Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures (Girls in Science)

What style building do you live in? Is it a skyscraper, a Victorian home, or a modern building? In Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures, readers ages 9 to 12 examine the stories of women who are today designing the houses, schools, museums, and public spaces where we spend our time.

Architecture is the planning, designing, and construction of buildings and other structures. It’s architects who figure out what style of building fits best in a certain space, what the structure should look like, how it needs to be built to withstand the environment, and what materials best suit the needs of the people who are using the structure. Art, engineering, science, technology―architecture involves all these disciplines, and more!

Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures examines the history of architecture and the journey of three women who are working as architects today. Patricia Galván works in commercial and interior architecture and is the chairwoman for the American Institute of Architects’ Women in Architecture committee. Farida Abu-Bakare was born in Qatar and raised in Canada. Today, she is an architect who designs science labs for universities and other institutions. Maia Small works as an architect and urban designer at the City of San Francisco Planning Department. She has also taught architecture at Harvard University, Rhode Island School of Design, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sidebars on important female architects throughout history, quotes, and essential questions for readers are included throughout the text in order to encourage critical thinking and self-drawn conclusions. The book also includes a timeline, glossary, and further resources for readers to further investigate the topic.

Nomad Press books in the Girls in Science series provide a comprehensive foundation about both a field of STEM study and women who have contributed to it in meaningful ways. Essential questions embedded within every chapter, QR codes linked to online primary sources, and language that’s designed to encourage readers to connect prior knowledge to new information make these books an integrative reading experience that encourages further, student-led research. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while encouraging them to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.

According to the National Foundation of Science, 66 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys in fourth grade say they like STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), but by eighth grade twice as many boys as girls are interested in STEM careers. Why do so many girls turn away from science? One reason is persistent stereotypes and another is a lack of role models. Nomad Press books in the Girls in Science series supply a bridge between girls’ interests and their potential futures by investigating science careers and introducing women who have succeeded in science.

Titles in the series include: Technology: Cool Women Who Code; Astronomy: Cool Women in Space; Engineering: Cool Women Who Design; Forensics: Cool Women Who Investigate; Aviation: Cool Women Who Fly; Marine Biology: Cool Women Who Dive; Archaeology: Cool Women Who Dig; Zoology: Cool Women Who Work with Animals; and Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures; and Meteorology: Cool Women Who Weather Storms.

Elizabeth Schmermund is a writer, editor, scholar, and teacher. She has written more than 15 books for students and young readers, including New Frontiers in Astronomy, The Persian Gulf War and the War in Iraq, and Women Warriors. She lives in the New York metro area with her family. Lena H. Chandhok earned her degree from the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2011. Her work for Nomad Press includes illustrating Technology: Cool Women Who Design; Astronomy: Cool Women in Space; Marine Biology: Cool Women Who Dive; Aviation: Cool Women Who Fly; Archaeology: Cool Women Who Dig; and Zoology: Cool Women Who Work With Animals. Lena currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.