Nancy Grace Roman was the first Chief of Astronomy at NASA, in 1959, when the agency began. She was also the first woman to hold an executive position there. Her charge at the agency was to plan a program of satellites and rockets with the advice of a wide sample of the nation's astronomical community.
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Saturday, April 22, 2023 - Ohioana Book Festival - Columbus Metropolitan Library - 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, OH 43215
During my telephone interview with Nancy Grace Roman back in 2015, she mentioned the book she and her friends used in their neighborhood astronomy club. It turned out to be the one pictured above. I located it on Amazon and when I interviewed her in person in 2016 I brought it with me for her to autograph. What a treasure!
Here is a portion about that from the first interview: Did you have afterschool activities or astronomy clubs? We certainly had afterschool activities, but no astronomy clubs. I did have help from the fact that for two years we lived in Reno between the ages, well I went to fifth and sixth grade there, and we had clear dark skies, particularly the second year, I guess the second 18 months where we lived in a block that only had three houses in the whole block and there was a ranch on one side of us so we really had dark skies. It probably had something to do with (my astronomy interest) but I don’t think it’s the whole thing. I think I was interested in it even before that. What was it that you wanted to learn in astronomy? I don’t really know. I never had a telescope. Amateur telescopes that were worth anything were not common or cheap in my childhood. But I’m not sure that what I was really interested in was more the science than just looking although I did form an astronomy club between 5th and 6th grade to get my friends to meet with me once a week during the summer to study the constellations. So, did you have a book to refer to? There was a book called “Seeing Stars” which you could buy for 10 cents in those days, believe it or not, I’ll call it a hardback book. It was not a softback book in the sense that the book cover was sturdy but it was a pamphlet type book. But it was quite nice. It had a page for each constellation, a picture of the constellation, a description of where it was, and a little bit about the subject and we used that as a textbook. Were you successful. Did you find all the constellations? Yes, I think so. This was summer so we couldn’t really find the winter constellations. It was a very easy book to follow. It was a good book. This was around 1937 or 1936. I am excited to be attending this event this year promoting my book HER EYES WERE ON THE STARS: NANCY GRACE ROMAN, "MOTHER OF HUBBLE" SPACE TELESCOPE, published by Braughler Books.
It will be a fun-filled day with panel discussions, conversations, readings, and activities, plus an on-site book fair with The Book Loft of German Village where you can shop for books by your favorite festival authors and get them signed! For the gift giver who enjoys bundling presents, here are a few clever ideas to accompany HER EYES WERE ON THE STARS: NANCY GRACE ROMAN, "MOTHER OF HUBBLE" SPACE TELESCOPE. LEGO has great accessories to accompany the book. For ages 10 and up your child can build the three sets that come with the Women in NASA kit. Or, for the expert builder who enjoys the ultra building experience, try the Space Shuttle Discovery with his cargo, the Hubble Telescope. If your child enjoys paper projects, this NASA ESA Hubble Space Telescope model kit might be a good choice. High quality. This detailed wooden ornament, available on Etsy, would make a nice astronomy gift. This is a great option for the girl who wants to show off her love of astronomy. These are nail stickers with images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, by ORLY. This Hubble Space Telescope poster is available from Mighty Toy. It would brighten up any bedroom wall. From Sega Homestar comes the perfect gift for the star lover, just as Nancy Grace Roman was. This galaxy star projector stores over 6,000 stars per disk. A home planetarium is good for the entire family. There is an original and Flux model, and the Flux has lots of improvements. Astronomy for Kids (available print or digital) is a special issue from Astronomy Magazine filled with projects and fun facts and articles. This would be great for the child that really wants to delve into the universe! This beginner's telescope is a great idea for looking at real stars! The Star Seeker bundled set includes lots of extras! Available from AmScope. This astronomy-lovers t-shirt would be great for kids to show off their interest in space. Available in many colors from teepublic.com. Fluxx Astronomy Plus is a card game for 2-6 players, ages 8 and up. This is available from American Science Surplus. Go to sciplus.com. This decorative crystal ball has the names of the planets etched into the glass. It's beautiful and educational. The lights switch between six colors. What a great bedside gift for the young astronomer. This 3D model comes from Qianwei.
Gayle Cobb is the illustrator of my book HER EYES WERE ON THE STARS. I met Gayle originally through the Cincinnati chapter of SCBWI and I chose her to illustrate this book because of her style - which was a more realistic and detailed style - that I thought worked well for the subject and age range I was aiming for. It's not standard for an author to choose and work directly with an illustrator. However, I intended to publish this book myself and originally planned to go through Ingram. Gayle already had experience working with Braughler Books, a hybrid publishing company, and after talking with both Gayle and David Braughler, I decided this was a better way to go. Though Gayle was willing to go with whatever decision I made, working with Braughler Books ended up being the right choice for me as an author who had never independently published a book. The process was seamless and I couldn’t be happier with the results. The book is absolutely beautiful and I receive many comments on the stunning artwork. Here are more answers to questions you’d want to know about Gayle.
I am excited to be attending this event this year promoting my book HER EYES WERE ON THE STARS: NANCY GRACE ROMAN, "MOTHER OF HUBBLE" SPACE TELESCOPE, published by Braughler Books.
I am so pleased that my book is getting coverage in the local papers!
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I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
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