BNG FRIDAY: In a Whole New Light

Every Friday until its publication, I'm going to blog something about Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme, a YA sci-fi anthology featuring tech-savvy heroines. The goal is to encourage more girls to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers. Revenues from sales of the anthology will be donated to a scholarship fund through the Society of Women Engineers. 

Today, I'm spotlighting "In a Whole New Light" by Michelle Leonard, one of the stories that will be featured in the anthology! "In a Whole New Light" is one of our more down-to-earth stories, taking place in modern-day America. Nina, a brainy biracial girl, has watched in horror as her white cousin has begun spewing the worst racist comments, which he sees as harmless fun. Having had enough of his behavior, she uses virtual reality to show him what the world from a different perspective. I loved that this story wasn't afraid to tackle such a relevant topic head-on. Nina is a fantastic and complex character--a smart, tough teen with a clever voice who takes crap from no one, but who's also vulnerable in her own ways. I was also thrilled to add a more contemporary story to our hodgepodge of fantastical steampunk and faraway space operas. Can't wait to share it with y'all!

TITLE

In a Whole New Light 

AUTHOR

Michelle Leonard


STORY DESCRIPTION

After her white cousin begins acting racist, a tech-savvy, biracial teen girl fights back using her best weapon––her brain––to create a virtual reality game to show her cousin the world in a whole new light. 

AUTHOR BIO

Michelle Leonard was born a math and science nerd. After spending over ten years working with an engineering dream team developing commercial blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), she escaped the world of seventy-hour workweeks. Nowadays, when she’s not tinkering on her teleporter for transporting her talented daughters to important gigs and lessons, she’s turning outlandish thoughts into stories for young readers. Michelle lives with her science-savvy husband, three inspiring daughters, and a border collie who hates numbers. 

Blog: http://thewingedpen.com
Twitter: @MGYABookJunkie
Instagram: @mgyabookjunkie

THOUGHTS ON BRAVE NEW GIRLS

Girls interested in science and math continue to face much bias, which often steers them off course. Creating stories about clever girls using science to make the world a better place is one way we can help girls visualize themselves in engineering careers.

Females make up half the planet. We should make up half the science and technology workforce too. Combining male and female perspectives results in more creative products with broader appeal. Girls, we need you!

BRAVE NEW GIRLS: STORIES OF GIRLS WHO SCIENCE & SCHEME will be released in August 2017!

ADD IT ON GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34197584-brave-new-girls?ac=1&from_search=true

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VISIT THE BRAVE NEW GIRLS WEBSITE: http://bravenewgirls.weebly.com/