Hidden Women: The African-American Mathematicians of NASA Who Helped America Win the Space Race

by Rebecca Rissman

Tells the gripping story of four female African-American mathematicians who literally made it possible to launch US rockets--and astronauts--into space. Tells the thrilling tale of how each woman contributed, the struggles and resistance each experienced, and the amazing resultants. Consultant currently works for NASA.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Biography, Womens, Middle Grade, Childrens

112 pages, Library Binding

First published February 1, 2018

About the author

Rebecca Rissman is an award-winning children’s author and editor. Her writing has been praised by School Library Journal, Booklist, Creative Child Magazine, and Learning Magazine. She has written more than 200 books about history, culture, science, and art. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys yoga, reading, and cooking.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent read is suited to young adults or adults. The chapters each focus on a woman who worked at NASA or its predecessor NACA, as mathemathicians and engineers. The extra point made is that all these women were African-American. Some were married and had children; employing such women in other roles than teaching was extremely progressive. They left jobs such as teaching to work for NASA, as human computers - computers were punch card IBMs - and helped to develop the maths needed to calculate orbits, velocities and rendezvous. They became the first women to publish papers in their fields and ensured the success of the Moon landings.

I enjoyed how the era is also explained, the Cold War, space race and civil rights issues. This sets the four ladies against their social background and explains why NASA seemed like a good employer. The tale is very nicely written and uplifting.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review. I have also reviewed this book for Fresh Fiction.

[Reggie_Love · Rating 2 out of 5]

while the story is so incredibly important (Hidden Figures is AMAZING) and I definitely believe that children should be told the story of these women, the story begins pathetically whitewashed. It actually says that all the white men eventually see Johnson as not just a colored woman and that she feels lucky to simply have a job as NASA. The book needs to tell the story while dealing with the racism (and sexism) of the time. You can't tell their story without explaining the importance of their struggle.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done middle-grade version of Hidden Figures would be the best way to describe this, though I have to say I have only seen the movie and not read the book, so that may be to simplified, although the bibliography does list that book, as well as others, as one of the author's sources.

What is nice about this is how Rebecca brings in what was going on socially while these women were working for NASA, about the civil rights movement, and the cold war. And the story does not end with with the landing on the moon, but goes as far, in the final chapter, the epilogue as talking about where women of color are today, in the agency.

Would recommend this for middle school classrooms and libraries. Lost of positive stories of women working to advance despite obstacles. Good to get the story out for the younger readers too.

Thanks to Netgalley and Captstone for making this book available for an honest review.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the African-American women mathematicians who worked on the American space programme and who have remained unknown and unacknowledged up to now makes for a fascinating story. Although the book is aimed at children it is of interest to a young adult, even adult, readership as well and I enjoyed this glimpse into these women’s lives and the social and political setting against which they often had to struggle.

[Joy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed Hidden Figures and similar books, all of which remind us of the role that human "computers" played in the space race and NASA (which followed NACA). This was before electronic computers--and FORTRAN. These African-American women overcame the limitations of their gender and their race. They wanted to learn and to accomplish more than was expected of them, and they overcame all kinds of obstacles. Segregation laws and rules tried to prevent them from doing what they knew they could do. This book only touched on the separate bathrooms--and the treks to same--and some of the other ways their colleagues made their lives miserable. The individual women's stories are interwoven with history. (I learned even more about the space race, the Cold War, the Soviet Union's satellites and space craft, etc.) This should be mandatory reading in school and elsewhere.

The book includes an epilogue (some of what's happening now), index, glossary, bibliography, and photos.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the box office success of "Hidden Figures" and the demand for more books such as Hidden Human Computers (by Duchess Harris), it is not surprising to see that publishers have stepped up to fulfill the need. Hidden Women tells the story of six African-American women who worked with NASA and its predecessor NACA, to help win the Space Race. Their stories are interwoven with historical events such as Gagarin's first orbit of the Earth, Civil Rights sit-ins, and JFK's dream to have America be the first to land a man on the moon.

Katherine Johnson, Miriam Mann (grandmother of Duchess Harris), Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Annie Easley, and Christine Darden are included in this discussion of the role African-American women played in the country's space program. Through the details of their careers, readers learn of the many challenges facing these women. While other workers were given paid leave to attend college, or received funds from NASA to pay their tuition, these ladies had to take unpaid leave and find their own way to finance college degrees. Even if they did have degrees, they were still assigned to pools of workers, rather than being given the same pay and projects that the white men at NASA enjoyed. There were also segregation issues such as not being allowed to live in the dorms on base, having to sit at separate tables in the lunchroom, or use separate restrooms.

Despite all the negative aspects of their jobs, these women still accomplished remarkable things. Some calculated trajectories to safely get astronauts to the moon and back again, others plotted out the safe rendezvous between two spacecraft or made rockets flying with extremely volatile fuel safe to use. Some tested aircraft and spacecraft designs in wind tunnels, or developed new computer code to use with the FORTRAN they had already learned. They all exceeded the expectations of everyone around them in the work place, proving that women and people from diverse racial backgrounds were just as capable as the white men on the job.

A final chapter visits with three women who are currently working in the space industry and contrasts their experiences with those of the early pioneers like Johnson and Easley. Back matter includes a timeline, glossary, bibliography, source notes, and index. There is a list of books for those who wish to read more about the topic, and also critical thinking questions that would be useful for a book group or class book study. The archival photos throughout the book show all the featured women, as well as several of the astronauts and rockets mentioned.

Recommended for middle grades and up. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Description
 
For Ages: 8-12

Four female African-American mathematicians made it possible to launch US rockets—and astronauts—into space. Hidden Women is the thrilling tale of how each woman contributed, the struggles and resistance each experienced, and the amazing results.

Author Bio:
Rebecca Rissman can usually be found at her laptop, hard at work on a new book for children. She’s written over 100 nonfiction books for young readers about science, math, and history.

MY REVIEW:

Thank you Netgalley and Capstone Press for allowing me an ARC for reading and providing an honest review.

I found this book incredibly well-written with the exception of very small issues that can easily be fixed. These issues did not take away from the informative, fast-read, and the great job Rebecca Rissman did chronicling the lives of four particular African American female mathematicians working for NASA during a time of civil rights unrest, equal rights differences and the cold war.
Due out February 1st, 2018, published by Capstone Press.

The narrative non-fiction work targets middle-grade readers (ages 8 to 12), but this could be a good read for anyone age 8 and older.  I immensely enjoyed reading about these amazing women and their careers from  beginning, through changes in society and NASA's inner structures, to their conclusive accomplishments accumulated to retirement. 

Imagine what this world could have accomplished without these barricades slowing discoveries down. While I was impressed with all that these intelligent women accomplished, I also felt somewhat saddened that each accomplishment could have been so much more if they had been able to surpass such obstacles as race and inequality, or not have to deal with them at all.

Well researched, accompanied with photos and nicely written. It's a great book and should be read by everyone.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a narrative nonfiction. It’s written in an easy to understand style regarding the African-American mathematicians at NASA during the Space Race of the 1960s and 1970s. They were the best mathematicians around, but segregation and racial tensions flourished during this time. This book acknowledges some of the daily and work-related struggles they faced and how they overcame them. One theme that stuck out over the course of this book: you can do anything you set your heart on, you just might have to work harder at it.

One of the mathematicians grew up in West Virginia. If you’re interested in the space program, and the events that took place during this time period, you would enjoy this book. Pictures are included of the women this book speaks about, as well of some of the astronauts of this time frame and the equipment used. It also talks about the failures and accomplishments experienced by the space program. At the end of the book is a read more section, if you want other books on the same topic, and critical thinking questions at the end, as well as a glossary.

The information is portrayed in such a way young teens through adults would enjoy this book, learning more about the space program, as well as some of the key players during this time. I would highly recommend Hidden Women.

I received a free copy from Net Galley in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

[Maria Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT THE BOOK’S ABOUT
This is a non-fiction book about the African-American women who did the math that launched rockets into space... From Katherine Johnson to Dorothy Vaughan to Mary Jackson to Miriam Mann and others.

WHAT’S COOL…
1) Each chapter deals with one of the women who worked at NASA during the years of the Space Race. It was a nice way to organize the information. For the most part, Rissman tells one main story per woman. For example, Katherine Johnson's story is that of John Glenn insisting that they "get the girl to run the numbers" before he is launched into space. He knew he could trust HER where he didn't know what to think of this new IBM computer contraption.

2) There's a nice balance of NASA history interspersed with the history of desegregation. Again, Rissman chooses a vignette to illustrate. The story she uses is that of Miriam Mann's quiet defiance against segregation in the cafeteria.

3) I thought Rissman did a nice job explaining the high (and low) points of the Space Race. I actually learned some things I didn't know before. 

4) I like the pictures scattered throughout the book. And the graphics that incorporate the math and physics involved in rocket science are nicely done. We get to see old photographs of the women who worked at NASA, alongside photos of the rockets and astronauts they helped launch into space.


FINAL THOUGHTS
I thought this was a nice dive into the history of these women at NASA. For ages 8-12, it'd be a great resource for any classroom!

This review was originally published at my blog.

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the release of Hidden Figures in 2016 many have realized the importance that mathematicians, or "human computers" as they were otherwise known, were in the Space Race in the 1950's and 1960's. There were exceptional women who worked behind the scenes. They were the Hidden Women.

