributor described Wallmark’s picture-book biography as both “inspiring and informative, and in Kirkus Reviews a critic recommended the work as a “splendidly inspiring introduction to an unjustly overlooked woman.”
Illustrated by Katy Wu, Grace Hopper shares the life story of another pioneer in computer programming and computer science. Born in 1906, Hopper was raised in a family that encouraged the study of math and science. Joining the U.S. Navy during World War II, she spent her military career working on computers and computer programs and retired in 1986 with the rank of admiral. Among Hopper’s accomplishments was programming the first compiler, which converted word-based instructions into machine language. This compiler helped unleash this new technology by allowing computer languages to become increasingly complex while also maintaining an efficient use of computer power. Hopper is also credited with coining the term “bug” in reference to a computer program; reportedly, while diagnosing a hardware malfunction, she literally discovered that a bug—a moth—was the cause.
Reviewing Grace Hopper, a Kirkus Reviews writer cited author’s use of “straightforward, accessible language” and noted that her “tone is admiring, even awestruck,” when “describing Hopper’s skill, inventiveness, and strength of character.” Readers “will appreciate this upbeat biography of a woman who was ahead of her time,” concluded Linda L. Walkins in an equally laudatory appraisal of Wallmark’s biography for School Library Journal.
Although Hedy Lamarr’s stunning beauty cemented her fame as a Hollywood actress throughout the 1930s and ’40s, her film career actually began in her native Germany. Lamarr’s close friends were well aware of her sprightly intellect; acquaintances such as eccentric aviator and millionaire Howard Hughes and musician George Antheil also figure in Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life. When off-screen, the actress channeled her inquisitive nature in several areas, discovering a way to make beverages fizz and devising a way to increase aircraft efficiency. Brainstorming with Antheil, Lamarr’s worries during World War II inspired perhaps her most important invention: a technique whereby Allied radio-controlled torpedoes could avoid being tracked and sent off course by the enemy. Called “frequency hopping,” this technique was adopted by the U.S. military during the late 1950s and also inspired the technologies now used in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Paired with what Elissa Gershowitz described in Horn Book as Wu’s “approachable digital illustrations,” Wallmark’s “peppy text” in Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life is studded with “well-chosen quotes” that make its glamorous subject come to life for young readers. “The process of invention and inspiration are explained in a succinct and inspiring way,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews writer, the critic adding that the book’s backmatter will aid readers inspired to learn more about “the technological principles under discussion.”
In Numbers in Motion, Wallmark shares another inspiring biography, this time introducing a talented woman who achieved several firsts within Russia’s scientific community during the early twentieth century. Born in 1850, Sophie Kowalevski was became fascinated with mathematics and physics during childhood and in 1871, as a student at the prestigious University of Göttingen, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics. Moving to Sweden, she earned another first, in 1889 becoming the first woman to be appointed a full professor while at Stockholm University. In addition to writing novels and a memoir prior to her death in 1891, she was also noted for her editorship of Acta Mathematica, a major scientific journal.
Praised by a Kirkus Reviews critic as an “engrossing portrait,” Numbers in Motion comes to life in “distinctive, stylized illustrations” by artist Yevgenia Nayberg. In School Library Journal, Kelly Jahng also commended Wallmark’s picture-book biography, noting that this “celebration of perseverance in the face of adversity” adds to the growing number of books showcasing “a pioneering woman in the STEM fields.”
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter focuses on Elizebeth Friedman, whose love of intricate language and jump-started an unusual career. Graduating from college in 1915, with a degree in English literature, Friedman spent months analyzing Shakespeare’s plays and then joined her husband and fellow cryptologist William Friedman in working for the U.S. military, where they dedicated themselves to breaking codes used by spies, smugglers and bootleggers, and enemies of the United States and, later, Allied forces, during both world wars. In addition to sharing information about Friedman’s fascinating career as one of the founding members of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.), Wallmark includes information about creating and deciphering codes; meanwhile, illustrator Brooke Smarte secretes coded messages within her artwork for the text.
According to a Kirkus Reviews writer, Code Breaker, Spy Hunter pairs “concise description with interesting details” in its introduction to “a dedicated, resilient woman” Also praising Wallmark’s picture-book biography, Steven Engelfried noted in School Library Journal that the work provides “just enough information … to inform readers without overwhelming them.”
“I think it’s important to write about our passions, and I love STEM,” Wallmark remarked in an online interview with Gayleen Rabakukk for Cynsations. “I’m also passionate about making sure that all children, regardless of race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, etc., realize that they can become scientists and mathematicians.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2015, Angela Leeper, review of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, p. 44; April 15, 2017, Carolyn Phelan, review of Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, p. 44.
Horn Book, January-February, 2019, Elissa Gershowitz, review of Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, p. 121.
Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2015, review of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine; March 1, 2017, review of Grace Hopper; December 1, 2018, review of Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor; January 1, 2020, review of Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalvski, Queen of Mathematics; January 1, 2021, review of Code Breaker, Spy Hunter; September 1, 2021, review of Dino Pajama Party: A Bedtime Book.
Publishers Weekly, December 2, 2015, review of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, p. 43; August 16, 2021, review of Dino Pajama Party, p. 84.
School Library Journal, December, 2015, Myra Zarnowski, review of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, p. 140; May, 2017, Linda L. Walkins, review of Grace Hopper, p. 119; February, 2020, Kelly Jahng, review of Numbers in Motion, p. 89; March, 2021, Steven Engelfried, review of Code Breaker, Spy Hunter, p. 116.
ONLINE
Cynsations, http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (May 3, 2017), Gayleen Rabakukk, author interview.
Laurie Wallmark website, http://www.lauriewallmark.com (November 22, 2021).
Only Picture Books, https://www.onlypicturebooks.com/ (March 8, 2021), Ryan G. Van Cleave, author interview.
Publishers Weekly Online, March 8, 2021, “In Conversation: Sandra Nickel and Laurie Wallmark.”*
My full-time job is writing for children, and I love it. Some previous jobs I've held are software engineer, owner of a mail order company (I had a bookstore on the Web before Amazon did!), and computer science professor.
My books have earned six starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild Selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Best STEM Book, Cook Prize Honor Book, Mathical Honor Book, AAAS/Subaru Prize Longlist, and Parents' Choice Gold Medal.
I have seven picture book biographies of #WomenInSTEM: THE QUEEN OF CHESS (Little Bee, 2023), HER EYES ON THE STARS (Creston Books, 2023), CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER (Abrams, 2021); NUMBERS IN MOTION (Creston Books); HEDY LAMARR'S DOUBLE LIFE (Sterling Children's Books, 2019); GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE (Sterling Children's Books, 2017); and ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE (Creston Books, 2015). In addition, I've published two fiction picture books RIVKA'S PRESENTS (Random House Studio, 2023) and DINO PAJAMA PARTY (Running Press Kids, 2021). Learn more about my books by clicking on the "Books" tab.
I speak at many educator conferences such as NCTE, NSTA, TLA, ISTE, NJASL and have been a keynote speaker at the Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference and the NJ SCBWI annual conference. I enjoy doing school visits and sharing my love of reading and STEM with children. Learn more by clicking on the "Speaking" and "Visits" tabs.
I have an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. I also have a BA from Princeton University in Biochemistry and an MA in Information Systems from Goddard College.
I am represented by Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris-Dontzin of the Liza Royce Agency.
I live in Ringoes NJ with my spouse. My two grown daughters (software engineers!) live in the Boston area. You can find me online at www.lauriewallmark.com and @lauriewallmark.
Interview with Laurie Wallmark, author of RIVKA’S PRESENTS
July 5, 2023
In Laurie Wallmark’s new picture book RIVKA’S PRESENTS (Random House Studio, 2023) illustrated by Adelina Lirius, a young Jewish girl named Rivka living with her family on the Lower East Side is eager to start school. But when her father falls ill during the 1918 flu pandemic and her mother must return to working in a factory, Rivka is unable to enroll as she must tend to her little sister. However, Rivka finds her own ways to expand her knowledge. In exchange for helping others, Rivka receives all sorts of lessons from her neighbors and local shopkeepers. This engaging, beautifully illustrated book encourages learning and fostering community.
Welcome back, Laurie!
What inspired you to depict the experience of a young girl against the backdrop of the flu pandemic in 1918 on New York’s Lower East Side?
I took a tour of the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side many years ago. At the time I thought there must be a story here, but I had no idea what it was. I later took the tour again and had the same thought. But I still didn’t have a story. I thought about what it must have been like for my mother growing up on the Lower East Side during that time period. What were her dreams? What were her challenges? What was her daily life like, both at home and out in the community? Eventually, all these thoughts coalesced into the story of a little girl, like my mother, who couldn’t wait to start school.
Laurie Wallmark
Although RIVKA’S PRESENTS is a work of fiction, many of the things that Rivka, her family, and her community experience were common for Jewish families that lived on the Lower East Side in the early 1900s. Can you share a bit about your research process for this book?
One of the joys of writing historical fiction is the necessity of doing research. The Tenement Museum was an invaluable source of information about immigrant life during the time period of Rivka’s Presents. I read books on Jewish immigration, life on the Lower East Side, and of course the impact of the 1918 pandemic. And I watched visual history videos of people who had lived on the Lower East Side.
Rivka is passionate about learning. Can you share a bit about why it was important to create a character who valued education?
Jewish people greatly value education, and I wanted to create a story that exemplified this. But kids don’t want to read a book that’s didactic in saying they should like school. If anything, that might make a kid choose to dislike school. Instead, children want a main character whose life is relatable. All children have something they really want to do. Often, for one reason or another, they can’t do it. For Rivka, this was starting school.
What do you hope young readers will take away from the story?
Some children might not realize how much of a gift it is that they get to attend school. In fact, they might not appreciate it at all. By reading about Rivka’s strong desire to learn, they may come to treasure this opportunity. Not to mention that learning is a worthwhile ambition.
What were your thoughts when you saw Adelina Lirius’s illustrations?
Adelina’s illustrations are breathtaking. I love the color palette she chose. And the expressions on Rivka’s face are priceless.
Thank you, Laurie.
Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars; Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, which received four starred reviews and a Cook Prize Honor; Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code; Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, a Crystal Kite Winner and Cook Prize Honor recipient; and others. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and is a former software engineer and computer science professor. You can find Laurie online at www.lauriewallmark.com.
On Twitter: @lauriewallmark
Facebook: @lauriewallmarkauthor
Instagram: @lauriewallmark
Laurie Wallmark talks about JOURNEY TO THE STARS: KALPANA CHAWLA, ASTRONAUT (Plus a Giveaway!)
POSTED AT 06:00H IN PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY BY ELLEN LEVENTHAL 15 COMMENTS
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EL: Happy 2024, everyone! I wish you all a new year filled with hope, happiness, and health. And, of course, lots of laughter, love, and peace thrown in. I’m thrilled to introduce my friend and fellow member of The Book Meshuggenahs, Laurie Wallmark. Laurie is known for her extensive body of non-fiction biographies in her Women in Stem series , and today we’ll be talking about another one, JOURNEY TO THE STARS: KALPANA CHAWLA ASTRONAUT co-written with Raakhee Mirchandani and illustrated by Maitreyi Ghosh.
However, I do want to say that Laurie has some wonderful fiction books too. Find them all at her website, http://www.lauriewallmark.com.
Welcome, Laurie! Please tell us a little about yourself and what you like to do when you’re not writing.
LW: I live in Ringoes, NJ. Like most authors, when I’m not writing, I read. And read. And read. (Did I mention I like to read?)
EL: Ha ha! Yes, you mentioned you like to read. What was your inspiration for JOURNEY TO THE STARS: KALPANA CHAWLA, ASTRONAUT?
LW: The inspiration for this book came from my friend and agent-mate, Raakhee Mirchandani. She has always been interested in and inspired by Kalpana Chawla. In fact, she even put a poster of Kalpana in her daughter’s room. At the time, there was no kids’ book about this amazing woman, and Raakhee thought there should be.
EL: Inspiring our young girls is what it’s all about! What was the process of co-writing this like? Why did you choose to co-write it?
LW: Although Raakhee is a children’s author, she had never written a picture book biography before. So, she suggested we collaborate on this book. Working together has been a joy. It’s so much fun to bounce ideas off of each other. We each bring something to the table. Our work together has made for a much better book than either of us could have written alone.
