STEM or Magic?

 After surveying hundreds of current children's and YA books, it was shown that female characters in books  (for young people) used magic to solve problems or protect themselves but male characters used science or technology for problem solving. I do read a lot of books where girls and women use magic or supernatural powers in their lives. I love that stuff but is it keeping girls from going into the science, technology, engineering, and math fields?

I think not. For the first time in history more women than men are in medical school. Women have outnumbered men in veterinary school for years. My own daughter-in-law has a PhD in chemistry, though I have to admit she faced a lot of sexism and downright cruel behavior from the male professors. She is a brave young woman to put up with that and graduate.

I just finished reading a middle-grade book called Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil. Because the cover shows a girl in botanical store, and because her grandmother tries to protect her by using herbs, beads, candles, and statues, I thought it would be a case of the supernatural coming to Tia's aid. Although she doesn't use science or technology, Tia does use her wits and her friendship to get herself through the witnessing of a murder. And some of her grand's magical items do protect her, but not in the way we'd think. It's a surprise. (Hint: you can use a protective statue to bash someone.)

In our own writing, we should think about adding STEAM (we can't forget about the arts) to the magic and supernatural. Frankenstein anybody? Although that didn't go quite as the scientist planned, now did it?