April 9 – National Inventor’s Month

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday was established by the United Inventors Association of the USA, the Academy of Applied Science, and Inventor’s Digest Magazine to promote awareness of and celebrate the achievements of those creative individuals who make our lives better—or, in some cases, at least interesting. Every day there are kids and adults, professionals and amateurs pondering solutions to problems and just “what ifs?” Would you like to join them? You can celebrate this month by acting on one of your great ideas and by learning more about inventors like the subject of today’s book!

WHOOSH! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions

Written by Chris Barton | Illustrated by Don Tate

Lonnie Johnson had a way with stuff. In his hands bolts and screws, gears and springs, spools, clothespins, “spare parts his dad let him bring in from the shed, and various other things he’d hauled back from the junkyard” fueled Lonnie’s ideas for inventions and rocket ships. The kids at school loved to watch him launch the rockets he’d devised on the playground. Lonnie wanted to have a career as an engineer. Getting there took a lot of determination and courage. Once, the results of a standardized test said that he would not make a good engineer. Lonnie felt discouraged, but he knew that the person who had graded his test didn’t know him—or Linex.

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Image copyright Don Tate, courtesy of charlesbridge.com

Linex was the robot Lonnie had built from scrap metal. “Compressed–air cylinders and valves allowed Linex’s body to turn and its arms to move. The switches came from an old, broken jukebox. Lonnie used a tape recorder to program Linex, and as a bonus the reels looked like eyes.” Lonnie’s goal was to enter Linex in a science fair, but first he wanted to be able to program it. It took several years before he discovered how. Using his little sister’s walkie-talkie, Lonnie solved the problem and took Linex to the “1968 science fair at the University of Alabama—where only five years earlier, African American students hadn’t even been allowed.” Lonnie’s team won first place.

Lonnie went to college at Tuskegee Institute, where he realized his dream of becoming an engineer. His career “took him beyond Alabama—way beyond.” He went to work for NASA. Before the orbiter Galileo could be sent to Jupiter, Lonnie developed a system that would ensure the craft would have a constant supply of power for its computer memory in case the main power was lost. Some fellow scientists doubted his idea would work, but it did. “As it photographed Jupiter and its moons, Galileo was supported by the power package that Lonnie designed.”

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Image copyright Don Tate, courtesy of charlesbridge.com

Even though Lonnie worked for NASA, he continued tinkering with his own ideas—in his own workshop. One problem he was trying to solve involved the need for the world’s refrigerators and air conditioners to have a cooling system that didn’t use the damaging chemical R-12. “He had an idea for using water and air pressure instead.” He built a prototype and experimented with it in his bathroom sink. When he turned his pump and nozzle on, though, he got a surprise as a stream of water blasted across the room.

Suddenly, Lonnie saw another use for his invention—as a water gun. He created a design small enough for children’s hands, and tested it at a picnic, where it was a hit. Lonnie took his idea to a toy company…and another…and another. Finally one company agreed to make his water gun. Spurred on by this success, Lonnie found investors to help him build other original inventions: “a water-propelled toy airplane, two kinds of engines, and his cooling system” that had led to the water gun. He even quit his day job to devote his time to inventing.

But things don’t always work out. Each project fell through—even the water gun. It was a scary time as he and his family had to move out of their house and into an apartment. But Lonnie believed in himself. He took his water gun to another toy company. In 1989 he found a toy company willing to take a look. Lonnie made the trip to Philadelphia and wowed the executives with his invention.

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Image copyright Don Tate, courtesy of charlesbridge.com

Now kids everywhere enjoy the fun of the Super Soaker. Today, Lonnie can be found in his workshop doing what he loves: “facing challenges, solving problems and building things” because “his ideas just keep on flowing.”

Chris Barton’s biography of Lonnie Johnson is a fascinating look at a man who succeeds in turning “No” into “Yes” by the power of his intelligence, ideas, and determination. Kids will love hearing about how one of their favorite toys came to be and will be inspired to chase their own dreams despite challenges and setbacks. Barton’s detailed narration provides a full picture of Lonnie Johnson and his times, specifics that attract and inform like-minded kids. Including the results of Lonnie’s exam should encourage kids who think differently. The story is enhanced by the conversational tone that makes it accessible to kids of all ages.

