Tidbit Tuesday: Ada Lovelace

Woohoo! I always love the beginning of new projects, when I get to learn all kinds of new stuff! Lately, I've been researching some amazing women in science and math, including Ada Lovelace. Ever heard of her? Here are just a few things you should know about her:

• Ada Lovelace is credited with creating the first computer program - more than 100 years before the first computer was ever built! Her program was designed for a computing machine called the Analytical Engine that was designed by Charles Babbage but never built.
• Ada was the daughter of Lord Byron, a famous English poet. But her father left when Ada was only a month old. Ada's mother worried that she might turn out to be artistic like her father. So she decided to educate Ada in one of her favorite subjects - mathematics - instead.
• When Ada published notes on the Analytical Engine, she used her initials instead of her name, since it was not considered proper for women to publish academic articles.
• In the 1970s, the U.S. Department of Defense created a computer language named Ada, in her honor.

How about you? Tell me what you've learned today, and I'll enter you in a drawing to win a signed copy of one of my books!

Komodo Dragon Painting by Bhavna Misra

I was so excited to see this beautiful painting by the talented artist Bhavna Misra! It was inspired by one of the photos in my Komodo Dragons book.

Kids, have you made your own picture based on a photo from one of my books? If so, I'd love to publish it on my website. You can send it to me here, and I'll enter your name into a drawing for a free book! Don't forget, you can always send me your stories (fiction or nonfiction, too)!

These Kids Write: Zoe D.

Here are two more entries from Zoe D. First, some great facts about dolphins, one of my favorite animals!

Dolphins eat fish. A baby dolphin is called a calf. Dolphins are great swimmers by moving their tails up and down. Dolphins are mammals. Dolphins live in oceans in New York and Florida and California too. And dolphins get along with humans. Dolphins are afraid of killer whales and sharks and humans too. And they love you too.

And here is Zoe's piece about foxes.

Foxes eat mice. A baby fox is called a kit. A fox lives in Africa and South Africa too. Foxes can be pets too. They can be killed by coyotes. There are red fox and orange and arctic fox. And I love foxes forever and forever.

fox-in-hunting-wallpapers-free-picture on free pictures

Thanks for some more great work, Zoe! Don't forget, kids, if you want to publish your own writing on my site (fiction or nonfiction), send it to me here. Be sure to let me know that you want it published. You can tell me a little about yourself, too, if you'd like. Plus, I'll enter you in a drawing to win a signed copy of one of my books.

Tidbit Tuesday: Heart Transplants

You know I love to learn new things! So I've spent the last few days research heart transplants for a new project. Here's what I've found out:

• More than 4,000 people are currently on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
• The heart nerves are cut during the transplant surgery. As a result, a transplanted heart often beats faster than the patient's original heart.
• Most heart transplant recipients have to take 20 or more drugs and supplements every day to keep his or her body from rejecting the heart or experiencing other complications.

Image courtesy of cooldesign at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What have you learned lately? Tell me in the comments, and you'll be entered into a drawing for a free signed copy of one of my books.

These Kids Write: Hannah B. and Elijah B.

Wow! We now have two published young authors in the house! My daughter Hannah had a poem published in the May issue of Zoobooks:

Even though the bears may not roam
Near our city home
The birds and the bees
Fly over the trees
With the deer in the meadow
And the fish in the stream.

And my son Elijah had a second story published on the Zoobooks website in May:

Once there was a deer. She went to a stream to get a drink. She met an otter. The deer said that she was an otter. Then she met a fox. She said that she was a fox. Then she met a bird. She said that she was a bird. Then she got a drink and went back home. She went to an adult to ask what she was. The adult said she was a deer. "I thought I was an otter, a fox, and a bird. But I am a deer," she said.

According to Zoobooks, they receive more than 800 entries a month, so Hannah and Elijah both did a great job to get chosen! This writer mom couldn't be prouder!

If you want to publish your own writing on my site (fiction or nonfiction), send it to me here. Be sure to let me know that you want it published. You can tell me a little about yourself, too, if you'd like. Plus, I'll enter you in a drawing to win a signed copy of one of my books.

Author Visits: Ripon and Muskego, Wisconsin

Finished out the school year with two great visits. The first was to Ripon, Wisconsin, where I had a chance to talk to the first grade students of my mom's best friend (who has known me since I was a baby) before she retired. Another great group of kids! And I had a chance to read the nonfiction books they had written about animals. Some had even written books about the same animals I've written about!

We had to adjust the Muskego visit by a day due to a water pump problem that closed the school the day I was supposed to visit. Fortunately, we were visiting family, so it was easy to reschedule (and I spent the day off with my family at the park!). And the visit was worth the wait. The kids in Muskego were great - engaged and attentive, even though it was almost the last day of school!

   

   

I always love when kids stick around afterward to chat and ask more questions! Nothing better than talking books and writing with kids!

Author Visit: Holmen, Wisconsin

Wow! I had a great time visiting four elementary schools in Holmen, Wisconsin, last month. This visit was extra-special for me because Holmen is only a few miles from where I live. I told the kids to stop and say "hi" to me if they see me around, and what do you know--a few days later, we were out for my youngest daughter's birthday, and a student did! I felt like a rock star!

Best comment from students: "You inspired me." That's what it's all about!

Here I'm reading from my Centipedes book. If I look a little creeped out, it's because centipedes are not my favorite creatures. But I wrote it--and read it--for the kids!

One of my favorite parts is answering kids' questions: "Why did you become a writer?" (I love books, writing, reading, all of it!), "What's your favorite color?" (purple), and even "How old are you?" (35)