What do you think?
Rate this book
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. Their creations are some of the most enduring (the windshield wiper) and best loved (the chocolate chip cookie). What inspired these women, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities? Features women inventors Ruth Wakefield, Mary Anderson, Stephanie Kwolek, Bette Nesmith Graham, Patsy O. Sherman, Ann Moore, Grace Murray Hopper, Margaret E. Knight, Jeanne Lee Crews, and Valerie L. Thomas, as well as young inventors ten-year-old Becky Schroeder and eleven-year-old Alexia Abernathy. Illustrated in vibrant collage by Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2000
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
September 20, 2018
Very short but with tons of information about some of the inventions of women and girls. There is also some excellent instructions on patenting inventions.
March 30, 2011
Women try the darnedest things, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of curiosity, sometimes out of sheer determination to make something better.
What was even more interesting to me in this book which is illustrated to appeal to women and girls with headings and sidebars lettered in pink -was how various are the amounts and worth with which women's efforts are rewarded commercially!
Ever noticed that Toll-House chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag? Read this book and you'll learn how it got there and what Ruth Wakefield received for selling the right to reprint her recipe.
Guess how much Margaret Knight the inventor of the machine that made the first flat bottomed paper bags was worth when she died?
Ever turned on your windshield wipers in a rainstorm? Mary Anderson designed the first windshield wipers but couldn't sell her invention to men. We read in Girls Think of Everything that the patent for the worthless device expired. This is the weakest bio in the book -we never learn how long she held the patent before it expired(only 17 years) or whether she made any money off it (it is implied that she didn't but that's probably not true).
Even still, You'll find the answers to the questions above and more in Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women which is a visual feast for a book of its type!
What was even more interesting to me in this book which is illustrated to appeal to women and girls with headings and sidebars lettered in pink -was how various are the amounts and worth with which women's efforts are rewarded commercially!
Ever noticed that Toll-House chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag? Read this book and you'll learn how it got there and what Ruth Wakefield received for selling the right to reprint her recipe.
Guess how much Margaret Knight the inventor of the machine that made the first flat bottomed paper bags was worth when she died?
Ever turned on your windshield wipers in a rainstorm? Mary Anderson designed the first windshield wipers but couldn't sell her invention to men. We read in Girls Think of Everything that the patent for the worthless device expired. This is the weakest bio in the book -we never learn how long she held the patent before it expired(only 17 years) or whether she made any money off it (it is implied that she didn't but that's probably not true).
Even still, You'll find the answers to the questions above and more in Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women which is a visual feast for a book of its type!
June 28, 2017
This book aimed seemingly at older children is a more text heavy version of the more recently published "Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed The World". Some of the trivia about each featured woman is nearly verbatim. There are enough differences to make it a unique and inspiring read, particularly the difference in reading level and depth of content. While Women in Science focuses on the lives and discoveries of females in scientific fields, Girls Think of Everything has a more general focus on not just scientific discoveries but inventions in general. The author walks the reader through WHY the invention was needed, then their discovery process on HOW it actually came to be.
Another distinction that gave this book bonus points, in my opinion, was not just the inclusion of the discoveries of adults, but also girls who filed for patents on their own inventions (though far fewer than the adults listed. An additional plus is a brief overview on how the patent process works, and contact information in case the inventor in your life decides to take their sketches and dreams to the next level.
The front and back covers are lists of women not necessarily covered in the text, but could provide a starting point for further research into female inventors. A few other books are listed as additional reading material, and a very short sources section is also listed.
Another distinction that gave this book bonus points, in my opinion, was not just the inclusion of the discoveries of adults, but also girls who filed for patents on their own inventions (though far fewer than the adults listed. An additional plus is a brief overview on how the patent process works, and contact information in case the inventor in your life decides to take their sketches and dreams to the next level.
The front and back covers are lists of women not necessarily covered in the text, but could provide a starting point for further research into female inventors. A few other books are listed as additional reading material, and a very short sources section is also listed.
