Ellie Engineer by Jackson Pearce

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195193
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. "Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can't wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit's birthday nears, Ellie doesn't know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit's mom talking about her present - the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don't get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet? Illustrated with Ellie's sketches and plans, and including backmasters with how-tos, this is full of engineering fun!" (Publisher)
I have had "Ellie Engineer" highly recommended to me and I was not disappointed. Ellie is a strong female character who enters a world normally dominated by boys. She has all the traits we are trying to foster in the youth of today - friendly, kind, creative and inventive. Ellie is the perfect mix - although she likes to wear dresses she also likes to be creative, inventive and wears a tool belt ensuring she is always prepared. She is a risk taker and fully understands that when you are inventing things failure is a common occurrence by one must display persistence and keep going. She ensures she keeps detailed notes and drawings documenting her journey which are cleverly interspersed throughout the book. I would recommend this book for students aged 8 and up. Themes touched on include STEM, friendship and gender stereotypes.
Kathryn Schumacher