(2) K-3 Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger. Turner tells the amazing story of Caroline Herschel (1750–1848), a pioneering woman in STEM, from her young life as family housekeeper to the discovery of a comet that earns her a paid retainer from the king of England. Despite her mother's insistence on keeping her as a helper in the home, Herschel's curiosity and hard work mean that she is able to first support and eventually work side by side with her brother in both music and astronomy. The scientific siblings create and build new telescopes that can see further into space than anyone has before, leading to a series of remarkable discoveries. (Many readers will be fascinated to learn that pounded horse dung was the innovation that allowed the Herschels to build their telescope and change astronomy.) Turner peppers the text with direct quotes from Herschel's memoir and with memorable moments, such as the winter night when even Caroline's ink freezing in the inkwell did not stop her journey of discovery. Mildenberger's painted illustrations have a historical feeling and are often muddy or dark, but bright stars and faces shine out of the blues and browns. Her characters' animated facial expressions bring scenes to life. Back matter includes additional biographical information, a glossary, sources for quotations in the text, and further reading.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alleanna Harris. At age six, Patricia Bath (1942–2019) declared: "I want to be a doctor!" Though she faced obstacles because of her gender, race, and socioeconomic status, she succeeded, breaking boundaries in many arenas including becoming the first African American female doctor granted a medical patent. Quotes from Dr. Bath appear throughout, and colorful digital illustrations reflect her curiosity and compassion. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Toy Trailblazers series. Each of these engaging biographies introduces readers to the creator of a popular classic kids' toy or game. The texts are generally positive (and overuse exclamation points) but don't ignore difficulties and hardship, both personal and business-related. Captioned photos, archival reproductions, and "Fun Fact" boxes liven up the pages. The topics have ready-made kid-appeal; readers will glean insight into product development and the challenges of running a business. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Toy Trailblazers titles: Hot Wheels Developer, Lincoln Logs Creator, My Little Pony Pioneer, Nerf Genius, Nintendo Innovator, and The Slime Queen.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Toy Trailblazers series. Each of these engaging biographies introduces readers to the creator of a popular classic kids' toy or game. The texts are generally positive (and overuse exclamation points) but don't ignore difficulties and hardship, both personal and business-related. Captioned photos, archival reproductions, and "Fun Fact" boxes liven up the pages. The topics have ready-made kid-appeal; readers will glean insight into product development and the challenges of running a business. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Toy Trailblazers titles: Hot Wheels Developer, Lincoln Logs Creator, My Little Pony Pioneer, Nerf Genius, Nintendo Innovator, and The Slime Queen.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Katy Wu. WWII-era film star Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000) was also an inventor whose "brain overflowed with idea after idea." Though Lamarr's technology is widely used in today's electronics, it took decades for her work to be acknowledged. Well-chosen quotes reveal Lamarr's frustration with people's assumptions about her intelligence based on her "pretty face." Approachable digital illustrations ably portray Lamarr in glitz-and-glam-Hollywood mode and at her inventing table. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Grandin, who grew up with autism and hypersensitivity to touch, saw a calf become calm after entering a squeeze chute and made a comparable human "hug machine." The authors take readers from Grandin's early childhood through young adulthood, lightly sketching in biographical information to focus on her antipathy to being hugged and her invention. Illustrations capture Grandin's likeness well and reinforce the text's emphasis on her interests.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julianna Swaney. This enlightening and inspiring biography highlights Dr. Sara Josephine Baker's work with impoverished women and children in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Hell's Kitchen. Dr. Jo's public-health breakthroughs included heatstroke-safe infant clothes, antibacterial eye drops to prevent blindness, and training requirements for midwives. Swaney's watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations contribute both context and emotion. "More about Dr. Jo" is appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Salerno. Illustrated by Steven Salerno. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie developed a board game to expose unfair housing practices at the turn of the twentieth century. Charles Darrow makes the game brighter and bolder; he buys Magie out, becoming the sole proprietor of the newly named Monopoly. Stone smoothly navigates a changing cast of characters and time periods, repeatedly drawing readers in with thought-provoking questions. Salerno's mixed-media, retro-style illustrations convey a sense of the times. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. This updated collection profiles fifteen female inventors, eliminates three outdated chapters, and spotlights seven new inventions. There's a laudable increase in subjects' diversity and a more contemporary focus. Many "personal interviews...employ[ing] a conversational tone" (per the original Horn Book Magazine review) remain, as does emphasis on "accomplishments over personality." Sweet has added more vibrant collages to new and old chapters of this informative, empowering resource. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) K-3 Adkins envisions Bertha Benz's historic drive of her husband's Benz Motorwagen III in 1888. Defying German law against motor vehicles, "businesswoman, mechanic, inventor, and revolutionary" Benz overcame multiple obstacles to complete the sixty-mile journey with her two sons. Depicted in rich digital illustrations, this woman's story should inspire both girls and boys to strive for success against difficult odds. Mechanical drawings are appended. Timeline.