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Reaching for the Moon

The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson
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( 1,670 ratings, 272 reviews)
Format: Hardback
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"The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11"--

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Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019

“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.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781534440838

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 July 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Illustration: f-c jacket (spfx: foil stamp, embossing, spot gloss), matte lam; digital

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 342g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) was a former NASA mathematician whose work was critical to the success of many of their initiatives, including the Apollo program and the start of the Space Shuttle program. Throughout her long career she received numerous awards, including the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama.

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