Rosalind Franklin knows that to be a woman in a man’s world is to be invisible. In the 1950s, science is a gentleman’s profession and in the years after WWII there are plenty of scientists who want to keep it that way.

After being segregated at Cambridge, then ignored and criticized in the workplace, she has no intention of being seen as a second-class scientist and throws everything into proving her worth. But despite her success in unlocking the very secret of life, the ultimate glory is claimed by the men she left in her wake.

Inspired by the true story of a woman so many tried to silence, The English Chemist is a tale of hope and perseverance, love and betrayal.

The post The English Chemist: The Story of Rosalind Franklin first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

He was born James Plummer and grew up in poor neighborhoods where  gangs were common. What set him apart were his love of the starlit sky and the mysteries of science and his off-the-charts IQ.

Despite the constant upheaval and turbulence of his home life, James  devoured books, conducted science experiments, and taught himself computer programming, winning a state science fair with his project  modeling Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. His thirst for knowledge would be his guiding star even when destructive habits—a crack cocaine addiction in college and graduate school—nearly derailed his dream of  becoming a research physicist. Although at times he self-sabotaged his life and found the struggle nearly unbearable, he persevered and ultimately became a renowned astrophysicist, changing his name to Hakeem Oluseyi to honor his ancestors.

This honest, compelling memoir will inspire readers to reach for their own dreams.

The post A Quantum Life (Adapted for Young Adults): My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

Named Best Book of the Year by Barnes & Noble, The New York Times/New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal

They All Saw a Cat meets The Important Book in this sensitive and impactful picture book about seeing the world from different points of view by Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Christian Robinson.

In this full, bright, and beautiful picture book, many different perspectives around the world are deftly and empathetically explored—from a pair of bird-watchers to the pigeons they’re feeding. Young readers will be drawn into the luminous illustrations inviting them to engage with the world in a new way and see how everyone is connected, and that everyone matters.

The post You Matter first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

Stick and Stone are sticking together in this hilarious and heart-warming board book that proves once and for all why best friends ROCK!

When Stick rescues Stone from a prickly situation with a Pinecone, the pair become fast friends. But when Stick gets stuck, can Stone return the favor? The author Beth Ferry writes warm, rhyming text that includes a subtle anti-bullying message even the youngest reader will understand. The New York Times best-selling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld imbues Stick and Stone with energy, emotion, and personality to spare. In this fun board book about kindness and friendship, Stick and Stone join George and Martha, Frog and Toad, and Elephant and Piggie as some of the greatest friend duos in children’s literature.

The post Stick and Stone Board Book first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

From the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of Last Stop on Market Street, this bilingual board book is perfect for on-the-go storytime—rain or shine!

The post Rain!/¡Lluvia! Board Book: Bilingual English-Spanish first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

I live in a bog. I live in a mound. My place is a burrow, hidden in the ground.

Are you for SURE? I had NO clue!

Mine’s a burrow! Mine’s a burrow! Mine’s a burrow, too!

This rhyming read-aloud starts off with a porcupine who says, “I live in a tree trunk.” Soon all the baby animals on the page begin eagerly sharing where they live! But when the groundhog and the platypus and the rabbit realize they live in the same dwelling as several other species, they say, “Are you for SURE? I had NO clue!” in a refrain kids will love repeating.

The strong, catchy rhythm and sense of wonder and discovery about the animal kingdom, plus deadpan humor and wonderfully expressive art, make this an addictive repeat read for all ages.

The post I Live in a Tree Trunk first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

The military has for years (unlike many politicians) acknowledged that climate change is real, creating conditions so extreme that some military officials fear future climate wars. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Defense—military forces and DOD agencies—is the largest single energy consumer in the United States and the world’s largest institutional greenhouse gas emitter. In this eye-opening book, Neta Crawford traces the U.S. military’s growing consumption of energy and calls for a reconceptualization of foreign policy and military doctrine. Only such a rethinking, she argues, will break the link between national security and fossil fuels.

The Pentagon, Climate Change, and War shows how the U.S. economy and military together have created a deep and long-term cycle of economic growth, fossil fuel use, and dependency. This cycle has shaped U.S. military doctrine and, over the past fifty years, has driven the mission to protect access to Persian Gulf oil. Crawford shows that even as the U.S. military acknowledged and adapted to human-caused climate change, it resisted reporting its own greenhouse gas emissions.

Examining the idea of climate change as a “threat multiplier” in national security, she argues that the United States faces more risk from climate change than from lost access to Persian Gulf oil—or from most military conflicts. The most effective way to cut military emissions, Crawford suggests provocatively, is to rethink U.S. grand strategy, which would enable the United States to reduce the size and operations of the military.

The post The Pentagon, Climate Change, and War: Charting the Rise and Fall of U.S. Military Emissions first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

The Intersectional Environmentalist examines the inextricable link between environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and promotes awareness of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people — especially those most often unheard. Written by Leah Thomas, a prominent voice in the field and the activist who coined the term “Intersectional Environmentalism,” this book is simultaneously a call to action, a guide to instigating change for all, and a pledge to work towards the empowerment of all people and the betterment of the planet.

Thomas shows how not only are Black, Indigenous and people of color unequally and unfairly impacted by environmental injustices, but she argues that the fight for the planet lies in tandem to the fight for civil rights; and in fact, that one cannot exist without the other. An essential read, this book addresses the most pressing issues that the people and our planet face, examines and dismantles privilege, and looks to the future as the voice of a movement that will define a generation.

The post The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

Hi! I am Great White Shark, and if you get this book, you’ll read all about ME–the greatest shark in the sea!

Not so fast! Greenland Shark here, and as the oldest shark in this book, that makes me the greatest.

Did someone say fast? I’m Mako Shark, and I’m the fastest shark in this book! Eat my bubbles!

Wow, I’m Hammerhead Shark. You don’t need my special eyes to see that there are lots of great sharks in this book. Sink your teeth into it now!

New York Times bestselling author Joan Holub makes a splash with bestselling illustrator Laurie Keller to deliver an entertaining undersea story filled with the greatest shark facts in the ocean!

The post I Am the Shark first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

Something strange happened on an unremarkable day just before the season changed.

Everybody who was outside . . .

. . . went inside.

Outside, it was quieter, wilder, and different. Inside, we laughed, we cried, and we grew.

We remembered to protect the ones we love and love the ones who protect us.

While the world changed outside, we became stronger on the inside and believed that someday soon spring would come again.

The post Outside, Inside first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.