Breaking Through the Clouds
The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson
by Sandra Nickel & Helena Perez Garcia (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 8, 2022)
When Joanne Simpson was a girl, she sailed her boat beneath the puffy white clouds of Cape Cod. As a pilot, she flew her plane so high, its wings almost touched them. And when World War II began and Joanne moved to the University of Chicago, a professor asked her to teach Air Force officers about those very clouds and the weather-changing winds.
As soon as the war ended, Joanne decided to seriously study the clouds she had grown to love so much. Her professors told her to go home. They told her she was no longer needed. They told her, “No woman ever got a doctorate in meteorology. And no woman ever will.”
But Joanne was stubborn. She sold her boat. She flew her last flight. She saved her money so that she could study clouds. She worked so hard and discovered so much that—despite what the professors said—she received a doctorate in meteorology and changed everything we know about weather today.
“An energetic, compassionate examination of a determined researcher who left her mark on the field of atmospheric sciences.” —Publishers Weekly
Awards & Lists
Breaking Through the Clouds was named a 2023 Children’s Favorite by the Children’s Book Council and a Rise Honoree for 2023 by the American Library Association.
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Resources for Breaking Through the Clouds
KCRA in Sacramento, California featured Breaking Through the Clouds and an interview with me for Women’s History Month in 2022. You can find the broadcast feature HERE.
Cloud-a-Day Live, the weekly broadcast of the Cloud Appreciation Society, invited me to talk about Joanne Simpson and Breaking Through the Clouds. You can find the full broadcast HERE. Our discussion begins at 12:53 minutes.
Breaking Through the Clouds was named a 2023 Children’s Favorite by the Children’s Book Council. You may find all of the Children’s Favorites HERE.
Breaking Through the Clouds and I are featured on the All in the Library Podcast. You can listen anytime HERE.
Breaking Through the Clouds has been listed on the ALA’s Rise Booklist for 2023. You may find all of Rise’s recommended books HERE.
A Mighty Girl has curated a fabulous Science Is For Girls: 30 New Children’s Books About Girls and Women in Science. Breaking Through the Clouds and 29 other important books are listed. You can find the full list HERE. For Women’s History Month, A Mighty Girl also put together a list of New Mighty Girl Books for 2022. I’m delighted that Breaking Through the Clouds was included. “This exuberant picture book is a celebration of a scientific trailblazer who was determined to be the first woman in her field.” You can find all of the New Mighty Girl Books for 2022 HERE.
TeachingBooks has organized fantastic resources for Breaking Through the Clouds, including an author interview, an illustrator page for Helena Perez Garcia, and more. Click HERE to connect to these fabulous resources.
Curriculum Guide for Breaking Through the Clouds
Looking for ways to engage students with Breaking Through the Clouds? Below you will find curriculum guides for Discussion Questions, Activities for Students, as well as individual Activity Sheets. Simply click on the sheets below and print.
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- Breaking Through the Clouds
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- Discussion Questions
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- Activities for Students