Don Tate illuminates Lonnie Johnson’s life story with his bold, full-bleed paintings that follow Lonnie from his being a child with big ideas to becoming a man who has seen these ideas through to success. With an eyebrow raised in concentration, young Lonnie demonstrates confidence and skill as he works on an invention, and kids will love seeing the tools of his trade laid out on the kitchen table. With his eyes narrowed in frustration and disappointment, Lonnie reads the results of his childhood exam. As Lonnie grows older and designs systems for NASA, the illustrations depict the schematics of the Galileo power package and Lonnie’s surprise at the strength of the water stream in his prototype cooling design. As all kids know, the spurt of a Super Soaker is awesome, and this fact is demonstrated in a “Wowing” fold-out page.

WHOOSH! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions is a welcome biography of the man who designs systems for the greater world but has never lost his youthful enthusiasm to invent.

Ages 5 – 10

Charlesbridge, 2016 | ISBN 978-1580892971

Check out more fiction and nonfiction books by Chris Barton on his website!

Discover more books written and illustrated by Don Tate as well as a portfolio of his work and book-related activity guides on his website!

National Inventor’s Month Activity

Invention Dot-to-Dot Puzzles

Many inventions have changed the world and continue to be used long after they were first created. Connect the dots on these printable puzzles to discover three remarkable inventions!

Invention Dot-to-Dot 1 | Invention Dot-to-Dot 2 | Invention Dot-to-Dot 3

Picture Book Review

March 29 – Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

March 29, 1848 was a cold day. How cold? It was so frigid that rivers feeding Niagara Falls turned to ice and reduced the flow of water to such an extent that Niagara Falls’ 3,160 tons of water per second came to a halt. Today, locals—and weather aficionados—remember this auspicious natural phenomenon.

Queen of the Falls

By Chris Van Allsburg

Niagara Falls, spanning the border of Canada and New York state, has always attracted crowds of visitors who come to marvel over the roaring avalanche of water as it “drops from a height that is as tall as a seventeen-story building” and sends “up an endless cloud of mist at it crashes onto the rocks and water below.” But on October 24, 1901 the crowd was there for a very different reason. What was it? Well, that story begins back in Bay City, Michigan, where Annie Edson Taylor, “a short, plump, and fussy sixty-two-year-old widow” had just closed her charm school and was worried about how she’d pay the bills.

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Image and text copyright Chris Van Allsburg, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

She mulled and pondered, pondered and mulled her situation. Then she saw a newspaper article about Niagara Falls, and “like a cork popping from a champagne bottle” she had the idea to make her fame and fortune by going over the falls in a barrel. No one had ever tried a stunt like this before, but Annie seemed to know just how to do it. She designed a special barrel, but when she asked the barrel maker to build it, he refused. He told her that “if she wanted to kill herself, she’d have to do it on her own.”

When Annie went back three days later, though, she was able to convince him to build her barrel, and so construction began. The finished barrel was “four and a half feet high, with wire bands wrapped around it, and weighed more than one hundred and sixty pounds.” Inside there were handles and pillows and a leather belt that would strap her in tightly.

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Image and text copyright Chris Van Allsburg, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Annie had the mind of an engineer and also the genius of a public relations guru. She hired Frank Russell to be her manager and visit Niagara Falls ahead of her to whip up enthusiasm for her daredevil exploit. To sweeten the pot, she told him that she was 42, believing people would be more interested in a younger adventurer. Frank Russell saw money in his—and Annie’s—future. He went to Niagara falls to arrange for newspaper reporters and hired Fred Truesdale to put the barrel into the river that would take her over the falls.

When Annie stepped off the train, she did not look the way reporters had expected. Many “wondered if the promised trip over the falls was just some kind of hoax: the barrel might go over, but would it really carry Annie Taylor inside?” As Annie answered questions, however, the reporters began to think she really might “go where no man or woman had gone before.”

Annie’s plunge was set for 10 days later. This gave them time to stir up excitement among the locals and anyone else who wished to come and witness her daring feat. Her barrel was put on display in the hotel lobby, and articles appeared in the newspaper touting the intentions of “the fearless Mrs. Taylor.” On the established day, Annie arrived at the cottage of Fred Truesdale. Her barrel was waiting and a small crowd had gathered to see her off.

