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Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor

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*List Price:

$25.95

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Is this book about a real woman in STEAM?

With her sketchbook labeled My Inventions and her father's toolbox, Mattie could make almost anything – toys, sleds, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers. As an adult, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. However, in court, a man claimed the invention was his, stating that she "could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities." Marvelous Mattie proved him wrong, and over the course of her life earned the title of "the Lady Edison."

With charming pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, this introduction to one of the most prolific female inventors will leave readers inspired.

Marvelous Mattie is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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Author:

Emily Arnold McCully

Illustrator:

N/A

Publisher:

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Recommended Ages:

7 - 11 years

Margaret E. Knight

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Girls Love STEAM Review:

Additional Reader & Professional Reviews:

"Engagingly presented."
-- The New York Times Book Review

"Caldecott Medalist McCully's lucid narrative and crisp period illustrations illuminate the early life of an impressive visionary."
-- Publishers Weekly*

"Told in a style that is not only easy to understand, but that is also a good read-aloud. . . .will inspire interest in women and children as inventors."
-- School Library Journal

"Not only is Mattie Knight's life marvelously inventive, but her story is as well."
-- The Horn Book*

"It's a beautiful looking book."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"McCully draws children into Knight's life by emphasizing. . . her resolute stance against the restrictive gender roles of her time. Watercolor scenes invoke the drama."
-- Booklist

"Successfully conveys the drama of Knight's life and her focused intensity."
-- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Invites kids to think about the history of women and scientific innovation."
-- Washington Post Book World

*Store prices may vary.

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For ages 12 and under

Parent Permission Required

For ages 13-17

For ages 18 & Above

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