Books with author Karen Bush Gibson

It started with a promise, but was fueled by a passion for building. Shah Jahan, Mughal emperor of India in the seventeenth century, promised to build the most magnificent tomb for his dying wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Every measurement and material had deep meaning. All contributed to the perfection of the Taj Mahal. The 42-acre complex was a vision of harmony that reflected Mughal culture and the importance placed on respect for the dead. Almost 400 years later, the Taj Mahal of India remains one of the most beautiful tombs on Earth.

Does the weather fascinate you? Thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes, and snowstorms are just some of the weather events that affect people’s everyday lives. Since the time of the Ancient Greeks, people have been fascinated with weather phenomena and how they relate to human activities, such as sailing and farming. Meteorology is the science of the atmosphere, particularly the processes and phenomena that are used in forecasting the weather, and how weather relates to the oceans and climate. Long-term climate patterns, such as El Niño, don’t just affect weather. They disrupt global atmospheric circulation, ocean currents, and the economies of many countries. Every day, thousands of meteorologists observe and record measurements at more than 10,000 weather stations on land and sea throughout the world. Data also comes from satellites, weather balloons, and radar. This data is transmitted to weather centers of the world, where computer models produce the information used in weather prediction. Meteorology: Cool Women Who Weather Storms introduces readers ages 9 to 12 to three women in meteorology who are making an impact and inspiring future generations of meteorologists. Kelly Cass is a broadcast meteorologist at the Weather Channel with a particular interest in severe weather. Bianca Hernandez works as a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in their Phoenix office. Pam Heinselman is a professor and Research Scientist with the National Severe Storms Lab. This nonfiction STEM title serves as a bridge between girls’ interests and their potential careers in meteorology by telling captivating stories about real-life meteorologists and the many ways meteorology benefits society. Meteorology isn’t just about storm tracking, it’s about how the atmosphere affects the earth in the past, present, and future. Advances in meteorology are strongly connected with developments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Readers will be encouraged to investigate how atmospheric forces affect our lives and how using scientific and mathematical principles allow meteorologists to predict the weather and save lives. Nomad Press books in the Girls in Science series provide a comprehensive foundation about both a field of STEM study and women who have contributed to it in meaningful ways. Essential questions embedded within every chapter, QR codes linked to online primary sources, and language that’s designed to encourage readers to connect prior knowledge to new information make these books an integrative reading experience that encourages further, student-led research. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while encouraging them to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. According to the National Foundation of Science, 66 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys in fourth grade say they like STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), but by eighth grade twice as many boys as girls are interested in STEM careers. Why do so many girls turn away from science? One reason is persistent stereotypes and another is a lack of role models. Nomad Press books in the Girls in Science series supply a bridge between girls’ interests and their potential futures by investigating science careers and introducing women who have succeeded in science. Titles in the series include: Technology: Cool Women Who Code; Astronomy: Cool Women in Space; Engineering: Cool Women Who Design; Forensics: Cool Women Who Investigate; Aviation: Cool Women Who Fly; Marine Biology: Cool Women Who Dive; Archaeology: Cool Women Who Dig; Zoology: Cool Women Who Work with Animals; Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures; and Meteorology: Cool Women Who Weather Storms.

Westward ho! If you travel across certain parts of the United States, you can still see wagon wheel ruts where people crossed the west in search of more opportunity and better lives more than 200 years ago! The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country from Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad offers readers ages 9 to 12 a fascinating look at the explorers and settlers who traveled this route during the westward expansion of the United States. When America received its independence in 1776, the new country was made up of 13 colonies that became the United States of America. European immigrants continued to arrive in the new country, eager to make new lives for themselves and their families. By 1803, there were 17 states and a need for even more space. The United States doubled its land area with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery to explore and map a territory that had only been seen by fur trappers and the Native Americans who lived there. The expedition into the American west, more popularly known as the Lewis and Clark expedition, left from Independence, Missouri for more than two years of exploration that produced a route for American settlers to take. The route was the Oregon Trail, also known as the Oregon and California Trail. In The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country from Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad, readers ages 9 to 12 can delve into the explorations of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and other explorers. They can learn about the more than half a million people who followed during the nineteenth century. What challenges did these pioneers face on the 2,170-mile journey? How were Native American tribes and nations affected by this mass migration? Primary sources allow readers to feel like a part of the Oregon Trail experience while biographical sidebars will introduce the compelling people who were part of this time in U.S. history. Investigative, hands-on projects and critical thinking activities such as writing a treaty and researching artistic impressions of the Oregon Trail invite readers to further their understanding of life on the trail, early towns and forts, and the Transcontinental Railroad that followed the wagons into new lands and territories that would eventually become states. Nomad Press books in the Build It Yourself series integrate content with participation. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.