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Image and text copyright Chris Van Allsburg, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Fred and his assistant, Billy, rowed Annie and the barrel to a small island near the falls. There Annie took off her hat and jacket and crawled backwards into the barrel. She strapped herself in and packed the pillows around. Then Fred sealed the lid as Annie called, “‘So long, boys.’” Fred and Billy rolled the barrel into the river and secured it to the boat with a rope. The men rowed the boat near a spot in the river known as the “‘Point of No Return’” where the current was so strong that it would carry any boat over the falls. Fred “tapped on the barrel with his oar and told Annie he was going to cut the rope.” She answered back, “‘All righty.’” With a slice Annie’s barrel bobbed and spun in the raging river, “slamming against rocks and waves, sometimes disappearing entirely from sight, sucked beneath the surface.”

Annie held on for dear life. At the edge of the falls, Fred had told her, there would be a moment of calm. Suddenly, Annie felt this while at the same time hearing the roaring water. “‘Oh, Lord,’” she whispered, and then she was gone.” Some spectators screamed, some cheered, but most just stood still hunting for the barrel at the bottom of the falls.

“Suddenly, the barrel bobbed to the surface.” Still, everyone held their breath, wondering what had happened to Annie. When the barrel neared shore, men jumped in and dragged it onto the rocks. They removed the lid, and called her name. A weak “‘Where am I?’” answered back. Annie had survived the fall, although she was dizzy, bruised, and battered. Annie soon recovered from her injuries, and began traveling across the country to meet the hundreds of people who lined up for tickets in every city to see the ‘Queen of the Falls.’

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Image and text copyright Chris Van Allsburg, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

When the people saw that Annie was an elderly widow instead of a dashing young adventurer, however, they lost interest. Fewer and fewer people came out to see her. When Fred Russell realized he would not be getting rich, he left Annie, taking her barrel with him. But Annie was not to be counted out. She recovered her barrel and hired a new manager named Billy Banks. Eventually, Billy also abandoned Annie and took her barrel for good.

Annie was down, but not out. She had a new barrel made and placed it in a park near Niagara Falls. She sat at a table nearby with postcards and a pamphlet about her amazing feat and invited passersby to buy them and meet the Queen of the Falls. Annie never did get rich and famous, but ten years after her wild ride she told a reporter that despite her disappointment on that point, she was proud to be able to say that she had done “the greatest feat ever performed.”

With his superb storytelling skills, Chris Van Allsburg reveals all the excitement and quirkiness of Annie Taylor’s wild idea and even wilder ride to readers. This true story of a bygone era and the utter audacity of a woman who tested her mettle against one of nature’s most formidable challenges will astound kids—and Annie’s nonchalance will make them (and adults) laugh. Perhaps more important than the facts of Annie’s stunt are the facts about Annie herself. Behind the etiquette teacher lay a smart, enterprising, and even scientific, woman who had the grit and self-confidence to attempt the “impossible.” Readers will also see that even when things don’t work out exactly as planned, they can be proud of their personal achievements. Van Allsburg’s sepia-toned photographic-style illustrations set readers in the early 1900s, catch Annie in the moment of her big idea and inside her barrel, and unveil the beauty of Niagara Falls.

Fascinating from beginning to end, Queen of the Falls is a wonderful book for kids interested in history, daredevils, and creative ideas.

Ages 6 – 9

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011 | ISBN 978-0547315812

Learn more about Chris Van Allsburg and his books as well as discover a gallery of illustrations, videos, and even a TED Talk on Queen of the Falls on his website!

Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day Activity

Eggs-citing Ride Experiment

Even though Annie Taylor’s barrel was strong on the outside, she knew that she needed to protect herself inside. She used pillows, a handle, and a leather strap to keep herself from getting hurt.

In this experiment I invite you to design a container that will protect a raw egg from breaking when it is dropped from different heights. I’ll let you ponder what materials you will use—because that’s the fun part!

So get your creative thinking caps on—and get cracking…Umm…I mean…get going!

