Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I was a kid, I felt a strong desire to do the unexpected: A 9-year-old girl watching the World Wrestling Federation on TV and then recreating the action with her neighbors, a 5ā€™2ā€ volleyball player itching to play the front row, that same petite player wanting to join the army after high school. That last one didnā€™t end up panning out but Iā€™ve always wanted to break out of whatever box I felt society put me in as a female. I love to write stories about women who broke barriers and made it possible for me, and the next generation, to continue to challenge expectations.


I wrote

Book cover of Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon

What is my book about?

Kathrine Switzer changed the world of running. This narrative biography follows Kathrine from running laps as a girl in herā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist

Kim Chaffee Why did I love this book?

Iā€™ll admit, ever since I saw Jaws as a kid Iā€™ve been terrified of sharks. I donā€™t believe Iā€™m alone in this. But this book offers readers a much more reasonable view of these mighty creatures of the sea, thanks to the fearless scientist, Eugenie Clark, who studied them. When others doubted her and told her to be a secretary or a housewife instead of a scientist, Eugenie only dove deeper into her work, becoming one of the smartest students in her field. And when others thought sharks were nothing but mindless killers, Eugenie proved them wrong. The extensive back matter and Authorā€™s Note round out this impressive biography.

By Jess Keating, Marta Ɓlvarez MiguƩns (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Shark Lady as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls!
This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike!
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
Named a Best Children's Book of 2017 by Parents magazine
Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn't imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. Butā€¦


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

Kim Chaffee Why did I love this book?

With a name (Chien Shiung) that means ā€œcourageous heroā€ how could this book about a brilliant female physicist be anything but great? This remarkable story is beautifully told through engaging and emotionally resonant text that has the reader routing for Chien Shiung from beginning to end. The level of physics referenced is approachable and the level of expertise Chein Shiung reached is unmatched. She was a true pioneer who was never deterred by discrimination based on her gender or ethnicity.

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 hiredā€¦


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Book cover of A Diary in the Age of Water

A Diary in the Age of Water by Nina Munteanu,

This climate fiction novel follows four generations of women and their battles against a global giant that controls and manipulates Earthā€™s water. Told mostly through a diary and drawing on scientific observation and personal reflection, Lynnaā€™s story unfolds incrementally, like climate change itself. Her gritty memoir describes a near-future Torontoā€¦

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

Kim Chaffee Why did I love this book?

I love that this book starts with an introduction to Cherokee values so the reader is able to fully understand their importance and impact on the life of Mary Golda Ross. As a young girl, and the only female in her college math class, she was motivated to excel, and excel she did. In 1950 she became the first female engineer at Lockheed Aircraft Company and was assigned to top-secret projects related to space and weapons programs. This is an inspiring women-in-STEM book with the additional benefit of indigenous values education.

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 ā€“ 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 MĆ©tis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross's journey from being the only girl in a high school math classā€¦


Book cover of Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball's Negro Leagues

Kim Chaffee Why did I love this book?

The athlete in me was drawn to this story before I even opened the book. I hadnā€™t heard of Mamie Johnson and I imagine most kids havenā€™t either so Iā€™m happy Leah Henderson decided to write about her. Ever since she learned about baseball at six years old, Mamie wanted to be on the mound more than anything. But ā€œshe already had two strikes against her: She was a girl. She was black.ā€ Despite those challenges, Mamie was always ready to prove she deserved to play and eventually earned a spot pitching for the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro League.

By Leah Henderson, George Doutsiopoulos (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Mamie on the Mound 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?

Mamie "Peanut" Johnson had one dream: to play professional baseball. She was a talented player, but she wasn't welcome in the segregated All-American Girls Pro Baseball League due to the color of her skin. However, a greater opportunity came her way in 1953 when Johnson signed to play ball for the Negro Leagues' Indianapolis Clowns, becoming the first female pitcher to play on a men's professional team. During the three years she pitched for the Clowns, her record was an impressive 33-8. But more importantly, she broke ground for other female athletes and for women everywhere.


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Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection andā€¦

Book cover of Queen of Tejano Music: Selena

Kim Chaffee Why did I love this book?

My first introduction to Selena Quintanilla was back in 1997 when Jennifer Lopez played her in the movie, Selena. So, when I saw Silvia LĆ³pezā€™s book I quickly picked it up. This book is as stunning as it is informative. The text is lengthier than many picture book biographies but it is so well done that the reader is eager to be immersed in this amazing life story. Not only did Selena break barriers within Tejano music, as it was traditionally performed by men, but she also crossed over into mainstream American music which helped open doors for future Latinx entertainers. One of Selenaā€™s favorite sayings was, ā€œAlways believe that the impossible is possible,ā€ and thatā€™s definitely a message all kids need to hear.

By Silvia LĆ³pez, Paola Escobar (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Queen of Tejano Music 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?

"There's a lot of text in the book, but it's smartly framed within two-page spreads, and very little of it feels extraneous. ...A worthy picture-book primer on the Queen of Tejano music."-Kirkus Reviews

This is a moving and impassioned picture book about the iconic Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla, that will embolden young readers to find their passion and make the impossible, possible!

Selena Quintanilla's music career began at the age of nine when she started singing in her family's band. She went from using a hairbrush as a microphone to traveling from town to town to play gigs.ā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Book cover of Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon

What is my book about?

Kathrine Switzer changed the world of running. This narrative biography follows Kathrine from running laps as a girl in her backyard to becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with official race numbers in 1967. Her inspirational true story is for anyone willing to challenge the rules.

The compelling collage art adds to the kinetic action of the story. With tension and heart, this biography has the influential power to get readers into running. An excellent choice for sports fans, New Englanders, young dreamers, and competitive girls and boys alike.

Book cover of Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist
Book cover of Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
Book cover of Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

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Activating Our 12-Stranded DNA by Ruslana Remennikova,

In this vibrant guidebook, sound healer and former corporate scientist Ruslana Remennikova reveals how, through vibration and intention, you can shapeshift DNA from the standard double helix to its 12-stranded, dodecahedral formā€”unlocking your spiritual potential and opening the way for deep healing of the past, the present, and the futureā€¦

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When the 2008 recession hit, 33-year-old Heidi Beierle was single, underemployed, and looking for a way out of her darkness. She returned to school, but her gloom deepened. Allā€¦

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Interested in Cherokee, Chinese Americans, and Negro league baseball?

Cherokee 16 books