Cece Loves Science and Adventure (Cece Loves Science Series #2)

by Kimberly Derting, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator), Shelli R. Johannes

Overview

“Smart girls, friendship, and fun: a winning combination.” —Kirkus

“A wonderful book.” —School Library Journal

Cece loves science and adventure!

In this STEM-themed Girls in Science picture book, Cece and her Adventure Girls troop use science, technology, engineering, and math to solve problems and earn their camping pin. Illustrated by New York Times–bestseller Vashti Harrison, Cece Loves Science and Adventure is perfect for fans of Ada Twist, Scientist and anyone who enjoys asking questions and figuring out how things work.

Cece loves being an Adventure Girl almost as much as she loves science, which is why she can’t wait for her troop’s camping trip. Nature is full of science for Cece to explore!

Along with her friends, her mom, and her dog, Einstein, Cece learns how to pitch a tent, set up a campsite, and document landmarks on the trail. Then thunder booms in the distance! Working together, the girls use meteorology and math to determine the location of the storm; engineering to build a shelter; and technology and math to calculate the length of the trek back to the campsite. After all that teamwork, Cece’s mom gives them an Adventure Girl surprise!

Illustrated by Vashti Harrison, author and illustrator of the New York Times–bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, Cece Loves Science and Adventure is just right for curious kids and anyone who loves to explore the great outdoors. 

Includes a glossary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062499622
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Series:	Cece Loves Science Series , #2
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	237,437
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kimberly Derting is the author of the Cece Loves Science series, the Body Finder series, the Pledge trilogy, and the Taking series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find things they say buried in the pages of their mother’s books. You can visit her online at www.kimberlyderting.com.

Vashti Harrison is the author-artist of the New York Times bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History and the artist of the Cece Loves Science series. She earned her MFA in Film/Video from CalArts and BA from the University of Virginia. Her experimental films and documentaries have been shown around the world at film festivals. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Shelli R. Johannes is coauthor of nine books in the Loves Science series (co/Kimberly Derting), Theo Thesaurus series, Shine Like a Unicorn, and Penny: An Engineering Tale of the Fourth Pig (Capstone, Fall 2022).

She is also the critically-acclaimed author of teen novels (written as SR Johannes) including the Nature of Grace series (Untraceable, Uncontrollable, and Unstoppable), Rewired, and On the Bright Side.

She can often be found on highways and country roads saving strays and other jaywalking critters, or volunteering with animal conservation groups like the Atlanta Zoo, the Dolphin Project, and Bosley’s puppy orphanage. After earning a master’s in marketing and working as an executive in Corporate America, Shelli traded out her heels and suits for flip-flops and jeans so she could follow her passion of writing.

She lives in Atlanta with her pack of animals: a British husband, two kids, one bird, one fish, and two crazy Goldendoodles who hate vegetables.

Editorial Reviews

05/27/2019

In a follow-up to Cece Loves Science, Derting and Johannes’s protagonist is a science lover who struggles with activities such as sewing, jewelry-making, and dance. (Harrison’s perky digital illustrations picture African-American Cece in a lab coat in her treehouse nook, microscope at-hand.) Cece prepares to go camping with her fellow Adventure Girls, her mother, and her dog Einstein. While hiking, Cece eyes the skies when dark clouds gather and her mother’s GPS fails. Recalling her science teacher Ms. Curie’s meteorology lesson (“Mom, I think a storm is coming”), Cece helps the campers find their way to the campsite. Derting and Johannes model the practical uses of STEM a touch heavy-handedly, but this volume continues to build out their worthy message about girls embracing science. Ages 4–8. (June)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2019

K-Gr 3—Readers see Cece's scientific bent on the opening spread where she wears a lab coat and safety goggles, but they also learn that she enjoys earning Adventure Girl pins. Her attempts to earn previous pins offer humorous moments, such as when "the dance lesson totally tripped her up" or the sewing challenge "had her in stitches." A troop outing gives Cece and her friends a chance to earn their camping pins as the girls head out to the park with their leader and mascot (Cece's mom and her dog Einstein). When a sudden storm causes some difficulties, the girls use teamwork to salvage their camping trip. The story shows how STEM skills mesh together in a problem situation with each discipline playing an integral part of the solution. Warm illustrations show the adventurers creating a map to their campsite, taking a selfie, and other memorable moments. The array of adept female characters are sure to become reader favorites, as will Einstein. Back matter includes a list of "Cece's Science Facts," which explain some of the terms and concepts like time stamp and GPS. VERDICT A wonderful book for fans of Ada Twist; it is also perfect for a STEM read-aloud.—Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary School, Maryville, TN

School Library Journal

2019-03-12
Cece uses her science skills at camp with her friends.

Cece is excited for her Adventure Girls camping trip, where, with her mother as group leader, she'll be able to explore science in nature with her friends Daisy and Caroline. As a scout and as a scientist, she uses checklists to pack and be prepared. At camp, the girls work together to set up their tent; a series of illustrations shows how. When they go on a hike, Cece takes pictures of landmarks to track their route. When the sky grows dark, Cece uses her knowledge of types of clouds and the timing between thunder and lightning to figure out how far away the storm is. When her mom's GPS stops working, Cece recommends using her pictures to make a map back to the campsite. With some clever improvisation, they make a shelter to stay dry and then find their way back to camp. For their problem-solving and science, the girls earn more than just the camping badge. (One wonders how prepared the leader was, but no matter; Cece to the rescue!) The bright, animation-style illustrations depict fluffy-haired Cece and her straight-haired mother; Daisy sports braids and a darker skin tone, and Caroline appears Asian. (Cece's white dad, introduced in Cece Loves Science, 2018, stays at home in this outing.) Cece's checklists and notes are interspersed throughout, Magic Schoolbus-style, and an endnote defines science terms.

Smart girls, friendship, and fun: a winning combination. (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews