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Short Wave

Kids' Books Where Science Is The Adventure

Short Wave

NPR

Daily News, Nature, Life Sciences, Astronomy, Science, News

4.76K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2020

⏱️ 11 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Maddie talks with author and neuroscientist Theanne Griffith about her new children's book series, The Magnificent Makers, which follows two intrepid third graders as they race to complete science-based adventures.

Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0

You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

0:06.0

The N Griffith has always had two loves in life. Science and books.

0:11.5

Well, I've always been a very avid reader and I've always really enjoyed writing.

0:17.0

So ever since I was a young kid, I've done both. I entered in writing competitions.

0:21.5

Over time, that love of writing and reading for fun took a backseat to her work as a neuroscientist.

0:28.5

She became the head of her own lab at Rutgers University.

0:32.5

But then, on maternity leave with her first daughter, she decided to take a leap and jumpstart that passion for writing.

0:40.0

I don't know if it was like the postpartum hormones or whatever, but I just kind of had this like...

0:47.0

I don't know if I would call it an epiphany, but just something said, you know what, just do this, Leanne.

0:52.0

And you've been wanting to do this for a long time, just do it.

0:56.0

And so, I changed my Twitter handle to, you know, children's book writer.

1:02.0

And started writing and trying to figure out how to explain science concepts to kiddos.

1:08.0

And it kind of just snowballed from there a bit.

1:11.0

And so, the Magnificent Makers book series was born.

1:15.0

And I will say, as a grown adult woman, I found these books delightful.

1:21.0

So, these books follow best friends, Pablo and Violet on these out of this world science adventures.

1:28.0

They're routinely zapped out of their third grade science class, one time getting sucked into a magical microscope.

1:35.0

And they go on these science adventures in this magical laboratory or magical maker space called the Maker Maze.

1:42.0

And they're accompanied by a kind of cookie scientist called Dr. Crisp.

1:48.0

Who has some really legit rainbow hair. Shout out queer science fam.

1:53.0

I want to make these books as inclusive as possible for everyone, you know.

1:57.0

Well, I'm gonna tell you what, I saw it and I liked it.

...

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