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women series. Each volume provides a succinct overview of a trailblazing woman in STEM. The subjects' childhoods, education, numerous obstacles (many times because of their gender), and achievements are explained in readable prose. Archival photographs, sidebars, and fact boxes help to highlight each woman's importance in her field. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women titles: Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Katherine Johnson, Rosalind Franklin, and Ada Lovelace.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Eagan's rosy picture-book biography focuses on Ruth Handler's persistence in the face of naysayers and her desire to create dolls that would "encourage girls to be anything they want to be." However, the girl-power message feels forced, and the book lacks resources and back matter for reference. Bates's appealing pastel-colored illustrations exude nostalgia, featuring plenty of iconic Barbie styles and outfits from 1959 to today.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) K-3 This catchy title relates Ruth Wakefield's successful career as a baker and restaurateur as well as the lore surrounding how exactly her invention of the chocolate chip cookie came about; the three speculated versions of the cookies' creation make for an interesting tale. Ford's bright, cartoony illustrations' vintage aesthetic brings out the Depression-era setting. An author's note and the original recipe are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) YA Collective Biographies series. Following a brief introduction describing historical obstacles to women's careers in sciences or leadership, each volume profiles six successful women and their rise to influence. Each fairly short bio narrates the ups and downs of its subject's career, and most paint the woman as an encouraging role model. Photographs, sidebars, and pull-quotes liven up the dense, textbook-like presentations. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers the following Collective Biographies: Women Scientists and Inventors and Women World Leaders.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Highlighting traditional entrepreneurial themes such as creativity, dedication, self-drive, determination in adversity, and observation, Swaby introduces lesser-known female science pioneers including Canadian engineer Yvonne Brill, Russian mathematician Sophie Kowalevski, and American bacteriologist Alice Hamilton. Each well-researched, accessible biographical narrative touches on personal background and cultural impacts and could be a good jumping-off point for further research. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(4) 4-6 Inventors at Work! series. Highlighting mainly lesser-known inventors of well-known products, these books straightforwardly relate the history, science, process of discovery, and the challenges each person faced in developing his or her invention. The accurate but sometimes fragmented narratives are supplemented by photos, sidebars, diagrams, and a four-page appendix about how to develop an innovative idea into an invention. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Inventors at Work titles: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Queen, Scuba Man, The Coolest Inventor, Microwave Man, The Woman Who Invented Windshield Wipers.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 Great Idea series. Illustrated by David Parkins. Lillian Gilbreth's background as a psychologist, efficiency expert, industrial engineer, and widowed mother of eleven enabled her to--among many other accomplishments--design improvements for kitchens in the early twentieth century. The straightforward narrative and droll pen-and-ink with watercolor illustrations pay tribute to the spirit of a remarkable modern inventor, the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) 4-6 Inventors at Work! series. Highlighting mainly lesser-known inventors of well-known products, these books straightforwardly relate the history, science, process of discovery, and the challenges each person faced in developing his or her invention. The accurate but sometimes fragmented narratives are supplemented by photos, sidebars, diagrams, and a four-page appendix about how to develop an innovative idea into an invention. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Inventors at Work titles: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Queen, Scuba Man, The Coolest Inventor, Microwave Man, The Woman Who Invented Windshield Wipers.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas series. This series offers biographical sketches plus information about groundbreaking inventions and innovations in various disciplines. Each inventor is depicted as having genius along with curiosity, patience, dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance. "Real fact" inserts and archival photographs accompany the readable texts; the design suffers from garish graphics and borders. Generic suggestions to encourage young inventors are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas titles: The Man Who Invented the Ferris Wheel, The African-American Heart Surgery Pioneer, The Man Who Invented Television, The Man Who Invented the Electric Guitar, The Man Who Invented the Laser, and The Woman Who Invented the Thread that Stops Bullets.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 I Like Inventors! series. These introductions to the people who came up with innovations we take for granted provide very basic information about their lives, such as their upbringing and motivations, as well as their inventions; there's little about processes, giving readers no sense of the magnitude of their achievements. Photos, many archival, are included in every spread. A related activity ends each title. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these I Like Inventors! titles: Who Invented Home Video Games?, Who Invented Television?, Who Was the Hair-Care Millionaire?, Who Fixed Babies' Hearts?, and Who Invented the Ferris Wheel?.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges