"Aliana Reaches for the Moon interweaves science and art to tell a beautiful story about a budding young scientist who serves as a wonderful mentor and role model for her younger brother." ~Grace Wolf-Chase, PhD; Astronomer, Adler PlanetariumIn this charming STEAM book, children will see how the light of the full moon inspires Aliana to create a present for her brother Gustavo, which will surprise the whole family.Aliana loves observing everything in nature.When she notices how bright the light of the full moon shines into her room, she spends time learning about the moon and experimenting with light.As she prepares for her brother's birthday, she plans a wonderful surprise to be revealed with the next full moon.What people are saying!"This short children’s book imparts many pearls of wisdom about the qualities of a scientist, while telling an engaging story about a girl’s caring relationship with her younger brother. Using her ingenuity, imagination, and ordinary household materials, Aliana creates a special experience for Gustavo’s 5th birthday. Aliana Reaches for the Moon encourages all children – and especially girls - to read, explore, experiment, and to take notice of the natural world. There’s even an important message for parents – doing science can be messy!" ~ Grace Wolf-Chase, PhD; Astronomer, Adler Planetarium "Curiosity and imagination, paired with research and experimental play, help Aliana bring her unique idea to life. Aliana Reaches for the Moon will inspire readers to use science, imagination, and experimental play to create their own innovations." ~Linda Schwab, Flight Director, Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana "This short children's book imparts many pearls of wisdom about the qualities of a scientist, while telling an engaging story about a girl's caring relationship with her younger brother. Using her ingenuity, imagination, and ordinary household materials, Aliana creates a special experience for Gustavo's 5th birthday. Aliana Reaches for the Moon encourages all children - and especially girls - to read, explore, experiment, and to take notice of the natural world. There's even an important message for parents - doing science can be messy!" Grace Wolf-Chase, PhD; Astronomer, Adler Planetarium I hope you enjoy a few different takeaways from reading Aliana Reaches for the Moon. The biggest one for children is that creativity and curiosity are to be celebrated. Related to that for parents, is the message that creativity can be messy and you should embrace the messiness. Curiosity helps children create neural pathways as they go from questions of wonder, to exploring answers. It is the sign of an active mind and encourages observation and the desire to learn. Furthermore, curiosity about people helps build empathy and leadership skills. Curiosity related to how things work and observations in nature are skills that lead to engineering and science careers. "Curiosity and imagination, paired with research and experimental play, help Aliana bring her unique idea to life. Aliana Reaches for the Moon will inspire readers to use science, imagination, and experimental play to create their own innovations." ~Linda Schwab, Flight Director, Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana "Aliana Reaches for the Moon interweaves science and art to tell a beautiful story about a budding young scientist who serves as a wonderful mentor and role model for her younger brother." ~Grace Wolf-Chase, PhD; Astronomer, Adler Planetarium Laura Roettiger has enjoyed working with children ever since she was no longer considered a child herself. She was a reading specialist and elementary teacher in Chicago, IL before moving to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where she worked in Environmental Education and is now a mentor for reading and writing at a STEM school. Her superpower is encouraging curiosity in children and letting them know she believes in them. She has three children of her own whose curiosity and creativity led all of them into STEM related professions.