Explorers’ Sketchbooks by Huw Lewis-Jones and Kari Herbert

I watched an interview with Deanna Raybourne where she said Margaret Fountaine was her inspiration for her character Veronica Speedwell. She also mentioned how delightful Fountaine’s sketchbooks were. When I looked in my library system for anything by Fountaine, this book was the only hit. I thought it sounded interesting, and might help to scratch my travel itch.

Subtitle: The Art of Discovery & Adventure

Published: 2016 in the UK, 2017 in the US

Genre: nonfiction biography

Length: 313 pages of text, 320 pages with indices

Summary: Short version: A description of 70 explorers and reproductions from their sketchbooks

Tetris by Box Brown

I was looking for a graphic novel at the library and finally figured out how to search by publisher. This is useful, because I love the First Second line of graphic novels and now I can just get a list of the ones my library owns. This was the first one on the list that I wanted to read.

Subtitle: The Games People Play

Published: 2016

Genre: nonfiction graphic novel

Length: 253 pages

Setting: mostly Russia, 1984 to today

Summary: Short version: The history behind the hit video game, Tetris

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

My mother-in-law gave me this book after she read it. I read it now because it’s in my house and I haven’t read it before. Those books are few and far between at this point. The good news is the libraries are opening up next week, at least for curbside service. I just have to place holds instead of wandering the stacks.

Subtitle: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

Published: 2011

Genre: nonfiction biography

Length: 308 pages of story, 398 pages total

Setting: Washington, D. C. (mostly), 1876-1885

Summary: Short version: Garfield, a reluctant President, is shot in office and dies of infection

Vaccinated by Paul A. Offit

The Last Word on Nothing did a recent post about Maurice Hilleman. I was so fascinated by the writeup that I put the book they mentioned on my TBR. I thought it was timely reading about the creation of vaccines while in a pandemic, waiting for a vaccine. Bonus, the library had the ebook.

Subtitle: One Man’s Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Diseases

Published: 2007

Genre: nonfiction historical science

Length: 205 pages of text, 254 pages total

Setting: 1919-2005, various locations in the U.S.

Summary: Short version: The history of vaccines, focusing on the work on Maurice Hilleman

Marco Polo: Dangers and Visions by Marco Tabilio

Miss Adventure wants to learn about Marco Polo this month. When I searched the library catalog for books on Marco Polo she might enjoy, this one came up. We’re always up for a graphic novelization of a subject.

Published: originally in 2015, in English in 2017

Genre: nonfiction graphic novel biography

Length: 207 pages

Setting: from Venice to China, mid 1200s-1300s

Summary: Short version: A reflection on Marco Polo’s journeys while he’s in a Genoese jail

The Imitation Game by Jim Ottaviani

I saw this book reviewed somewhere online and immediately requested it from our library. I’m intrigued by Alan Turing and wanted to learn more about him.

Subtitle: Alan Turing Decoded

Illustrator: Leland Purvis

Published: 2016

Genre: nonfiction graphic novel biography

Length: 234 pages

Setting: England, early to mid-1900s

Summary: Short version: A biography of Alan Turing’s life

Joss Whedon by Candace Havens

I am a big fan of Joss Whedon and his projects. When I read this, Joss had only produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. He’s only improved his project record since, most recently Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Subtitle: The Genius Behind Buffy

Published: 2003

Genre: biography

Length: 162 pages

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

I saw (and loved) the movie and wanted to read the book it was based on. When there was a Kindle sale of the book, I bought it. I read it now to see if it would work for our next American History Club meeting about the space race.

Subtitle: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race

Published: 2016

Genre: nonfiction science biography

Length: 267 pages of text, 368 pages total

Setting: In and around Langley, Virginia, 1940s-1960s

The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long and Jim Demonakas

I saw this reviewed elsewhere on the web and thought it would be a nice complement to the three March books.

Artist: Nate Powell

Published: 2012

Genre: nonfiction graphic novel

Length: 199 pages

Setting: Houston, Texas, 1960s

Weekly Wrap-Up: Physicists

We’re continuing to learn about physics, splitting out time between physics and physicists. Mr. Curiosity finished How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog and found it hilarious, and full of good physics ideas. Now he knows all about about evil squirrels and bunnies made of cheese. I’ve also had the kids learn about physicists, and here’s the books we’ve used.

I found a graphic novel of Richard Feynman called, appropriately enough Feynman by Jim Ottaviani. The book covers Feynman’s whole life, jumping back and forth to different periods of his life. It’s definitely targeted toward an older crowd. For one thing, there’s the physics and tricky mathematical equations mentioned. For the other, the pages are pretty dense with blocks of talking heads and little action showing on the page. Feynman was an interesting physicist who certainly had a way with words, but it’s not like he did exciting-looking activities.

The other book I found is Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World by Rachel Swaby. It covers women who made significant contributions in medicine, biology, genetics, physics, geology, astronomy, math, and as inventors. Within each category, the scientists are presented in chronological order. The author devotes three or four pages to each scientist and her breakthrough research, often discussing how the woman had to fight against discrimination to get her voice heard. Miss Adventure is enjoying reading this one. The books reminds people that women have been involved in science just as much as men, even if our achievements are often ignored or co-opted.

And those are the books we used for physics this week. Linking up with Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

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