Katherine Johnson’s story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. She worked on many of NASA’s biggest projects including the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon. Now in Reaching for the Moon she tells her own. In the early 1950s, Katherine was thrilled to join the organization that would become NASA. Katherine Johnsons story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. Still, she lived her life with her father’s words in mind: “You are no better than anyone else, and nobody else is better than you.” As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal racism and sexism, Katherine faced daily challenges. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. Previous novels include The Better Son, Matryoshka and Pescadors Wake. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. Katherine Johnson’s fourth novel, Paris Savages (Ventura Press 2019), tells a little-known story of colonial history - the story of three Badtjala people from Queenslands Fraser Island taken to Europe to perform in 'human zoos'. The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11.Īs a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. “Captivating, informative, and inspiring…Easy to follow and hard to put down.” - School Library Journal (starred review) Highly recommended for purchase in any school library.- Melissa Lambert, Trenton Public Schools, MI - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.“This rich volume is a national treasure.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) VERDICT While the chapters are a little lengthy for the intended audience, Johnson's story is easy to follow and hard to put down.
Larger ideas such as white supremacy are broken down with ease for younger readers. She neatly and accurately weaves in significant historical events that had profound effects on our country and the African American community, including the murder of Emmett Till, lunch counter sit-ins, and school integration.
Johnson's story is captivating, informative, and inspiring.
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This autobiography chronicles her personal life, from growing up in a tight-knit family of six to having three children of her own, as well as her professional accomplishments and her career at NASA. She went on to work at and retire from NASA as a mathematician. Her first job out of college was as a schoolteacher. She surpassed her older siblings in grade level, math courses were created for her because she was not challenged enough, and she graduated from West Virginia State at the age of 18 with a degree in mathematics and French. Despite growing up in a time of extreme racism and sexism, Johnson not only persevered-she flourished. School Library Journal - Gr 5 Up-From a very young age, Johnson excelled as a student. Johnson has had a tremendous life, and with her recent pop-culture representation, as well as the overall popularity of STEM, kids will be excited to learn more about her journey. While filled with fascinating tidbits about space research and featuring a time line of space travel, much of the book focuses on Johnson's family life-there could have been even more emphasis on her life inside NASA-interpersonal dynamics, intricacies of research, and challenges faced-as readers will also seek that detail.
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Her loose narrative style feels conversational, which will draw in readers, and an interesting afterword compares the movie Hidden Figures to her actual experience. Johnson contextualizes her journey with information about Jim Crow laws, the education and training of African American teachers, and segregated schooling. The book, featuring many photos, spans from her childhood through the 1969 moon landing, with follow-up on her family members from that point forward. Accelerated Reader Information:īooklist - Johnson, the groundbreaking NASA mathematician who was featured in the book and movie Hidden Figures, tells her own story in this middle-grade autobiography. The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11. NASA As a black female scientist, Katherine Johnson broke through overwhelming race and gender barriers in order to succeed. National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Officials and employeesĪfrican American women mathematicians - Biography Physical Description: 248 p., ill., 22 cm Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (2019)
Reaching for the Moon : the autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson
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