Meet Teresa Robeson
Freelance Author
This project:
QUEEN OF PHYSICS: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
Teresa Robeson wanted to be a scientist when she was 12 years old. She chose another path. Teresa became a writer. Now she writes about science. She writes about people who didn’t listen to those who said they would fail. Teresa tells true stories of heroes who made their dreams come true anyway.
Teresa wants to inspire her readers to “tap into their inner strength.”
Teresa’s picture book, Queen of Physics, tells the story of Wu Chien Shiung. She was born in China in 1912. Chien Shuing’s life wasn’t easy. She immigrated to the United States when she was 24. She wanted to study the science of atoms. She did not listen to people who tried to stop her from doing the work she loved. She remembered her father’s advice. “Ignore the obstacles. Just keep your head down and keep walking forward.” Chien Shiung succeeded. In 1963, Newsweek magazine called her the Queen of Physics.
Teresa wrote about Chien Shiung to inspire kids to believe in their dreams. She knows how hard that can be. Teresa is also an immigrant from China. She moved to Canada from Hong Kong when she was 8. Some people were unkind to her because she looks different, calling her mean names or ignoring her. Teresa wants to inspire her readers to “tap into their inner strength.” Break down the barriers that keep us from our dreams. Work hard and keep believing in yourself.
What kind of hard work will make you an author? Teresa’s advice to young writers is to write every day. Practice will make you better, even if what you write isn’t always good. “Musicians get better by practicing daily, and so do writers.” And read a lot. The more you read, the more you will understand how to write. You will find your own voice.
Photo permission from Teresa Robeson
Read these books to learn more . . .
Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
By Teresa Robeson
When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Giving her a name meaning “Courageous Hero,” they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism and racism to become what Newsweek magazine called the “Queen of Physics” for her work on beta decay. Along the way, she earned the admiration of famous scientists like Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer and became the first woman hired as an instructor by Princeton University, the first woman elected President of the American Physical Society, the first scientist to have an asteroid named after her when she was still alive, and many other honors. Visit Teresa's website or her Amazon author page.
Winner - 2020 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Picture Book!
An NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended book!
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