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Description
Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA by Sue Bradford Edwards with Duchess Harris is a nonfiction book that explores the contributions of African American women who worked as human computers at NASA in the 1950s. These women performed complex mathematical calculations that enabled American astronauts to travel into space and return safely to Earth. The book highlights the stories of these pioneering women and their vital yet often overlooked role in the early days of the U.S. space program.
Quick Summary
Long before computers were machines, they were brilliant Black women whose math skills launched rockets into the stars, and this book uncovers their jaw-dropping secret history. Kids will root for Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson as they sneak into segregated laboratories, crack impossible equations, and help blast America's first astronauts into space. If your kid loves the hidden heroism of "The Diary of Greg Heffley's Best Friend a Young Girl" or root-for-the-underdog stories, they'll devour these trailblazing women who changed space history forever. Perfect for curious readers in grades 4 through 7 who think they know everything about space.