Girls Think of Everything

March 4, 2002
PW
called this compilation of personal profiles "an inspired ode to women inventors." Ages 8-up.

Gr 4-8-This updated edition of the 2000 collective biography showcases greater diversity in its representation of women inventors. Each chapter focuses on challenging problems that spark creative solutions that have changed, or promise to change, the world. Most of the subjects from the original are retained, now balanced with women of color and women from outside the United States. New profiles include Alissa Chavez, a Latinx teen who invented the Hot Seat to prevent infant deaths in hot cars; Azza Abdelhamid Faiad, an Egyptian teen who devised a method of turning recycled plastic into fuel; and Kiara Nirghin, a South African teen who came up with a way to fight drought using the absorbency of orange peels. Thimmesh profiles young inventors who are trying to solve contemporary problems, with creations that rely on modern technology. Many of them raise capital for their projects via crowdfunding, which will likely inspire readers. Expanded resources for aspiring scientists and a time line that emphasizes more recent inventions are welcome changes. Tweaks to the original artwork and additions in the same collage style are fun and creative. In a growing marketplace of works about women transforming the world, this title holds its own. VERDICT Update shelves with this revised version, and add to any library needing more titles about women in STEM.-Alex Graves, Manchester City Library, NH