Supplies

Raw egg
Some kind of small container
Materials to protect the egg

Directions

Using a variety of materials and your scientific knowledge, create a container that will protect a raw egg from breaking
Place the raw egg inside the container and seal it shut
Drop the container from as high as you can, for example, from the top of the stairs or a treehouse.
Be sure to ask for an adult’s help or permission when choosing where to drop your egg.

Picture Book Review

March 28 – It’s Women’s History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Women have been inventing, discovering, questioning, challenging, and changing the world in the same ways and for just as long as men have—but often without recognition, the ability to take jobs in their fields of expertise, or equal (or even any) pay. This month’s observance serves to educate people on the amazing women who have blazed trails in the past and those who are continuing that tradition today.

Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine

Written by Heather Lang | Illustrated by Raúl Colón

Entertained crowds knew Ruth Law for the loops, the spiral dives, and even the dip of death that she performed in her airshow. But for Ruth these stunts were like standing still. She “longed to fly to get somewhere…somewhere far away.” She decided to fly from Chicago to New York City. There weren’t too many aviators brave enough to attempt such a long flight in the type of biplane Ruth flew. They feared that if something went wrong with the engine, they’d never realize it in time to land. But Ruth knew her plane inside and out and figured she “could anticipate what would happen to the motor by the sound of it.”

A trip like the one Ruth envisioned posed another problem, though. Her small biplane held only 16 gallons of gasoline—not enough to make the journey. She asked Glenn Curtis, who built her plane, if she could buy his latest model. This much bigger plane held 205 gallons of gas and had already proven itself. But Curtis refused. He didn’t believe Ruth could handle the “powerful machine on such a long flight.”

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Image copyright Raúl Colón, text copyright Heather Lang. Courtesy of Calkins Creek.

Ruth was not to be deterred. She added three more gas tanks so the plane could hold 53 gallons of gas, installed a cover to protect her legs, and created a scrolling map of the route. Aviation experts said she would fail, but Ruth disagreed. “‘What those men can do a woman can do. I can do,’” she said. On a windy November 19, 1916, Ruth took to the cockpit to begin her nonstop flight. Although she was a little scared of what lay ahead, she took off, believing that “the scare is part of the thrill” of any experience.

Ruth had counted on the strong wind to help push her farther faster, but just as quickly as it had blown up, it stopped. She wondered if she would have enough gasoline after all. As she flew over one landmark after another, Ruth felt exhilarated. As she passed over Cleveland, Ohio, though, “the oil gauge registered zero pressure. Something was wrong!” The sounds of her plane’s motors told Ruth a different story. She kept flying.

Soon she was passing over Erie, Pennsylvania—the site of the record-breaking flight by Victor Carlstrom. Even the icy stings of the frigid air couldn’t dispel her excitement. In a moment she was east of Erie and had broken Carlstrom’s record. The thrill of her achievement was tempered, however, by the sputtering of her engine. While there was still a little gas in the plane, it was “too low to feed into the engine.” Ruth tipped the plane forward to give it more gas. Two miles from Hornell, New York, the nearest landing spot, “the engine grumbled its last roar, leaving her with nothing but the silence of the wind.”

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Image copyright Raúl Colón, text copyright Heather Lang. Courtesy of Calkins Creek.

Ruth steered the plane as it glided into Hornell—512 miles from Chicago. She was the new American nonstop flight record holder. Ruth’s original plan had been to fly to New York City, so after refueling and grabbing a bite to eat, she took off once again. Weighed down by the full gas tank, the plane barely made it over the hill and tall trees in her path. This was as close to crashing as Ruth ever was—or ever wanted to be.

People had already heard about Ruth Law, and they came out to watch and wave. With darkness closing in, Ruth decided that she would have to land short of New York City. She touched down in Binghamton, NY and took up the rest of the flight the next morning. A thick blanket of fog obscured her view. She flew lower and lower to get her bearings and finally spied the tip of Manhattan. As she glided in, “Ruth circled around the Statue of Liberty toward Governor’s Island.” Of Lady Liberty, Ruth said, “‘She smiled at me when I went past. She did!…I think we both feel alike about things.’”

