Girl Power and PHYSICS Forces!

 I have always enjoyed PHYSICS, and that was long before I took my first class to study it. Physics describes and explains and makes measurable the forces around us that keep us (and the universe) in motion and balance. I grew ups playing ping pong, pool, slinky, swimming, and all the other things that kids (who are lucky) can do. In each case FORCES were at work and I was figuring them out in the moment: gravity, buoyancy, spring, and more.

SOURCEBOOK EXPLORE, 2024

This new nonfiction picture book is an ideal resource for so many readers of many ages, from littles to adults. THE AMAZING POWER OF GIRLS: Meet the Universe's Most Powerful and Invisible Forces, with words by Maria Marianayagam and pictures by Skylar White. It's written in a quick-paced, clear-eyed way, framing the basic forces of physics (as above, and more) with examples and descriptions while offering parallel ways in which girls demonstrate and apply such force in their roles in the world. The overall premise suggests a lively science/STEM classroom of club space led by an engaging and inviting female teacher/leader and attended by a diverse, attentive, and clever batch of girls/young women. The application shifts take them from that dedicated space into the community and real ways that they have force and power without being forceful or threatening. That's unless you are threatened by empowered young women.

Some of the other forces explored include magnetism, nuclear power, tension, and friction. You can imagine the countless ways in which those forces, in terms of physics, can also reference women of any age in a world that sometimes tries to force them into or out of roles. The  overall text is lightly applied with elaboration in the illustrations, including simplified indicators of physics forces, including vectors, spirals, and more. Diversity displayed is extensive, suggesting identities, interests, adaptations, and potentials. The author note also indicates the importance of encouragement, with the author pointing out that her own engineer-father always provided opportunities for her to explore and engage with science and math throughout her life. 

STEM has taken center stage in many aspects of publishing and educational approaches, but this is a grand example that directing aspects of science principles and challenges at girls and young women is a natural and valuable approach with lighthearted sincerity and appeal.

Well worth reading and sharing!