Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved math and science. When I decided to become a writer, I knew I wanted to share this love with children through my writing. Did I know I would one day have five published picture book biographies of women in STEM and three more on the way? Absolutely not. I feel fortunate I’ve had the opportunity to tell the stories of many unsung women scientists and mathematicians. To this end, I keep an ever-growing, ever-changing list of possible subjects for future biographies.


I wrote

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars

By Laurie Wallmark, Brooke Smart (illustrator),

Book cover of Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars

What is my book about?

In this picture book biography, young readers will learn all about Elizebeth Friedman, a brilliant American code breaker who smashed…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom

Laurie Wallmark Why did I love this book?

Yes, this book tells the story of a pioneering physicist, but it’s also an immigration story. Wu Chien Shiung, who was born in China, moved to the United States in order to follow her passion: the study of atoms. Once there, she had to overcome prejudice against an Asian woman in physics. This is an informative and inspiring read.

By Teresa Robeson, Rebecca Huang (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Queen of Physics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Naming their daughter "Courageous Hero," they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism at home and racism in the United States to become what Newsweek magazine called the "Queen of Physics" for her work on how atoms split. Along the way, she earned the admiration of famous scientists like Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer and became the first woman hired…


Book cover of Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles

Laurie Wallmark Why did I love this book?

Doesn’t everyone have a komodo dragon as a guest of honor at a tea party? Even as a young child, Joan preferred her scaly, slithery, reptile friends. She even brought a crocodile to school one day! Kids will love learning about reptiles along with this real-life woman who championed them.

By Patricia Valdez, Felicita Sala (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets... While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere - she even brought a crocodile to school!

When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the Natural History Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she…


Book cover of Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You've Never Heard of

Laurie Wallmark Why did I love this book?

Math has been my passion ever since I was a girl. Because of this, I’m always looking for books about mathematicians, especially women. In addition to describing Emmy’s math contributions, this book does more. It gives readers a look into a time when women couldn’t enroll in higher education and often, like Emmy, weren’t always paid for their work.

By Helaine Becker, Kari Rust (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Emmy Noether as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

In this engaging and inspiring biography, a groundbreaking but relatively unknown woman finally gets her due as one of the most influential mathematicians of the twentieth century.

Emmy Noether is not pretty, quiet, good at housework or eager to marry --- all the things a German girl is expected to be in her time. What she is, though, is a genius at math. When she grows up, she finds a way to first study math at a university (by sitting in, not actually enrolling) and then to teach it (by doing so for free). She also manages to do her…


Book cover of Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

Laurie Wallmark Why did I love this book?

What do you think of when you picture an aerospace engineer? It’s probably some white guy in a white shirt. A native woman certainly doesn’t fit that stereotype, but that didn’t matter to Mary Gold Ross. It’s so rare to see books biographies about people who are Native working in STEM, yet representation matters.

By Traci Sorell, Natasha Donovan (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Classified as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Discover the story of how a math-loving girl blazed a trail for herself and others in this American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award Honor Picture Book, Classified: Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, a biography for children ages 7 – 11

Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work.

Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross's journey from being the only girl in a high school math class…


Book cover of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

Laurie Wallmark Why did I love this book?

The early days of flight didn’t end with the Wright Brothers. This is the fascinating story of the first woman to design a working flying machine. Some kids think that if an invention doesn’t work, then it and they are failures. That couldn’t be farther from the truth as this book shows. Reading Emma’s story of inventing an airplane, even though she had no formal engineering training, may be just the inspiration and encouragement children need to try inventing.

By Kirsten Larson, Tracy Subisak (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Wood, Wire, Wings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book * NSTA Best STEM Book List

This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane.

Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring--she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions…


Explore my book 😀

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars

By Laurie Wallmark, Brooke Smart (illustrator),

Book cover of Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars

What is my book about?

In this picture book biography, young readers will learn all about Elizebeth Friedman, a brilliant American code breaker who smashed Nazi spy rings, took down gangsters, and created the CIA's first cryptology unit. Her story came to light when her secret papers were finally declassified in 2015. From thwarting notorious rumrunners with only paper and pencil to counter-spying into the minds and activities of Nazis, Elizebeth held a pivotal role in the early days of US cryptology. No code was too challenging for her to crack, and Elizebeth's work undoubtedly saved thousands of lives. 

Extensive back matter includes explanations of codes and ciphers, further information on cryptology, a bibliography, a timeline of Elizebeth's life, plus secret messages for young readers to decode.

Book cover of Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
Book cover of Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles
Book cover of Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You've Never Heard of

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Book cover of Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II

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Joy Neal Kidney Author Of Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author Keeper of family stories Collector of old stuff that have stories Saver of sepia photos Leora historian Fan of stories behind stories

Joy's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

The day the second atomic bomb was dropped, Clabe and Leora Wilson’s postman brought a telegram to their acreage near Perry, Iowa. One son was already in the U.S. Navy before Pearl Harbor had been attacked. Four more sons worked with their father, tenant farmers near Minburn until, one by one; all five sons were serving their country in the military–two in the Navy and three as Army Air Force pilots.

Only two sons came home.

Leora’s Letters is the compelling true account of a woman whose most tender hopes were disrupted by great losses. Yet she lived out four…

By Joy Neal Kidney, Robin Grunder,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Leora's Letters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The day the second atomic bomb was dropped, Clabe and Leora Wilson’s postman brought a telegram to their acreage near Perry, Iowa. One son was already in the U.S. Navy before Pearl Harbor had been attacked. Four more sons worked with their father, tenant farmers near Minburn until, one by one, all five sons were serving their country in the military. The oldest son re-enlisted in the Navy. The younger three became U.S. Army Air Force pilots. As the family optimist, Leora wrote hundreds of letters, among all her regular chores, dispensing news and keeping up the morale of the…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Cherokee, reptiles, and Chinese Americans?

Cherokee 15 books
Reptiles 10 books