Who Says You Can’t?

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Casey was inspired by her research on women to write a second book about kid inventors. Now, when she speaks to groups, she explains how people can be inventors, no matter their age.

1. Trust your ideas. She tells the story of a third-grader whose dad was a basketball coach. This child inventor realized his teammates didn’t know how to shoot the ball correctly, so he dipped his hands in paint and slapped them on the basketball in the right place. His idea was sold to Sportime, and the boy was able to put himself, his brother and his sister through college with the dividends.
2. Use resources. Several nonprofit groups exist to help inventors get their ideas up and running. They can be excellent sources for information and inspiration, Casey says.
3. Know before you go. There was once a day when patents and trademark information were confusing and difficult to understand. Casey says, today, it’s fairly simple to understand the process of inventing. Also, Google Patents now has a search engine that provides information on more than 7 million patents catalogued by name or number.

Women inventors, in particular, are a rare breed, Casey says. Until 1977, only 1.5 percent of inventors were female. That number jumped to about 10 percent in the late 1970s during the women’s movement.

Women Invent! is written for a young audience, but Casey says the book is a quick, fun read for anyone interested in inventions. The book details women who made millions off of a household item, or those who were just trying to make their day-to-day lives a bit easier. “Discovering stories about women and kids who invented things is really fun,” she says. “Just like the women in the book stood out in their time, I like to show young girls that they can do anything.”

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