TEMPLE GRANDIN:
HOW THE GIRL WHO LOVED COWS EMBRACED AUTISM AND CHANGED THE WORLD
By Sy Montgomery
Houghton Mifflin, 2012
Category: Middle Grade Biography (148 pages)
Welcome to week two of my very own science book lovefest …
After a smashing weekend celebrating science books at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) two weeks ago, I was inspired to share some amazing science books via raffles here at my blog. I bought extra copies of three SB&F Prize winning titles and asked the authors to sign them; last week I raffled a signed copy of The Odyssey of KP2, by Terrie Williams and next week I’ll raffle a signed copy of Ocean Sunlight, by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm. This week, though, is all about Sy Montgomery and her astonishing biography of Temple Grandin.
Temple Grandin is a scientist and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. She has revolutionized the meat packing industry by designing and implementing humane meat processing facilities. And she is autistic.
Temple’s life story is inspiring, and Sy shares it beautifully. With a window into Temple’s growing up years, readers begin to understand the behaviors that so confused and scared Temple’s classmates. By watching Temple put her mind to work on problems that vexed her–the cruel way animals are sometimes treated in captivity–readers embrace Temple’s unusual and extraordinary way of thinking. By hearing Temple say, “If I could snap my fingers and be nonautistic, I wouldn’t … It’s part of who I am,” readers come to appreciate that this world of ours needs all kinds of minds. Theirs. Yours. Mine. Temple Grandin’s. All of them.
Of the books I’ve read this year, this is the one that changed me the most. I wish I could give every person I know a copy. But since I can’t, I’d like to give YOU a copy. Leave me a comment below before 5pm EST on Thursday (March 7, 2013) and I’ll add your name to my raffle. If you spread the word via your blog or your social media outlets and let me know that you have done so in a second comment, I’ll add your name to the raffle a second time.
Ground rules:
1. Winners must live in the continental United States. I will send the book to the winner by USPS Media Mail next Monday.
2. Please remember to check back on Friday to see if you’ve won; I’ll post instructions then for how to get me your mailing address.
3. If you won last week (I’m looking at you, Mary Laughton) you can’t enter this week.
4. Good luck, and happy reading!
And don’t forget to catch this week’s full Nonfiction Monday roundup at the Supratentorial blog!