July 2, 2017
This book offers brief overviews of 10 inventions by American women, and 2 modern day inventions by girls. The focus is on the inventions themselves rather than the women behind them and the adversities they had to overcome. Some of the inventions were really fun to read about, like windshield wipers and Liquid Paper. Other overviews were not interesting at all, like the computer compiler and Scotchgard. The main focus is inventions in science and engineering, which is so important for youth to read about and learn examples of women succeeding in these fields. The one thing that really bothered me about each of the overviews was basic information, like the year and location of the inventor, were never mentioned. The illustrations are a mix of collage and hand drawings, and are very nice and engaging (particularly the front cover). This book would be good for browsing and getting ideas of who you would like to research more in-depth for a larger project. On its own, it was too brief and (disappointingly) did not provide a lot of insight.
June 30, 2011
Written and illustrated by two entreprenuerial women in their own right, Catherine Thimmesh and Melissa Sweet's book, Girls Think of Everything, Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women, is an inspiring look at women's little known or recognized role with inventions in medicine, science, household products and high-tech gadgets. A perfect book of trivia for older elementary students and up, readers will learn the innovative role women have played throughout history and how so many well known products evolved out of curiosity, necessity and accidents. Things like the Apgar score, disposable diapers, windshield wipers, Kevlar, Liquid Paper, Scotchguard, paper bags and drugs for the treatment of leukemia and kidney transplant rejection. The endpapers include a thorough list of creativity camps for kid inventors, a source list, and a timeline of women's inventions since 1946. A fun and eductional easy read.
June 27, 2013
Bought this book for my granddaughter. I enjoyed the dozen stories of women inventors and their everyday products: liquid paper, Tollhouse chocolate cookie recipe, kevlar, windshield wipers,Scotchgard, the Snugli, computer compiler, flat bottomed paper bag and more.
Find that I'm torn in who to give the book to and may order more copies for nieces and library. It is a paperback - but such great stories.
Would be good in pediatricians offices...
Was nice to find that I know one of the inventors - of the snugli. She and her husband are active in our Returned Peace Corps Group here in Denver as well as in Washington DC.
Find that I'm torn in who to give the book to and may order more copies for nieces and library. It is a paperback - but such great stories.
Would be good in pediatricians offices...
Was nice to find that I know one of the inventors - of the snugli. She and her husband are active in our Returned Peace Corps Group here in Denver as well as in Washington DC.
June 7, 2017
Cool idea, but not weighty enough to really make a difference. Some of these inventions seem so trivial (chocolate chip cookies? really?), and the overwhelming refrain of "she didn't receive any compensation for her invention, but... [she got a lifetime supply of chocolate,etc.]" got pretty depressing.
February 8, 2021
This covers a wide range of items and innovations that were invented by women. Many I was not aware of, and I'm glad the information is compiled. I really wish the title had not used the word "Girls" to refer to these grown women, and I wish there was a layout of facts on each introduction page - name, invention, year it was invented. It is also very disheartening to see how many of these were invented by women, but they received no credit and/or compensation. Blerg.
January 1, 2018
This was great but i wish it was a bit more complex and tackled more women from the lists on the first and last pages, as well as more than an honorable mention for enterprising women of color. But as an intro about kickass women it works nicely.
August 19, 2021
As a teacher and parent, I've read it a couple times a year to my elementary students. It is about important women for girls & boys, women & men, and non-binaries, etc. It's for us to become aware of all the women who never made it to the older history books.
I preface it in an honest, open way to help kids know that it "used to be" male/white oriented, but is now expanding to all people who are change makers. I loved learning more about these women, too. Gorgeous illustrations. About 60 some glossy, beautiful pages.
I preface it in an honest, open way to help kids know that it "used to be" male/white oriented, but is now expanding to all people who are change makers. I loved learning more about these women, too. Gorgeous illustrations. About 60 some glossy, beautiful pages.
July 20, 2015
With short entries, Thimmesh shares how women created ingenious inventions ranging from eminently helpful like Liquid Paper or the windshield wiper, to technically complex like the “space bumper” that protects NASA spacecraft and astronauts. The book ends with suggestions and resources to help young women start inventing on their own.
