The Children’s Book Review | November 14, 2018
Catherine Thimmesh’s Selfie with Girls Think of Everything
I’m not a skilled selfie taker. Probably because I’ve only taken a handful of selfies in my entire life. And this was quite the challenge: hold a book while taking a selfie! I also had the thought, “This is a book about ingenuity and creativity — I should do something a little creative for the photo itself.” Which lead me to try and balance red scissors on my face to mimic the book cover. Which just made the initial challenge even harder.
So, holding a book about cool inventions and creative problem solving, I decided I would also need to get creative and inventive in order to take the selfie. So I did … with success! (And all I’ll say is that it involved duct tape (as all the best inventions do!) and a Buddha Board.)
There are seven brand new stories in the revised version of GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING. One of the things that was so appealing about tackling this revision was being better able to represent diversity among women, which, unfortunately, was quite limited in the initial book due to research constraints. So one of the joys in doing the revision was having a better research tool — the internet — to find some amazing inventions by women of color and also by women outside of the U.S. At the end of the day, I tried to include inventions and women who I think will inspire young readers in some way—hopefully to come up with their own creative solutions to problems, whether through invention or some other means.
Catherine Thimmesh’s Shelfie
These are just a couple of my bookshelves. They aren’t organized any particular way, just a mish-mash of some of the books I own. These are only two shelves of many, but a close observer could probably deduce a few things about me personally: my politics? some favorite authors? the best. TV. Show. Ever. (no question mark) some subjects I’m drawn to? But where, you ask, are the children’s books collected by this children’s book author? Scattered between four other shelves and twenty boxes not yet unpacked from a move.
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Written by Catherine Thimmesh
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Publisher’s Synopsis: This updated edition of the bestselling Girls Think of Everything, by Sibert-winner Catherine Thimmesh and Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet, retains all the integrity of the original but includes expanded coverage of inventions (and inventors) to better reflect our diverse and technological world.
In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. What inspired these girls, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities?
Retaining reader-tested favorite inventions, this updated edition of the best-selling Girls Think of Everything features seven new chapters that better represent our diverse and increasingly technological world, offering readers stories about inventions that are full of hope and vitality—empowering them to think big, especially in the face of adversity.
Ages 10-12 | Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers | October 9, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1328772534
Available Here
About the Author
Catherine Thimmesh is the award-winning author of many nonfiction books for young people, including: TEAM MOON (Sibert Medal), GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING, FRIENDS, and SCALY SPOTTED FEATHERED FRILLED. Her recently released book, CAMP PANDA, explores the conservation efforts underway to save endangered and vulnerable species from extinction — with a focus on the giant panda — presenting an exciting case study on panda reintroductions to the wild. Her latest book, is a substantially revised edition of the bestselling book, GIRLS THING OF EVERYTHING. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
For more information, visit: www.catherinethimmesh.com
Discover more books like ‘Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women,’ written by Catherine Thimmesh and llustrated by Melissa Sweet, by checking out our reviews and articles tagged with Books About Inventors, Catherine Thimmesh, Inventions, Melissa Sweet, Non-Fiction, STEM, andWomen’s History; and be sure to follow along with our Selfie and a Shelfie series.