Tag Archives: STEM

Stef Wade Releases 4th Picture Book, MOVING TO MARS

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Latest discoveries in space have even the youngest scientists excited and local author, Stef Wade, is piquing their interest with her newest picture book, MOVING TO MARS, illustrated by Erin Taylor.

As a follow-up to her best-selling, A PLACE FOR PLUTO, Wade highlights the grumpy Mars, who is unhappy when unexpected visitors arrive. But when they leave, Mars realizes being alone isn’t all that great. Mars reaches out to his space friends for comfort and help. Maybe Mars is a people planet after all!

Author Stef Wade (A Place for Pluto) interweaves friendship and humor throughout the space story and seamlessly connects nonfiction information to the narrative in the back matter.

“Since A PLACE FOR PLUTO released in 2018, I’ve had the best time connecting with students and young readers about space. Their knowledge and interest astound me! I’m so excited to share this book about the possibility of living on another planet.”

Stef hopes MOVING TO MARS continues to push the boundaries of possibility in space with young readers while helping with social emotional themes of learning how to adapt to change.

Stef plans to visit classrooms, both in-person and virtually, to share MOVING TO MARS with students across the United States.

She will celebrate the release of this book with a story time at Barnes & Noble in Brookfield, WI on Saturday, August 20 at 10:30 am. Signed books are also available at Boswell Books in Milwaukee.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stef Wade is the award-winning author of A PLACE FOR PLUTO, THE VERY LAST LEAF, Q&U CALL IT QUITS, and MOVING TO MARS. Stef holds a BA in advertising from Marquette University and an MBA in Integrated Marketing Communication from DePaul University. Stef is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Stef was born in Chicago and raised in Des Plaines, Illinois. She currently resides Brookfield, Wisconsin with her husband and three boys.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Erin Taylor loves to travel: by plane, train, automobile and pencil. She has lived in three different hemispheres and strives to reflect her world experiences in her artwork. When Erin’s feet are on the ground she loves time with her family, getting lost in the wild, and visiting the zoo. Drawing is a daily necessity, just like eating, which she also enjoys quite a bit!

Author Stef Wade’s 5th Book, MOVING TO MARS

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I’m over the moon to announce my FIFTH picture book (a whole hand! I know!), MOVING TO MARS, written by me, Stef Wade, and illustrated by Erin Taylor. MOVING TO MARS is published by Capstone and releases in August 2022.

A perfect companion to A PLACE FOR PLUTO, MOVING TO MARS details our favorite red planet who’s not so happy when unexpected visitors show up. But as they leave, Mars realizes being alone isn’t as great as he thought it was. What can he do to make himself a people planet?

Packed with lots of space facts, puns and some old familiar characters, this book is a great addition to any space unit or STEM curriculum.

 

Stay tuned, space fans! Can’t wait to share another out of this world story with you!

-stef

 

A Place for Pluto Home Activities

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Hello space-lovers!

While we spend some time at home, I wanted to put together a place to add activities that supplement A PLACE FOR PLUTO! Check out these links for extra fun at home. I will continue to add to this list. If you have a Pluto activity you’ve used, please feel free to email me the link/materials at [email protected].

Stef Wade’s Facebook Live: A PLACE FOR PLUTO_activitysheet

Capstone: A PLACE FOR PLUTO Activity Kit

Stef Wade’s Pinterest Page: Links to space activities and more! 

The Primary Gal: A Place fo Pluto Story Elements

 

A PLACE FOR PLUTO Recognized as LITA Golden Duck Notable Picture Book

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Pluto belongs on another out-of-this-world list! The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), recently announced the 2019 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists.

I’m happy to announce that A PLACE FOR PLUTO has been recognized as a 2019 Golden Duck Notable Picture Book! Below is a list of all the books, from picture book through young adult. To read the full article, please click here.2019 LITA Golden Duck

The Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List

Bitty Bot’s Big Beach Getaway by Tim McCanna. Illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Paula Wise-man/Simon & Schuster.

Breaking News: Alien Alert by David Biedrzycki. Charlesbridge.

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey. Little, Brown YR.

If You Had a Jetpack by Lisl H. Detlefsen. Illustrated by Linzie Hunter. Knopf.

Little Robot Alone by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade. Illustrated by Melanie Demmer. Capstone Editions.

The Eleanor Cameron Notable Middle Grade Books List

CatStronauts: Robot Rescue by Drew Brockington. Little, Brown YR. (Graphic novel).

Jamie Drake Equation by Christopher Edge. Delacorte.

Margot and Mateo Save the World by Darcy Miller. HarperCollins.

Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron. Scholastic. (Graphic novel).

A Problematic Paradox by Eliot Sappingfield. G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Quantum Mechanics by Jeff Weigel. Lion Forge. (Graphic novel).

Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks. Disney/Hyperion. (Graphic novel).

Star Scouts: The League of Lasers by Mike Lawrence. First Second. (Graphic novel).

The Story Pirates Present: Stuck in the Stone Age by Geoff Rodkey. Rodale Kids.

Too Much Space! (Beep and Bob) by Jonathan Roth. Simon and Schuster BYR.

Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout. HarperCollins.

Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs. Simon & Schuster BYR.

