Reaching for the Moon

Reaching for the Moon
Author: Katherine Johnson
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-05-05
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1534440844

“This rich volume is a national treasure.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Captivating, informative, and inspiring…Easy to follow and hard to put down.” —School Library Journal (starred review) The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11. As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. 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. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal racism and sexism, Katherine faced daily challenges. 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.” In the early 1950s, Katherine was thrilled to join the organization that would become NASA. She worked on many of NASA’s biggest projects including the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon. Katherine Johnson’s story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. Now in Reaching for the Moon she tells her own story for the first time, in a lively autobiography that will inspire young readers everywhere.

My Remarkable Journey

My Remarkable Journey
Author: Katherine Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2021-05-25
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0062897691

The remarkable woman at heart of the smash New York Times bestseller and Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures tells the full story of her life, including what it took to work at NASA, help land the first man on the moon, and live through a century of turmoil and change. In 2015, at the age of 97, Katherine Johnson became a global celebrity. President Barack Obama awarded her the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—for her pioneering work as a mathematician on NASA’s first flights into space. Her contributions to America’s space program were celebrated in a blockbuster and Academy-award nominated movie. In this memoir, Katherine shares her personal journey from child prodigy in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to NASA human computer. In her life after retirement, she served as a beacon of light for her family and community alike. Her story is centered around the basic tenets of her life—no one is better than you, education is paramount, and asking questions can break barriers. The memoir captures the many facets of this unique woman: the curious “daddy’s girl,” pioneering professional, and sage elder. This multidimensional portrait is also the record of a century of racial history that reveals the influential role educators at segregated schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities played in nurturing the dreams of trailblazers like Katherine. The author pays homage to her mentor—the African American professor who inspired her to become a research mathematician despite having his own dream crushed by racism. Infused with the uplifting wisdom of a woman who handled great fame with genuine humility and great tragedy with enduring hope, My Remarkable Journey ultimately brings into focus a determined woman who navigated tough racial terrain with soft-spoken grace—and the unrelenting grit required to make history and inspire future generations.

Counting the Stars

Counting the Stars
Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2019-10-08
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1534404767

“A detail-rich picture book.” —Kirkus Reviews “Straightforward and inviting.” —School Library Journal From award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome and acclaimed illustrator Raúl Colón comes the sensitive, informative, and inspiring picture book biography of the remarkable mathematician Katherine Johnson, one of the NASA “human computers” whose work was critical to the first US space launch. Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or astronauts walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used their knowledge, pencils, adding machines, and writing paper to calculate the orbital mechanics needed to launch spacecraft. Katherine Johnson was one of these mathematicians who used trajectories and complex equations to chart the space program. Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws were in place in the early 1950s, Katherine worked analyzing data at the NACA (later NASA) Langley laboratory. In 1962, as NASA prepared for the orbital mission of John Glenn, Katherine Johnson was called upon and John Glenn said “get the girl” (Katherine Johnson) to run the numbers by hand to chart the complexity of the orbital flight. He knew that his flight couldn’t work without her unique skills. President Barack Obama awarded Katherine Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and her incredible life inspired the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. Get to know this incredible and inspirational woman with this beautifully illustrated picture book from an award-winning duo.

A Computer Called Katherine

A Computer Called Katherine
Author: Suzanne Slade
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2019-04-09
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0316435163

The inspiring true story of mathematician Katherine Johnson--made famous by the award-winning film Hidden Figures--who counted and computed her way to NASA and helped put a man on the moon! Katherine knew it was wrong that African Americans didn't have the same rights as others--as wrong as 5+5=12. She knew it was wrong that people thought women could only be teachers or nurses--as wrong as 10-5=3. And she proved everyone wrong by zooming ahead of her classmates, starting college at fifteen, and eventually joining NASA, where her calculations helped pioneer America's first manned flight into space, its first manned orbit of Earth, and the world's first trip to the moon! Award-winning author Suzanne Slade and debut artist Veronica Miller Jamison tell the story of a NASA "computer" in this smartly written, charmingly illustrated biography.

The Story of Katherine Johnson

The Story of Katherine Johnson
Author: Andrea Thorpe
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 79
Release: 2021-12-07
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1638071462

Discover the life of Katherine Johnson—a story about reaching for the stars, for kids ages 6 to 9 Katherine Johnson was one of the best mathematicians in the history of the United States. Before her math skills helped send the first American astronauts safely into space, she was a smart and curious girl who loved to learn new things about the world around her. She studied hard in school and became one of the first Black women hired by NASA. Independent reading—This Katherine Johnson biography is broken down into short chapters and simple language so kids 6 to 9 can read and learn on their own. Critical thinking—Kids will learn the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Katherine's life, find definitions of new words, discussion questions, and more. A lasting legacy—Find out how Katherine went from being a young girl growing up in West Virginia to one of the most important people in space exploration. How will Katherine's out-of-this-world achievements inspire you? Discover activists, artists, and athletes, and more from all across history with the rest of The Story Of series, including famous figures like: Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Ruby Bridges, and Barack Obama.

The Extraordinary Life of Katherine Johnson

The Extraordinary Life of Katherine Johnson
Author: Devika Jina
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 129
Release: 2019-06-06
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0241375452

In 1969 history was made when the first humans stepped on the moon. Back on earth, one woman was running the numbers that ensured they got there and back in one piece. As a child, Katherine Johnson loved maths. She went on to be one of the most important people in the history of space travel. Discover her incredible life story in this beautifully illustrated book complete with narrative biography, timelines and facts.

Katherine Johnson: NASA Mathematician

Katherine Johnson: NASA Mathematician
Author: Grace Hansen
Publisher: ABDO
Total Pages: 35
Release: 2022-12-15
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1098244109

This title looks at the life, accomplishments, and legacy of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. The book is complete with sidebars, more facts, a timeline, and QR codes that lead to more information, videos, and activities. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. DiscoverRoo is an imprint of Pop!, a division of ABDO.

Paris Savages

Paris Savages
Author: Katherine Johnson
Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd
Total Pages: 395
Release: 2020-07-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0749026073

Fraser Island, 1882. The population of the Badtjala people is in sharp decline following a run of brutal massacres. When German scientist Louis Müller offers to sail three Badtjala people - Bonny, Jurano and Dorondera - to Europe to perform to huge crowds, the proud and headstrong Bonny agrees, hoping to bring his people's plight to the Queen of England.Accompanied by Müller's bright, grieving daughter, Hilda, the group begins their journey to belle-époque Europe to perform in Hamburg, Berlin, Paris and eventually London. While crowds in Europe are enthusiastic to see the unique dances, singing, fights and pole climbing from the oldest culture in the world, the attention is relentless, and the fascination of scientists intrusive. When disaster strikes, Bonny must find a way to return home.

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson
Author: Ebony Wilkins
Publisher: DK Children
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019
Genre: JUVENILE NONFICTION
ISBN: 9781465479624

Examines the life of mathematician Katherine Johnson, from her early education and career before working for NASA to her integral role in the space program.