June 16, 2017
مجموعه خوبی از جالب ترین تا پیچیده ترین اختراعاتی که توسط زنان به ثبت رسیده که همراه با تصویر گری های زیبایی هستش. رِنج اختراعات مناسب و ساده س. از کوکی های چیپس شکلاتی و برف پاک کن ماشین گرفته تا تکنولوژی های پیشرفته مثل سپر فضایی و ... . سیستم روایت داستان، هر اختراع رو خیلی خوب از ابتدا تا انتها بیان میکنه و به تصویر میکشه.
July 9, 2012
A fabulous book. It was well written in a fun manner telling of how women have been inventors forever. It tells when the first woman was allowed a patent. This is a good book for you women readers to read and know how inventive women are!
October 23, 2013
It's true! i love this book because it talks about all the ingenious women inventions, like the chocolate chip cookie, etc. i recommend this book to anyone, but especially girls, of course.
August 22, 2018
Every student memorizes “Thomas Edison found the lightbulb and illuminated mankind” or “Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and let a new era begin in the communication”. But why don’t we memorize women inventors whose inventions made our lives much easier, and led many other inventions to be done? This is evidence that girls also think, girls also invent, girls can also be inventors. You will find out inspiring stories of women inventors and their interesting creations from delicious chocolate chip cookies to indispensable parts of cars, windshield wipers. One of the best thing about the book is absolutely its cover picture. It is very creative and original. It shows just a few things women think about. Scissor glasses are an amazing idea. Loved it! Also, the pictures are as good as the cover picture, they are all beautiful, all interesting. By the way, as well as successful women inventors there are a few smart young girls who invented and inspired lots of people. Why wouldn’t you be one of them? At the end of the book, the author wrote the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s address and phone number. Believe in yourself and try. Even if it doesn’t happen in your first try you will succeed if you keep working. Don’t forget, when Edison made 1000 unsuccessful attempts to invent the lightbulb, a reporter asked him “How did it feel to fail 1000 times?” Edison replied “I didn’t fail 1000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1000 steps!”.
November 30, 2021
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women is a middle grade picture anthology of mini-biographies written by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. It is a compilation of short biographies of seventeen inventors that happens to be women.
For the most part, this biographic anthology is written and constructed rather well. These biographies range from Ruth Wakefield – inventor of the chocolate chip cookies to Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen – creators of Roominate. Thimmesh had selected a group of diverse innovators from around the world and different walks of life.
These seventeen mini-biographies in fifteen sections cover approximately four pages of written work with mini-portraits and associated illustrations done by Sweet. Backmatter includes a timeline with many more women inventors, selected bibliography, glossary, and index.
The women that Thimmesh had chosen are: Virginia Apgar, Ruth Wakefield, Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta, Mary Anderson, Azza Abdelhamid Faiad, Stephanie Kwolek, Alissa Chavez, Grace Murray Hooper, Trisha Prabhu, Margaret E. Knight, Patricia Bath, Jeanne Lee Crews, Kiara Nirghin, Patsy O. Sherman, Ann More, and Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen.
All in all, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women is a wonderful collection of mini-biographies of ingenious women whose inventions had made life simpler and better.
For the most part, this biographic anthology is written and constructed rather well. These biographies range from Ruth Wakefield – inventor of the chocolate chip cookies to Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen – creators of Roominate. Thimmesh had selected a group of diverse innovators from around the world and different walks of life.
These seventeen mini-biographies in fifteen sections cover approximately four pages of written work with mini-portraits and associated illustrations done by Sweet. Backmatter includes a timeline with many more women inventors, selected bibliography, glossary, and index.
The women that Thimmesh had chosen are: Virginia Apgar, Ruth Wakefield, Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta, Mary Anderson, Azza Abdelhamid Faiad, Stephanie Kwolek, Alissa Chavez, Grace Murray Hooper, Trisha Prabhu, Margaret E. Knight, Patricia Bath, Jeanne Lee Crews, Kiara Nirghin, Patsy O. Sherman, Ann More, and Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen.
All in all, Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women is a wonderful collection of mini-biographies of ingenious women whose inventions had made life simpler and better.
April 25, 2017
"Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women" is a collection of truly inspirational short stories that recognize the inventions of ambitious women who overcame unfavorable odds to impact the world. From everyday inventions such as disposable diapers, to medical inventions such as a drug to treat Leukemia, women have influenced the world in more ways than society tends to recognize. One invention that I really enjoyed reading about is the woman who invented windshield wipers, which is a hardware that many automatically assume was first created by a man. In addition to the remarkable stories within this book, Catherine Thimmesh includes a timeline of each of the inventions that creates a visual for the reader. Overall, this book encourages young readers, especially girls, to always "shoot for the stars" and set high goals for themselves, even when others may be discouraging.
This is a great book to incorporate into an engineering lesson. I would start my lesson with this book as a source of inspiration for my students to challenge themselves during the design task at hand. I could also see this as a book that could enlighten an entire class on the capabilities of individuals, regardless of gender, if there is a consistent discrimination issue within my classroom.
This is a great book to incorporate into an engineering lesson. I would start my lesson with this book as a source of inspiration for my students to challenge themselves during the design task at hand. I could also see this as a book that could enlighten an entire class on the capabilities of individuals, regardless of gender, if there is a consistent discrimination issue within my classroom.
June 1, 2020
I read this book knowing it is a part of an upcoming curriculum adoption and was disappointed. In looking at the writing, without the other issues I have with the text, I did not find it to be very engaging. And then there is the title. Using the term "girls" when the book is about adults (other than the last 2 entries) - really? Perhaps the author and/or illustrator find the use of "girls" acceptable as a way to refer to adults, but as a woman in my 40's, I do not like to be called a girl any longer. There is an overall lack of diversity in who is represented in this text as well. There was a brief mention of Madame C.J. Walker in the introduction and the inclusion of Valerie L. Thomas (whose illustrated portrait makes her look Caucasian) albeit she was the last adult inventor in the text. This book can be used to teach students critical literacy skills about whose stories are included and whose are left out and issues related to gendered language.
Read
June 28, 2018The first woman to be awarded a patent for her invention was Mary Dixon Kies, in 1809: a process of weaving straw with silk or thread. Women in the U.S. were inventing products, gadgets, etc. much earlier than that, but were not allowed patents in their own name. Now this book aims to introduce young readers to the innovative female minds that brought them such wonders as paper bags (Margaret E. Knight), windshield wipers (Mary Anderson), and chocolate chip cookies (Ruth Wakefield). And perhaps they will be inspired by Becky Schroeder who, at 12, became the youngest girl to receive a patent!
-Sara Z.
-Sara Z.
April 15, 2017
After reading this book, I purchased it for my granddaughter for her 9th birthday. Catherine provides a great overview of how each woman used her particular skills to create something useful. Each woman was focused on a problem she wanted to solve. The reader learns persistence and creative problem-solving can generate some useful, and often economically rewarding, innovations. The reader learns to value an "I can figure it out" attitude!
April 1, 2019
This is a snack, or maybe an appetizer. The inside covers list a ton of other women inventors to research if this gets you interested. It's targeted to a younger audience and it's pretty accessible. A quick read.
October 19, 2017
It was fun to read this book and learn about a few awesome inventions made by women. Definitely I would recommend it to middle grade kids.
April 15, 2018
this is how I learned that a woman invented windshield wipers. (tbh, I have no idea when I read this, I'm just making up a date. It feels like it was 2015. I should re-read this one.)
May 25, 2018
I enjoyed this book, but it would be even better if it had included more. The fly-leaf lists of women inventors were really nice.
January 14, 2019
A rad little book with some wonderful collage illustrations.
October 20, 2019
We loved learning about inventions by women with brief sketches of why they invented what they did. Many of these inventions still profit and bless us today.
November 21, 2019
Pure inspiration for girls and not so girls, about how we, women have influenced all areas of life and human creation. ❤️
Lovely gift for a little girl.
Lovely gift for a little girl.
February 19, 2020
Fabulous book on how things came to be through inventions by women through curiosity and even mistakes! One example was the Chocolate chip cookie! Really enjoyed reading this!
Read
July 4, 2021Zanimljivo :)
June 23, 2023
I had this book as a kid and I remember finding it inspiring. Great book for middle school age girls!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews