My name is not Isabella
"Good morning, Isabella," the mother said. "It´s time to get up and out of bed."
"Then who has been sleeping in my daughter´s bed?" asked the mother.
"I am Sally, the greatest, toughest astronaut who ever was!"
"Well, Sally, blast out of bed, put on your space suit and come downstairs for breakfast!"
"Okay, Sally," the mother said. "It´s time for school."
"Then who will go outside and wait for the bus?" asked the mother.
"I am Rosa, the greatest, bravest activist who ever was!"
"Well, Rosa, march out there and take your seat on the bus."
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"Welcome home, Rosa," the mother said. "Did you have a nice day at school?"
"Then who will eat these cookies I made while she does her homework?" asked the mother.
"I am Marie, the greatest, smartest scientist who ever was!"
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"Time for dinner, Marie," the mother said. "Come help me set the table."
"My name is not Marie!" said the little girl.
"Then who will help me set out the dishes for our fine meal?" asked the mother.
"Well, Elizabeth, have patience with your mother and use the nice plates, please."
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"It´s almost bedtime, Elizabeth," the mother said. "Come upstairs and take your bath."
"My name is not Elizabeth!" said the little girl.
"Then who will relax in this nice hot bath I have drawn?" asked the mother.
"I am Mommy, the greatest, sweetest mother who ever was!"
"Well, Mommy, get in the bathtub. I hope you love the bubbles."
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When the little girl climbed into bed, the mother said, "Good night, Mommy."
"My name is not Mummy!" said the little girl.
"Then who will be sleeping in my daughter´s bed tonight?" asked the mother.
"It´s me, Isabella, the sweetest, kindest, smartest, bravest, toughest, greatest girl that ever was," said the little girl as she fell asleep and dreamed about who she would be ... tomorrow.
SALLY RIDE (1951-2O12):
Sally Ride was the first woman from the United States to travel to space. She studied physics at Stanford University. In 1978, Sally was one of six women to join NASA and train for space missions. On June 18, 1983, she flew on the space shuttle Challenger. Her job was to test a robot arm. Since then Sally has been a teacher at many California universities. She has started many programs to help kids become more interested in math, science, and technology.
An ASTRONAUT is a person who does their work in space. There are different jobs on the spacecraft. Some people are pilots. Some people fix the spacecraft. Some people do science research.
ROSA PARKS (1913-2005):
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist. She lived in Montgomery, Alabama, at a time when people of color were not treated the same as white people. They were made to sit in different areas in restaurants and buses. They had to use different bathrooms, drinking fountains, and even schools. Rosa and her husband did not think this was right. They belonged to a group called the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) that was trying to change things. On December 1, 1955, Rosa was riding the bus home from work. She was told to give up her seat for a white person. She refused. The bus driver had her arrested. This event brought all the black people of Montgomery together. They decided not to ride the bus until the laws were changed. This boycott lasted more than a year. The Supreme Court made a decision against the Montgomery rule and outlawed separate areas for different people on buses and trains. For the rest of her life, Rosa worked to teach about equal rights for all people.
An ACTIVIST is a person who fights for what they believe through protests, teaching, speeches, and other means.
MARIE CURIE (1867-1934):
Marie Curie was a scientist who first learned how radiation works. She was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her parents were teachers and wanted her to go to school. The Russians were in charge of Warsaw then and did not allow the Polish people to learn science. Marie wanted to go to school in France but her family did not have much money. Marie worked as a nanny and used her money to send her older sister to school. When her sister finished her schooling, it was Marie´s turn. She moved to Paris and went to the Sorbonne. She studied math and physics. She met her husband at school and they worked together doing research. Their work led to the discovery of two new elements. The elements were named radi um and polonium. Because of their work, people began to understand radioactivity. Marie said that the radiation energy came from inside the atoms. Marie was the first woman awarded a Nobel Prize and the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne.
A SCIENTIST is a person who tries to understand and explain how things work. They may study animals, machines, or rocks.
ELIZABETH BLACKWELL (1821-1910):
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to go to school to become a doctor. She decided that she wanted to be a doctor after a sick friend said she was sad there were no women doctors to treat her. Elizabeth applied to more than twenty-five schools that said no to her. Finally, Geneva College in New York said they would accept her if all her male classmates would agree. They may have thought it was a joke, but they said yes. Elizabeth finished first in her class in January 1849. She moved to France to practice. One day when she was giving eye medicine to a baby, an accident happened. Elizabeth lost her sight in one eye. Now she could not be a surgeon. Elizabeth went back to the United States but she still could not get a job as a doctor. Elizabeth opened a clinic for poor women and children that could not go to other doctors. She also started a medical school for women to learn to be doctors.
A DOCTOR is a person who knows how the body works. They help people who are hurt or sick. Doctors try to keep people healthy.
Mommy was once a little girl with a big imagination and big dreams. Mommy imagined growing up to be a princess, a firefighter, a dancer, an engineer, a teacher, a journalist, a professional roller skater, and more. She dreamed about having wonderful children and being a great mother. Now she is a wonderful mom and still has a big imagination. Mommy loves her children and gives them snuggly hugs. She is smart and funny and tells great stories.
A MOTHER is a person who uses love and wisdom to raise children to be caring, accomplished adults.
My name is not Isabella
Naperville, Sourcebooks, 2010
