March’s book: Rosie Revere, Engineer by author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts

Join us to celebrate creativity, perseverance, and problem-solving through second-grader, Rosie. When her great-great-aunt Rose comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal — to fly — Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. In the process, Rosie learns the only real failure for an inventor is giving up.

As General Dwight D. Eisenhower was leading troops to liberate Europe in World War II, thousands of women on America's home front were stepping into new work roles to build all the planes, ships, and equipment our soldiers needed to win the war. They were called Rosie the Riveters and they not only were critical to the success of World War II, but forever changed the opportunities for women in the work force. Additionally, the need for solutions to the many challenges that war presented led to the intentional (and sometimes accidental) of many new inventions. From portable military bridges and computers to the slinky and silly-putty, scientists, engineers, and inventors supplied a steady stream of new products that helped make victory possible.

April’s book: Ron’s Big Mission by authors Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden, and illustrated by Don Tate

Nine-year-old Ron loved going to the Lake City Public Library to look through all the books on airplanes and flight. But in the segregated world of South Carolina in the 1950s, Ron was not allowed to check out books. This is an inspiring story, based on Ron McNair’s life, of how a little boy —  who grew up to be a scientist and astronaut — desegregated his town’s library through peaceful resistance.

President Eisenhower was an advocate for both civil rights and space exploration. During his two-term presidency, he passed the first federal civil rights legislation since the Civil War, enforced the Supreme Court’s ruling to desegregate U.S. schools, and signed into law the creation of NASA! Therefore, this book is a wonderful glimpse into the effects President Eisenhower’s actions had on one boy’s life.  After reading and discussing this wonderful book, students will create and launch a straw rocket of their own.

May’s book: Old Hat New Hat by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Brother Bear explores the concepts of size and shape as he shops for a new hat. He tries on frilly hats and silly hats, bumpy hats and lumpy hats, until he finds the most perfect hat of all--his own! Using Old Hat, New Hat, and Dwight D. Eisenhower: Man of Many Hats by Kenneth M. Deitch and Jo Anne B. Weisman, students will be introduced to many of the hats Dwight Eisenhower wore throughout his life, beginning with the baseball hat he wore when he played on the AHS baseball team, to the newsboy hat he wore when golfing in his retirement, and all of those in between.