EL: Maitreyi Ghosh’s illustrations are beautiful. Did you have any contact with her as you were working?
LW: As is usually the case, I had no direct contact with our wonderful illustrator Maitreyi Ghosh. I did, though, have the opportunity along the way to give feedback on her sketches. My editor and the art director then passed these along to the illustrator. Maitreyi took or didn’t take my suggestions as she thought appropriate.
EL: You are such a prolific writer. Do you have anything else in the pipeline you can talk about?
LW: I have two more books coming out in the next few years. I’m switching from writing about women in STEM back to fiction. They are both rhyming picture books written for little kids, similar to my DINO PAJAMA PARTY.
EL: Laurie, you can do anything! Thank you so much for visiting today.
If you’re looking to buy this book (and why wouldn’t you?) here are some links. Click away and enjoy!
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/journey-to-the-stars-kalpana-chawla-astronaut-raakhee-mirchandani/20137498?ean=9781506484693
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Stars-Kalpana-Chawla-Astronaut/dp/1506484697/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/journey-to-the-stars-laura-wallmark/1143606354?ean=9781506484709
And now a…
Laurie is happy to give away a copy of her book to one lucky winner (US only, please). All you have to do is comment on this post. If you are a subscriber or share the post, please let me know to get an extra chance to win.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Until next time,
Ellen
On a personal note, I am thrilled to announce that Tablet Magazine has named DEBBIE’S SONG: THE DEBBIE FRIEDMAN STORY one of the top Jewish children’s books of 2023. I am grateful! I hope you’ll check it out!
TAGS: @BEAMINGBOOKS, @LAURIEWALLMARK, @RAAKHEE.MIRCHANDANISINGH, @RAAKSTARWRITES, #INDIANAMERICAN, #THEBOOKMESHUGGENAHS, ASTRONAUT
Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark has written picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in fields ranging from computer science to mathematics to astronomy. Her books have earned multiple starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild Selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Cook Prize Honor, AAAS/Subaru Prize Longlist, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA. She is a former software engineer and computer science professor.
Twitter: @lauriewallmark
Facebook: @lauriewallmarkauthor
What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?
I don’t know that you’d call this the oddest, but rather it’s the one that totally took me by surprise. In my book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, I show Ada trying to build a flying machine. A third grader asked me if I thought Ada did this so she could visit the father (Lord Byron) she never knew. It took me a moment to answer, because I couldn’t believe a child so young could have such insight. By the way, my answer was, “yes.”
What’s your favorite comic strip or graphic novel?
My favorite comic is XKCD. How could you not love a webcomic that bills itself as being about “romance, sarcasm, math, and language?” Most of the jokes are science-y, then they add a pop-up with an extra layer of sarcasm.
Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?
Sometimes I know in just a few pages that a book isn’t for me. Unfortunately, sometimes I get most of the way through a book before figuring that out. I recently gave up halfway through a book that I was truly enjoying, but the writing was so bloated I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Is there another profession you would like to try?
If my university had offered a neuroscience major, I would have definitely chosen that over biochemistry. I’m fascinated about how the brain and would love to understand more. The other possibility would be to go back to my childhood love of math. Unfortunately to practice in either of these fields would take years of study to bring me up to speed.
If you could create a museum exhibition, what would be the theme?
This one’s a no-brainer – Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). To date, all of my picture book biographies have been about unsung women in these fields. A museum exhibition could show people how important women are in STEM.
WALLMARK, Laurie & Raakhee Mirchandani. Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut. illus. by Maitreyi Ghosh. 40p. Beaming Bks. Feb. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781506484693.
