STEM Everyday

STEM Everyday #197 | Code Breaker, Spy Hunter | feat. Laurie Wallmark

Apr 9, 2021

13:30

What if kids, especially girls, really believed they could grow up and be anything? Laurie Wallmark was one of those kids, and so are the women she’s written about.

Laurie is a full-time, award winning children’s book author, and she “loves it.” Some previous jobs she’s held are software engineer, owner of a mail order company (she had a bookstore on the Web before Amazon did!), and computer science professor.

Laurie's latest book CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER: HOW ELIZEBETH FRIEDMAN CHANGED THE COURSE OF TWO WORLD WARS tells the exciting story of how a cryptographer helped capture rum runners and break up Nazi spy rings. The back matter shows kids how they can crack the code and exchange secret messages with their friends. Scattered throughout the book's illustrations are hidden messages for kids to find and decode. For those who want to learn more, the back matter also includes a description of how codes and ciphers work, as well as information about cryptography today. Readers will learn how to keep their information safe, whether shopping online, surfing the web, or simply texting.

Her other #WomenInSTEM picture book biographies are:
NUMBERS IN MOTION: SOPHIE KOWALEVSKI, QUEEN OF MATHEMATICIAN
HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE
GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE
ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE

Learn more about Laurie on Ep 174 of the STEM Everyday Podcast

Connect with Laurie: