Marvelous Mattie

Marvelous Mattie
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2013-10-08
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1466852097

With her sketchbook labeled My Inventions and her father's toolbox, Mattie could make almost anything – toys, sleds, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers. As an adult, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. However, in court, a man claimed the invention was his, stating that she "could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities." Marvelous Mattie proved him wrong, and over the course of her life earned the title of "the Lady Edison." With charming pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, this introduction to one of the most prolific female inventors will leave readers inspired. Marvelous Mattie is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

In the Bag!

In the Bag!
Author: Monica Kulling
Publisher: Tundra Books
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2011-11-24
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1770491384

Tundra’s Great Idea Series is comprised of biographies of inventors for early readers. The third book in the series introduces the fascinating Margaret Knight. Known as Mattie, she was different from most American girls living in 1850. She loved to make things with wood and made the best kites and sleds in town. Her father died when she was only three, and by the time she was twelve, she was working at the local cotton mill alongside her two older brothers. One day, she saw a worker get injured by a shuttle that had come loose from the giant loom, and the accident inspired her to invent a stop-motion device. It was the first of her many inventions. Margaret Knight devoted her life to inventing, and is best known for the clever, practical, paper bag. When she died in 1914, she had ninety inventions to her name and over twenty patents, astounding accomplishments for a woman of her day. Monica Kulling’s easy-to-read text, peppered with lots of dialogue, brings an amazing, inspiring woman to life.

Margaret Knight and the Paper Bag

Margaret Knight and the Paper Bag
Author: Virginia Loh-Hagan
Publisher: Cherry Lake
Total Pages: 28
Release: 2018-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1534130837

The 21st Century Junior Library Women Innovators series highlights the contributions of women to STEM fields. Margaret Knight and the Paper Bag examines the life of this important woman and her contributions to the modern paper bag. Sidebars encourage readers to engage in the material by asking deeper questions or conducting individual research. Full color photos, a glossary, and a listing of additional resources all enhance the learning experience.

Wonder Women

Wonder Women
Author: Sam Maggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2016-10-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1594749264

A fun and feminist celebration of the forgotten women in science, technology, and beyond—from the bestselling author of The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy. You may think you know women’s history pretty well. But have you ever heard of: • Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy—only to have the credit taken by a man? • Mary Sherman Morgan, the rocket scientist whose liquid fuel compounds blasted the first U.S. satellite into orbit? • Huang Daopo, the inventor whose weaving technology revolutionized textile production in China—centuries before the cotton gin? Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations—all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future. Table of Contents: Women of Science Women of Medicine Women of Espionage Women of Innovation Women of Adventure

Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni's Ice Machine

Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni's Ice Machine
Author: Monica Kulling
Publisher: Tundra Books
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2016-01-05
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1770497978

When Frank Zamboni, along with his brother and cousin, opened their own skating rink in 1940 in Paramount, California, it could take an hour and a half for a crew to resurface the ice. They had to level the surface by shaving down the pits and grooves with a tractor, remove the shavings, wash the ice and find a way to give the rink its shining finish. Skaters became exasperated with the wait, so Frank was determined to do something about it. Could he turn a ninety-minute job for five men into a ten-minute task for only one? Working in the shed behind his ice rink, Frank drew designs and built models of machines he hoped would do the job. For nine years, he worked on his invention, each model an improvement on the one before. Finally, in 1949, Frank tested the Model A, which "cleaned the ice in one sweep around the rink." The rest is history.

Exciting Entertainment Inventions

Exciting Entertainment Inventions
Author: Ryan Jacobson
Publisher: Lerner Publications ™
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2017-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1541506634

Can you believe that the first tennis balls didn't bounce? Or that the world's first basketball hoop was a peach crate? Get ready to learn the amazing stories behind inventions you use every day. From the Minnesota teen who invented water skis to the Missouri mechanic who came up with the idea of driving over cars with his monster pickup truck, you'll find out how we got some of our favorite entertainment inventions.

Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight

Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight
Author: Margaret Muirhead
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2021-04-27
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1580898807

This charming picture book biography about the inventor of the Frisbee follows the twists and turns of innovation and highlights the persistence it takes to succeed. Fred Morrison is credited with inventing this classic toy, but for centuries folks have been flipping for flying discs. Ancient Greeks flicked discs, and beginning in the 1920s, college kids at Yale University were tossing pie tins. Fred's invention quest began in 1932 after tossing a tin popcorn lid around the backyard. For more than twenty years, Fred and his wife, Lu, tried and failed to perfect a flying-disc concept. Eventually they created what we know today as the Frisbee. Fun and fact-filled, this Frisbee origin story is sure to delight sports and STEM fans alike.

The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle

The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle
Author: Anne Renaud
Publisher: Kids Can Press Ltd
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 152530383X

A lively tale of a cool invention. Frank William Epperson is a curious boy who loves inventing. And since inventing begins with experimenting, he spends a lot of time in his “laboratory” (i.e., his back porch) trying out his ideas. When he invents a yummy flavored soda water drink, his friends love it! And this gets him thinking: “I wonder what this drink would taste like frozen?” Though he doesn’t yet know it, Frank’s curiosity will lead to his best invention ever: the Popsicle! This delicious story includes hands-on experiments and is sure to whet the appetites of budding inventors everywhere!

How to Become an Accidental Genius

How to Become an Accidental Genius
Author: Elizabeth MacLeod
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2019-04-02
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1459816781

Don't be afraid to try! Make connections! Be persistent! Ask questions and never take no for an answer! Learn the secrets and amazing stories of successful inventors! How to Become an Accidental Genius is full of inspiring tales of famous and lesser-known inventors who have changed the world, from George Washington Carver, Mary Anderson (inventor of the windshield wiper) and inventor and actress Hedy Lamarr to Frank Epperson (of Popsicle fame) and Mary Sherman Morgan (The Woman Who Saved the U.S. Space Race). Readers will be amazed at the inventiveness of these geniuses. The book focuses on inventors from North America but includes stories from around the world. Organized into eleven chapters that highlight the qualities inventors have in common, the book also features profiles of inventive kids and teenagers.

Marie Van Brittan Brown and Home Security

Marie Van Brittan Brown and Home Security
Author: Virginia Loh-Hagan
Publisher: Cherry Lake
Total Pages: 28
Release: 2018-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1534130810

The 21st Century Junior Library Women Innovators series highlights the contributions of women to STEM fields. Marie Van Brittan Brown and Home Security examines the life of this important woman and her contributions to home security systems. Sidebars encourage readers to engage in the material by asking deeper questions or conducting individual research. Full color photos, a glossary, and a listing of additional resources all enhance the learning experience.