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MEET Jennifer Swanson, Our Dean of all things STEM & STEAM
Happy Tuesday everyone!
We’re so excited to welcome back our friend and dean of STEAM & STEM, Jennifer Swanson!
Jennifer has created STEM Tuesday that is a group of dedicated STEM authors highlight FUN topics, interesting resources, and make real-life connections to STEM in ways that may surprise you.
Jennifer is joining us to talk about getting your comic on with Great Science Graphic Novels. We discuss some of the great science books that are written in the style of graphic novels. You’ll also discover how graphic nonfiction is a great way to work on visual literacy strategies!
About Jennifer Swanson
Award-winning author Jennifer Swanson’s love of science began when she started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer’s passion for science resonates in the fascinating 25+ nonfiction and fiction books she has written for children. Her book, SUPER GEAR: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up (Charlesbridge) was selected as an NSTA Best STEM book for 2017. Jennifer has received awards from the Pennsylvania TriState Young Adult Review Committee and her books in the “How Things Work” series by The Child’s World were named to the 2012 Booklist’s Top 10 Books for Youth: Series Nonfiction. Top reviews include a starred review in Booklist and recommended reviews from School Librarians Workshop, Library Media Connection, School Library Journal, and the National Science Teacher Association. Jennifer’s new books include releases with National Geographic Kids, Charlesbridge Publishing, and Rosen Publishing.
A perpetual writer, Jennifer is always developing new story ideas and concepts. Keep an eye out for her in the future. You can learn more about her at www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Connect with her on social media
Learn more about STEM Tuesday at
Some of the Science comics discussed in this episode:
Older than Dirt: A Wild But True History of Earth by Don Brown and Dr. Michael R. Perfit
Almost 14.5 billion years ago, it all started with a BIG BANG. What began as a cloud of gas and dust became our planet. Sibert Honor medalist Don Brown tackles the history of our planet in his latest.
The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown
Another title from Don Brown for your bookshelf provides readers with information about one of the worst environmental disasters of our planet. This is a great book to pair with The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.
Twisted True Tales from Science series
Stephanie Bearce is the creator of another great science comics series. Budding science fair enthusiasts will enjoy Explosive Experiments and Disaster Discoveries. The truth is always stranger than fiction!
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by Sydney Padua
A bit of a departure from our normal middle-grade focus, this informative and fun young adult graphic novel includes tons of primary information as it explores the lives of Ada Lovelace and inventor Charles Babbage. It was too good to pass up!
In this episode, we discuss
- More about the theme of STEM Tuesday and about the monthly format, and how the topics are chosen for each week.
- Jennifer explains how reading graphic novels is actual reading, and how the graphic novel format for nonfiction and STEM books not only works, but it fits.
- STEM Tuesday’s Gone Graphic and Ghost of STEM Present
- Has science always been open to diversity or is it something new?
- Jennifer’s new nonprofit website www.kidliteracy.org and her goal to motivate kids to read more.
- Jennifer also gives us a peek inside her upcoming books.
A big thank you to Jennifer Swanson for joining us and for sharing Great Science Graphic Novels with us!
If you haven’t already done so, listen to this episode & feel free to share it by using the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. We would LOVE if you could leave us a review on iTunes.
Thanks for tuning in and have a wonderful day!
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