Super Soaker Inventor Lonnie Johnson

by Heather E. Schwartz

Overview

As a kid, Lonnie Johnson liked to invent things. He often faced prejudice as an African American growing up in the segregated southern United States, but he eventually became an engineer for the US Air Force and NASA. He was working on a different invention when he came up with the idea for a new type of water gun. Johnson knew his toy was more powerful than other squirt guns—he just needed to find a way to make the Super Soaker available to kids all over the country. Learn how Johnson overcame many challenges to become a brilliant engineer and inventor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512456325
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Series:	STEM Trailblazer Bios Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

When Heather E. Schwartz was thirteen years old, she tracked down several lead orphans from the 1983 movie "Annie" and interviewed them by phone. As an adult, she realized she could apply those same early instincts to a career as a journalist and writer. She is the author of more than 35 nonfiction children's titles, published by Lerner Publishing Group, Capstone Press, Teacher Created Materials, Lucent Books, and Tangerine Press, a Scholastic imprint. She has written articles for National Geographic Kids and Discovery Girls. In addition, she developed the content for KidsGetArthritisToo.org, the juvenile section of the Arthritis Foundation's website. Other credits in the children's market include articles for Teen, Girls' Life, and All About You magazines. Additionally, Ms. Schwartz is a former editor at Bridal Guide magazine, co-author of Bridal Guide Magazine's How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Gown (Warner, 2004), and contributor to The Takeout Cookbook (Knock Knock 2007).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Fearless Inventor 4

Chapter 2 Capturing Attention 10

Chapter 3 Superior Soaker 14

Chapter 4 Super Soaker Success 20

Chapter 5 Forward Thinker 24

Timeline 29

Source Notes 30

Glossary 30

Further Information 31

Index 32

Editorial Reviews

"[N]atural companion texts for maker spaces. . . . Upbeat profiles of admirable STEM figures and fine additions to biography collections."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher