Picture Book Review and Activity: GRACE HOPPER: Queen of Computer Code

Hurray! Another nonfiction picture book hot off the presses for today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday! And it is about another Mighty Girl! Woo-hoo!

But first, it’s time to award Tara Lazar’s special giveaway of a PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE.

There were over 80 comments on that post…Tara’s critique is a fabulous prize!

And the winner is…

LINDA HOFKE!

Congratulations, Linda! And thank you so very much, Tara, for providing this plum of a prize. I’ll reach out and connect you both.

Speaking of awards, today’s picture book is definitely going to win some! And tomorrow we’ll be chatting with the author, Laurie Wallmark.

 hopper cover

GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE

Written by: Laurie Wallmark

Illustrated by Katy Wu

Publisher: Sterling Books (2017)

Ages: Kindergarten  and up

Themes:

Computers, science & technology, mighty girls

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

“If you’ve got a good idea, and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it.”

The inspiring story of Grace Hopper—the boundary-breaking woman who revolutionized computer science—is told in an engaging picture book biography.

 Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, naval leader—AND rule breaker, chance taker, and troublemaker. Acclaimed picture book author Laurie Wallmark (Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) once again tells the riveting story of a trailblazing woman. Grace Hopper coined the term “computer bug” and taught computers to “speak English.” Throughout her life, Hopper succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly was “Amazing Grace” . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys.

Why I like this book:

  • Wonderful STEM story.
  • Great illustrations.
  • I love the way the author sprinkled in actual quotations from Grace…I felt I really got to know the amazing woman she was.
  • We get to see many of the moments in Grace’s childhood that show how she loved math and science and finding out how things worked.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

MAKE A COMPUTER MODEL

creatifulkids-paper-laptop-HelloRuby-3Photo courtesy: http://www.creatifulkids.com/paper-computer/

You will need: Piece of cardboard, paper, markers or crayons, scissors, glue.

For detailed instructions: http://www.creatifulkids.com/paper-computer/

Watch a documentary about Grace Hopper here: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-queen-of-code/

 

And Laurie Wallmark and I will see you tomorrow for her Will Write for Cookies Q&A.

And don’t forget that one of the nicest things you can do for an author is to give them a great review on Amazon or Goodreads: Grace Hopper on Amazon

Laurie Wallmark – Will Write for Cookies

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

Plate of Cookies

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

LAURIE WALLMARK

I discovered nonfiction picture books when I took Kristen Fulton’s Nonfiction Archaeology class in June of 2014. From that moment on, I wanted to write my own…and I read every single one I could get my hands on. When I saw the cover of Laurie’s debut picture book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, it was love at first sight.

Ada cover 72dpi

Laurie Wallmark writes exclusively for children. She can’t imagine having to restrict herself to only one type of book, so she writes picture books, middle-grade novels, poetry, and nonfiction. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. When not writing or studying, Laurie teaches computer science at a local community college, both on campus and in prison.

I was thrilled when Laurie and I connected. Back in November, I did a Perfect Picture Book Friday post and she made a guest appearance with about fascinating information about women in history.

 

Welcome, Laurie! It is a pleasure having you here.

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

 

LAURIE:

As a child, I didn’t actually read a lot of children’s books. Instead, my shelves were filled mostly with science fiction. My favorite authors were the big three from the Golden Age of Science Fiction—Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein. I read and reread their novels and short stories over and over again. Much of my early scientific knowledge came from the factual underpinnings of their work. Continue reading →