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Image copyright Raúl Colón, text copyright Heather Lang. Courtesy of Calkins Creek.

Cheered by a crowd and a brass band, Ruth landed on the welcoming earth. Despite being numb with cold and the icicles that hung from her hair, Ruth smiled and waved. She realized then that not only had she broken an aviation record, she had made a point for all women. She later put her thoughts into words: “The sky was my limit and the horizon my sphere. It’s any woman’s sphere if she has nerve and courage and faith in herself.”

An Author’s Note about Ruth Law and her life, complete with photographs, follows the text.

Heather Lang’s thrilling account of Ruth Law’s record-breaking flight from Chicago to New York will have young aviators on the edge of their seat. Law’s flight was filled with suspense from its inception as an idea in a young woman’s mind to its final touchdown, and Lang deftly incorporates the facts as well as Law’s feelings into her well-rounded story. Along the way, readers learn about Ruth and also about early aviation. Ruth Law’s own words, included throughout the story, will inspire children as they see that even though she lived long ago, her thoughts and ideas still ring true today.

Young readers will be fascinated by Raúl Colón’s glowing illustrations of Ruth Law and her flying machine. His detailed drawings of Law’s biplane give children an excellent view of the open-air craft, fostering a true understanding of the courage it took for her to undertake such a flight. Images from Law’s viewpoint in the cockpit allow readers to vicariously travel her path to a record-breaking flight and also to self-realization.

Ages 5 – 8

Calkins Creek, 2016 | ISBN 978-1620916506

Check out Heather Lang’s website for more about her and her books. You’ll also find links to a video and photos about Ruth Law, a map of her route, and information about her plane as well as a Teacher’s Guide.

Fly along with Ruth in this Fearless Flyer book trailer!

Women’s History Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-biplane-craft

Head in the Clouds Biplane

If you love airplanes and flying, you’ll have fun making your own plane from recycled materials! Use your creativity to decorate your plane while you imagine yourself flying through the clouds on a beautiful day. Younger children will have fun sharing this activity with an adult or older sibling too!

Supplies

Travel-size toothpaste box
3 6-inch x 1/2-inch craft sticks
2 2 1/2-inch x 7/8-inch mini craft sticks
5 Round toothpicks, with points cut off
Paint in whatever colors you like for your design
4 small buttons
2 mini buttons
Paint brushes
Strong glue or glue gun

Directions

Empty toothpaste box
Paint toothpaste box and decorate it
Paint the craft sticks and 5 toothpicks
Paint one small craft stick to be the propeller
Let all objects dry

To assemble the biplane

For the Bottom Wing – Glue one 6-inch-long craft stick to the bottom of the plane about 1 inch from the end of the box that is the front of the plane
For the Top Wing – Glue the other 6-inch-long craft stick to the top of the plane about 1 inch from the front of the plane
For the Tail – Glue one mini craft stick to the bottom of the box about ¾ inches from the end that is the back of the plane
For the Vertical Rudder – Cut the end from one of the painted 6-inch-long craft sticks, glue this to the back of the box, placing it perpendicular against the edge and half-way between each side

To assemble the front wheels

Cut 4 painted toothpicks to a length of ¾-inches long
Cut one painted toothpick to a length of 1-inch long
Glue 2 of the 3/4-inch toothpicks to the back of 1 button, the ends of the toothpicks on the button should be touching and the other end apart so the toothpicks form a V
Repeat the above step for the other wheel
Let the glue dry
Glue the 1-inch long toothpick between the wheels at the center of each wheel to keep them together and give them stability. Let dry

To make the back wheel

Cut two ¼-inch lengths of painted toothpick and glue them together. Let dry
Glue two mini buttons together to form the back wheel. Let dry
Glue the ¼-inch toothpicks to the mini buttons. Let dry
Glue these to the bottom of the plane in the center of the box directly in front of and touching the tail

Display your biplane!

Picture Book Review

March 27 – Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Song titles can be evocative of so many emotions, and country song titles seem to take this fact to a whole nuther level. Sure, the travails of heartbreak may cause misery and despair, but I bet you can’t help smiling—just a little—when you read titles like this: I Would Have Writ You A Letter, But I Couldn’t Spell Yuck!, You Were Only A Splinter As I Slid Down The Bannister Of Life, and Did I Shave My Legs for This? So, today, celebrate by finding and listening to some quirky country songs that tickle your fancy.

