Women’s History Month StoryWalk

Press release from the White Plains Public Library:

February 22, 2021 10:00 am | by Raquel Cavalcanti, Children's Librarian

Mae Among the Stars
By Roda Ahmed, Illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Starting February 26th, 2021

Get ready to journey into outer space as you take a walk along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Library Plaza. Follow the panels and read, Mae Among the Stars, by Roda Ahmed and Illustrated by Stasia Burrington.

Mae Among the Stars is inspired by the life story of Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space. As a child, Mae’s family encouraged her to follow her dreams. With faith in herself, determination, and hard work she reached her dream to dance among the stars by becoming the first African American woman astronaut to journey into outer space.

To coincide with the StoryWalk, we will have kits that contain a list of suggested STEAM activities, and also a take-home craft. Families can pick up these kits by calling (914) 422-1490 when they reach the Library entrance, and the kit(s) will be brought out to a table at the entrance for you while supplies last.

Listen and see a great video of Dr. Mae C. Jemison speak about her desire to become an astronaut on PBS’s Nova video, Mae Jemison: I Wanted To Go Into Space.

If you’d like to read the book itself, try out some space stories and science project books, or read other great books about the accomplishments of women space scientists – you will enjoy these:

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
(Preschool – Grade 2)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Path to the Stars: My Journey From Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist
by Sylvia Acevedo
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Ada Twist’s Big Project Book for Stellar Scientists by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts
(Grades 2-4)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Rocket Says Look Up! By Nathan Bryon & Dapo Adeola
(Grades K-3)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician
By Lesa Cline-Ransome & Raúl Colón
(Grades K-3)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Mars Science Lab Engineer Diana Trujillo by Kari Cornell
(Grades 3-5)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

LEGO Women of NASA: Space Heroes by Hannah Dolan
(Grades K-3)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Astronaut and Physicist Sally Ride by Margaret J. Goldstein (Read-Aloud)
(Grades 1-3)
OverDrive
Hoopla

Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Gutsy Girls Go For Science, Astronauts: With STEM Projects for Kids
by Alicia Klepeis & Hui Li
(Grades 3-5)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Caroline’s Comets: A True Story by Emily Arnold McCully
(Grades 2-4)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Blast Off Into Space Like Mae Jemison
by Caroline Moss & Sinem Erkas
(Grades 2-4)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America’s Pioneering Woman in Space
by Tam O’Shaughnessy
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive

Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks
(Grades 2-3)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Margaret and the Moon by Dean Robbins & Lucy Knisley
(Grades K-3)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa by Heather E. Schwartz
(Grades 3-5)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Hidden Figures: Young Reader’s Edition by Margot Shetterly
(Grades 4-6)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly & Laura Freeman
(Grades 1-3)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell & Natasha Donovan
(Grades 2-4)
OverDrive

To the Stars: The First American Woman to Walk in Space by Carmella Van Fleet, Dr. Kathy Sullivan, and Nicole Wong
(Grades K-2)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Aerospace Engineer Aprille Ericsson by Laura Hamilton Waxman
(Grade 3-5)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max & Robin Eller
(Preschool – Grade 2)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

This press release was produced by the White Plains Public Library. The views expressed are the author's own.