Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation Into Space (Young Readers Edition)
Margot Lee Shetterly
HarperCollins
Published November 29, 2016
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About Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition
The uplifting, amazing true story—a New York Times bestseller
This edition of Margot Lee Shetterly’s acclaimed book is perfect for young readers. It is the powerful story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program. Now a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner.
Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.
This book brings to life the stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who lived through the Civil Rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality, and whose work forever changed the face of NASA and the country.
My Review
This book has been on my reading list for a long time. Since we’re facing more explicit attempts to erase the achievements of women and BIPOC, I wanted to take the chance to read and talk about this book.
One amazing thing about the book is that the author, Margot Lee Shetterly, grew up in Hampton, Virginia, where these women worked and lived. She knew many of them. I imagine it must have been really cool to compile the information and create this book telling the stories of people she knew herself.
In addition to doing a great job laying out the development of the space program alongside other historical events, such as the Civil Rights Movement, Hidden Figures (Young Readers Edition) also has some great resources in the back. A timeline shows how the space program developed with other major events listed. This reinforces the narrative’s work, anchoring these women’s lives in the larger story of American history. A glossary defines words younger readers may be less familiar with. A chapter-by-chapter list of sources makes it easy for readers who want more information on a particular event to know where to look. The backmatter also includes a section listing books for further reading.
The biographies of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden are the focus of the book. Shetterly shares information about their education, family life, careers, and their roles in the space program.
I wish I’d read the book before watching the movie so that this was my first interaction with the information, but I’m still really glad I read the book. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the space program, Black history, women’s history, or careers in mathematics.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
Brief reference to marriage and family.
Spiritual Content
I think there was brief reference to attending church.
Violent Content
References to the Civil Rights Movement and sit-ins. Brief reference to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Drug Content
None.
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