Talkin’ Guitar: A Story of Young Doc Watson

By Robin Gourley

“Yonder, where blue mountains meet the sky, Arthel Watson was born into a world of music.” Music, for Arthel, was much more than his mama’s singing at the end of the day. It was the calls of animals and birds, the burbling river, the whistles of trains, and the clatter of farm machinery. He loved to listen to the rain and the wind and the silence between sounds too. “Arthel had ears like a cat. Maybe it was because he was blind.”

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Image and text copyright Robbin Gourley, courtesy of robbingourley.com

Arthel just couldn’t help but make music whenever and wherever he could. Pots became drums, and cowbells rang like cymbals. Arthel even strung a steel wire across the barn door to strum. When Pappy gave him a harmonica, Arthel practiced until the screechy notes settled into a purr. When Pappy made him a banjo, he practiced until the “rusty door hinge” creak was replaced by spritely melody. One day when Arthel plinked out a few notes on his cousin’s guitar, his father made him a promise. “‘Son, if you can play a song by the time I git home from work, we’ll go into town and buy you your own guitar.’”

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Image and text copyright Robbin Gourley, courtesy of robbingourley.com

By the end of the day, Arthel had composed a “sweet, simple song” from the few chords he had learned. With a “belly full of butterflies,” he played it for his family and earned himself a guitar. From then on Arthel carried his guitar everywhere, learning from records at home and from songs on the radio. He memorized the rhythms of farm work and the songs of various animals, and between chores he practiced, practiced, practiced. “All those chores and all that practice made him sharp as a whittling knife and tough as a hickory.”

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Image and text copyright Robbin Gourley, courtesy of robbingourley.com

Arthel decided that if he could work just like everyone else, he could probably play music as well as the artists he listened to on records and on the radio. He began to compose his own music. “It felt as natural as dew on a foggy mountain morning.” Arthel played “what he couldn’t see. He could make his guitar sound like a muskrat or a groundhog or a ‘wooly boogie bee’” and sing the stories of the countryside he loved.

An Author’s Note following the text reveals more about Arthel’s life, the influences on his music, and how he earned the nickname “Doc.”

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Image and text copyright Robbin Gourley, courtesy of robbingourley.com

Robin Gourley’s heartening biography of Doc Watson is perfectly attuned to her young audience. Readers are introduced to Arthel as he soaks in the sounds of life around him and only learn several pages into the story that he was blind. His blindness is not mentioned again except for the subtle acknowledgement that “he reckoned if he could work like everyone else, he could play music like the folks he heard on the records and the radio”—which becomes universal inspiration for all. The emphasis that practice develops natural talent and pays off is also a great lesson for readers who may just be discovering their own talents.

Gourley’s soothing watercolors are suffused with the beautiful pastels of Appalachia, which was both home and muse to Anthel. Vignettes take readers inside Anthel’s home to discover the Victrola and the old radio that were his early teachers and introduce his family, who surrounded him with encouragement as he grew from a child to a young man—always with a guitar in his hands.

Ages 4 – 7

Clarion Books, 2015 | ISBN 978-0544129887

To discover more about Robbin Gourley, her books, and her art, visit her website!

Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day

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Musical Dot-to-Dot

When a musician follows notes, they create a song. What will you find when you follow the numbers on this printable Musical Dot-to-Dot?

Picture Book Review

March 24 – It’s Women’s History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

During the month of March we celebrate the roles and contributions of women throughout history. The theme for 2017 is “Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business.” From earliest times, women have participated in and influenced events, often without receiving recognition. This month encourages all women to stand up to discrimination and stand up for what they believe in.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark

Written by Debbie Levy | Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

Ruth Bader grew up during the 1940s in Brooklyn, New York’s multicultural neighborhood. It was a time when boys were educated for jobs and bright futures while girls were expected to marry and raise children. Ruth’s mother, Celia Amster Bader, however, “thought girls should also have the chance to make their mark on the world.” She introduced Ruth to books in which she discovered women who used their strength, courage, and intelligence to do big things.