Gr 1-3--This expansive biography follows the journey of Kalpana Chawla from her small-town childhood in India to her academic work in aeronautic engineering to her career with NASA as an astronaut. Wallmark and Mirchandani provide snapshots of the tenacity and consistent hard work Chawla put into realizing her goal of space flight, inspired by rooftop viewings of airplanes flying overhead. They also take care to include glimpses of Chawla's personal life and the ways she incorporated her heritage into her daily experience-furnishing her home with Rajasthani decor and joining a local Bharatanatyam dance company. Ghosh's artwork shines when it focuses on cultural detail, but elsewhere lapses into digital blandness, with smoothed color gradients fading into empty white backgrounds. Adult readers not previously familiar with the astronaut's life may begin steeling themselves for a mature conversation at the mention of the Space Shuttle Columbia, which famously and tragically disintegrated while reentering the atmosphere in 2003. However, the moment never arrives: the story closes on a triumphant tableau of Chawla (during an earlier mission) gazing serenely out of the shuttle window at the Earth below, having "achieved her dream of going into space." The authors do refer to the event briefly in the book's back matter, but its absence from the story proper leaves this depiction of a life of determination and achievement feeling somewhat truncated. VERDICT An enjoyable, if unnecessarily incomplete, picture book biography.--Jonah Dragon
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Dragan, Jonah. "WALLMARK, Laurie & Raakhee Mirchandani. Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 4, Apr. 2024, pp. 143+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A790645171/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5e9f56f1. Accessed 6 May 2024.
Her Eyes on the Stars: Maria Mitchell, Astronomer
Laurie Wallmark, author
Liz Wong, illustrator
Creston Books
www.crestonbooks.co
9781954354135, $19.99, HC, 40pp
https://www.amazon.com/Her-Eyes-Stars-Mitchell-Astronomer/dp/1954354134
Synopsis: Now famous as "the lady astronomer", Maria Mitchell (August 1, 1818 - June 28, 1889) became a professional astronomer, an unheard of achievement for a woman in the 19th century. She was the first woman to get any kind of government job when she was hired by the United States Naval Observatory. Then as the first woman astronomy professor in the world, Maria used her position at Vassar College to teach young women to set their sights on the sky, training new generations of female astronomers. Her story inspires all of young girls (and boys!) to reach for the stars.
Critique: With the publication of "Her Eyes on the Stars: Maria Mitchell, Astronomer" by biographer and storyteller Laurie Wallmark and artist/illustrator Liz Wong, young readers are treated to the picture book biography of a young girl who spent hours studying the stars. Discovering a comet as a young woman, Maria won an award from the King of Denmark for being the first person to discover a new comet using a telescope. "Her Eyes on the Stars: Maria Mitchell, Astronomer" is specially recommended for family, elementary school, middle school, and community library picture book biography collections for children ages 8-12.
Editorial Note #1: Laurie Wallmark (https://www.lauriewallmark.com) is the author of several award-winning STEM picture books about women, including Ada Byron Lovelace & the Thinking Machine. She teaches computer science when she's not writing books.
Editorial Note #2: Liz Wong (http://www.lizwongillustration.com) was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she spent her early childhood painting and clambering about in mango trees. She is the author-illustrator of several picture books and now lives in Washington state.
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
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"Her Eyes on the Stars: Maria Mitchell, Astronomer." Children's Bookwatch, Feb. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A741243792/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=43eadec3. Accessed 6 May 2024.
Rivka's Presents. By Laurie Wallmark. Illus. by Adelina Lirius. July 2023.40p. Random House Studio, $18.99 (9780593482070). PreS-Gr. 2.
In 1918, Rivka lives with Mama, Papa, and Miriam, her little sister, in a New York City neighborhood populated by immigrants. Rivka is hoping to start school, but with her father quite ill, and her mother working in a shirtwaist factory to support the family, Rivka must take care of Miriam. Still determined to learn, she asks Mr. Solomon, the grocer, to teach her reading in exchange for sweeping. Later, Mr. Cohen, the tailor, teaches her addition in exchange for making deliveries, and Mrs. Langholtz, a neighbor, teaches her about America in exchange for helping the woman prepare for her citizenship test. When Papa recovers, Rivka thanks her three teachers and prepares to start school at last. According to Wallmark's informative note, this fictional story takes place on the Lower East Side during the 1918 flu pandemic. The appended glossary includes both English and Yiddish words. Simply told but unexpectedly moving, the narrative honors generations of immigrant families and communities that have done their best to educate their children despite language barriers and poverty. Created with gouache, colored pencils, and digital elements, the lively illustrations project a lyrical quality while capturing the look of the era and the sense of community that is vital to this endearing picture book. --Carolyn Phelan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Phelan, Carolyn. "Rivka's Presents." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 18, 15 May 2023, p. 60. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A751443250/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f4da1931. Accessed 6 May 2024.
The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgar Changed the Game. By Laurie Wallmark. Illus. by Stevie Lewis. July 2023.32p. little bee, $18.99 (9781499813067). K-Gr. 3.794.1.
Judit Polgar, a young Hungarian girl, watched her two older sisters compete at chess and wanted to join them. After she turned five, her mother began teaching her the game. All three sisters played for five or six hours daily, and their parents aimed to see them playing at the highest level. Wallmark records some of Judit's childhood experiences playing competitively against men and women in international tournaments. In 1991, three years after earning the title International Master, 15-year-old Judit became the youngest person accorded the chess rank of Grandmaster. Hardworking, brilliant, and fiercely competitive, she was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2021. From the intriguing jacket art onward, viewers will be drawn to the many moods expressed in Lewis' handsome, occasionally amusing illustrations. Wallmark, whose previous picture-book biographies include Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (2015) and Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (2017), has a knack for making her subjects accessible to kids. Dispelling the notion that women are inferior chess players, this biographical picture book spotlights a triumphant child/heroine. --Carolyn Phelan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Phelan, Carolyn. "The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgar Changed the Game." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 19-20, 1 June 2023, p. 72. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A754223167/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f04f20da. Accessed 6 May 2024.
Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut. By Laurie Wallmark and Raakhee Mirchandani. Illus. by Maitreyi Ghosh. Feb. 2024. 40p. Beaming, $18.99 (9781506484693). Gr. 1-3. 629.45.
This picture-book biography of Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born American astronaut, is a terrific tribute to the ground breaking aeronautical engineer. Short, descriptive text and colorful, expressive illustrations trace Kalpana's path to becoming an astronaut, from waving to pilots from her home's rooftop in India to her burgeoning dreams of going into space. With Kalpana's transfer to Punjab Engineering College, the book emphasizes her education choices, career, and NASA training--as well as a romance leading to marriage along the way. The first woman to graduate with a degree in aeronautical engineering from her college, Kalpana headed to the U.S., where she continued her studies, became a U.S. citizen, and eventually earned her place as a crew member aboard the Columbia space shuttle. Kalpana was also proud of her Indian heritage, and the authors and illustrator take considerable care in recognizing how she incorporated it into her work and daily life. Only the author's note and time line mention Kalpana's tragic death aboard Columbia. An important STEM biography that promotes tenacity.--Leon Wagner
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
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Wagner, Leon. "Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 9-10, 1 Jan. 2024, p. 55. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A780973487/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=be714cb8. Accessed 6 May 2024.
Wallmark, Laurie HER EYES ON THE STARS Creston (Children's None) $19.99 5, 2 ISBN: 9781954354135
The inspirational story of the first female professional astronomer in the United States.
This engaging account focuses on 19th-century scientist Maria Mitchell's passion for astronomy, her determination, and her achievements, among them her prizewinning telescopic comet discovery; her work on the Nautical Almanac, essential for navigation; and (after years as a librarian, self-educated in mathematics) her eventual position at Vassar College, where she taught women for more than 20 years--the world's first female astronomy professor. The concise, clear text provides comprehensible explanations of her successes, though it does leave out some details, such as her family background, her unusual education, her founding of a girls school, and her involvement in the abolitionist movement. The annular eclipse that Maria regrets missing in 1831 at age 12 forms one bookend, deftly recalled near the end, when, missing another in 1885, she observes not a ring of fire but "another powerful ring--a ring of women": her diligent students. The fine-line illustrations are equally spare but add just-right details, like a maritime chronometer and the book-lined Nantucket Atheneum, where some people of color can be seen. The astronomer's hard work, delight at confirming her comet discovery, and pleasure in teaching are apparent in her facial expressions and body language. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Will guarantee this trailblazing scientist her place among the stars. (Maria's rules of astronomical observation, glossary, types of solar eclipses, timeline, selected bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 6-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Wallmark, Laurie: HER EYES ON THE STARS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705287/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9ecc4140. Accessed 6 May 2024.