The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown. Little, Brown YR.

The Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List

A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole. Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins.

Cross Fire by Fonda Lee. Scholastic.

The Future Will Be B.S.-Free by Will Mcintosh. Delacorte.

Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre. Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan. Albert Whitman.

Impostors by Scott Westerfeld. Scholastic.

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda. Feiwel and Friends.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Delacorte.

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna. Sky Pony.

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton, Delacorte.

This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson. HarperTeen.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Hyperion.

Your One & Only by Adrianne Finlay. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

A PLACE FOR PLUTO LANDS ON TXLA 2×2 READING LIST

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Texas Library Association 2x2 Reading List

 

I’m excited to share some great news! A PLACE FOR PLUTO was recently announced as part of the Texas Library Association’s (TXLA) 2×2 Reading List. The 2×2 Reading List is a curated list of 20 titles for 2019 that recommends 20 picture book titles for children age 2 through grade 2. This list is designed to encourage reading and is used by parents, teachers, and caregivers in Texas and beyond!

The list of 20 books includes:

A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade, illustrated by Melanie Demmer (Capstone, 2018)

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal (Candlewick, 2018)

Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings (Random House, 2018)

Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli (Random House, 2018)

Festival of Colors by Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal, illustrated by Vashti Harrison (Simon & Schuster, 2018)

How Are You? / ¿Cómo estás? by Angela Dominguez (Henry Holt and Co., 2018)

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by Felicita Sala (Alfred A. Knopf, 2018)

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Scott Magoon (Orchard Books, 2018)

People Don’t Bite People by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Molly Idle (Simon & Schuster, 2018)

Russell Wrestles the Relatives by Cindy Chambers Johnson, illustrated by Daniel Duncan (Aladdin, 2018)

Shake the Tree! By Chiara Vignocchi, illustrated by Silvia Borando (Candlewick, 2018)

Shapes by Jacques Duquennoy (Chronicle, 2018)

Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos, illustrated by T.L. McBeth (Henry Holt and Co., 2018)

Teddy’s Favorite Toy by Christian Trimmer, illustrated by Madeline Valentine (Atheneum Books, 2018)

The Itchy Book by LeUyen Pham (Hyperion Books for Children, 2018)

The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez (Scholastic Press, 2018)

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (Dial Books, 2018)

Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach (Scholastic Press, 2018)

What Do They Do With All That Poo? by Jane Kurtz, illustrated by Allison Black (Beach Lane Books, 2018)

What if… by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Mike Curato (Little, Brown and Company, 2018)

To see the full article, please click here. 

I’m honored that #plutobelongs on this list with so many distinguished and talented authors. It’s an exciting time for Pluto!

Thanks for all of your support!

A PLACE FOR PLUTO Book Launch Event

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I’m excited to announce a special launch party for A PLACE FOR PLUTO! Our awesome friends at Jaunt and Berry Yo in Arlington Heights, IL are teaming up to bring you an exciting day for all things Pluto! Bring family and friends and join me for a fun afternoon!

A PLACE FOR PLUTO BOOK LAUNCH PARTY

Monday, July 2

12:30 – 1:30 p.m
at JAUNT
131 W Wing St, Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Purchase your copy of A PLACE FOR PLUTO

1:30 p.m.
at BERRY YO
50 N Vail Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Reading and Q&A session with Stef Wade, followed by book signing, activities, fro yo and fun!

About Pluto

Pluto got the shock of his life when he was kicked out of the famous nine. His planet status was stripped away, leaving him lost and confused. Poor Pluto! On his quest to find a place where he belongs, he talks to comets, asteroids, and meteoroids. He doesn’t fit it anywhere! But when Pluto is about to give up, he runs into a dwarf planet and finally finds his place in the solar system. This feel-good picture book combines a popular science topic with character education themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and friendship. It has bonus material in the back matter to support curriculum.

About Stef

Stef Wade is the author of A PLACE FOR PLUTO. Growing up in Des Plaines, IL, she dreamed of seeing her book on the shelf one day. And now her dream has come true!  Stef is an alumnus of St. Paul Lutheran School in Mt. Prospect and Maine West High School in Des Plaines. A PLACE FOR PLUTO is her debut picture book and has been chosen by Barnes & Noble for their national storytime on August 11.

“Make space for this clever blend of science and self-realization.” –Kirkus Reviews

“A delightful and accessible take on the redesignation of the Kuiper Belt’s most controversial orbiter.” – Foreward Reviews

 

Barnes & Noble Storytime

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Exciting things have been happening in Pluto’s universe this last week (and we all know he could use a little good news).

A PLACE FOR PLUTO has been chosen by Barnes & Noble as part of their National Storytime for August 11, 2018! What exactly does that mean? Every Barnes & Noble across the country holds a Saturday morning storytime each week with the same book at each store. And they’ve chosen A PLACE FOR PLUTO as one of those books! There will be a reading, worksheets and lots of Pluto love! So mark your calendars for August 11!

I couldn’t be more excited. I literally threw confetti.

And due to this development, the release date for A PLACE FOR PLUTO is now July 1, 2018! You can pre-order from Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, Amazon, Capstone and more.

Just a little over a month and PLUTO will be out on the shelves!