Hidden Women is the incredible story of four women African-American mathematicians who were momentous in the NASA program and the space race. They worked behind the scenes, fought to overcome sexism as well as racial strife, and overcame it all, becoming instrumental in the NASA program.

As I read this book I was awe-struck by the strength that each woman incapsulated. To go through what they went through and do what they did is so inspiring! They helped put a man on the moon as well as broke barriers not only for their race but also their gender. After reading this book I wonder how different the journey to the moon would've been without these incredible women.

Hidden Women is well written, fast paced, and incredibly informative. It is geared towards an 8-12 year old audience but I believe older audiences would also enjoy it. Highly recommend!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Capstone and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great intro to the group of women who accomplished so much but never got any acknowledgement for their work.
It's inspiring to see everything this group of women (and really all women from that time) did even though at the end of the day they would be forgotten and more or less left without too much credit.


I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Juli Rahel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Hidden Figures came out, it spawned a whole range of books on the women central to the story. There were a plethora of them and I found it quite difficult to choose one to start with. African-American women have often had their hard work erased, either by actively hiding their involvement or giving the praise to those already in the spotlight. You can see it even now in America, where African-American women are a leading force in preventing people like Roy Moore winning elections, or organising protests for women's rights. What also adds interest to the women in Hidden Women is that they are a rare breed: women working in STEM. Although at university level women are more likely to study these subjects and do well in them, women still struggle against preconceptions in these fields. From young girls being told to pick Barbies over building sets, to young women being harassed in laboratories, a lot of obstacles still stand in women's ways. It is my hope that books like these, by bringing the stories of these women back, it will inspire more young women to enter these fields and have their contributions rewarded.

Rebecca Rissman does a great job at introducing the various women she describes. She tracks Katherine Johnson, Miriam Mann, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Annie Easley and Christine Darden, as well as some of the women currently working for NASA. She shows how these women worked their way up, as well as the challenges they faced on the way. African-American women then and now find themselves struggling not only against misogynistic prejudices, but also have to overcome racial stereotypes and active racism. Rissman really manages to convey their passion for the work they do, as well as their determination to let nothing stand in their way. Hidden Women is a great introductory read, giving you some of the details without getting too bogged down. I call it introductory because I would have loved some more information, for Rissman to dig down a little bit deeper into the circumstances of the women, the actual work they did, etc. But this isn't necessarily the book for that. Rissman made sure to consult people currently still working at NASA and the bibliography at the end of the book makes a great jumping off point for future research and reading.

For those who want to know a little bit more about the African-American women who worked for NASA during the space programme, Hidden Women is perfect. However, I'm still looking for a book that will really dig into their lives and their work. Recommendations anyone?

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden Women: The African-American Women Mathematicians Who Helped America Win the Space Race
by Rebecca Rissman

Capstone


History , Middle Grade
Pub Date 01 Feb 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Hidden Women through Captone and Netgalley:


In this Middle Grade book children from the ages of eight to twelve will learn how Four African American Women, mathematicians helped to launch Us rockets and Astronauts made it possible to launch U.S Rockets and astronauts into space.

Katherine Johnson had a gift for Math from a young age, she skipped grades and graduated-School at the age of fourteen, at eighteen she graduated from West Virginia State College with the highest honors got married and had children and got the only job she could at the time that of a teacher. Johnson enjoyed teaching but struggled to make ends meet, but in 1953 she was hired by NASA, in a segregated unit at first, her supervisor was Dorothy Vaughan, but after only two weeks she was handed her an on site assignment helping calculate numbers for the flight research division. Johnson faced resistance from her white co-workers many simply ignored her , but in time she got along well with her white coworkers!

Miriam Mamm was also one of the women who helped send man to space.

Mary Jackson was also one of Thea four African American Women who helped to launch man into space.


Annie Easley was a Computer Programmer for NASA , her computer skills helped launch rockets into Space..


These women were trailblazers for Women as well as African Americans and in fact they did things most men could not do to help send man into space.


I give Hidden Women five out of five stars!


Happy Reading !

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1960s were a time of great change in the United States. Not only was the Cold War with the Soviet Union alive and well, but the Civil Rights Movement was well under way. As what became known as the space race heated up between the US and the Soviet Union, the need for mathematicians grew, especially at NACA (soon to be NASA), the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. This opened doors for African American women to step up and use their talents and skills and be paid a decent salary for doing so. Women such as Dorothy Vaughan, one of the first human computers to work for NACA. She started there when the African American women were segregated in both work space and cafeteria space. Others followed in her footsteps, helping to open the doors for desegregation and increased opportunities for women. Woman such as Katherine Johnson who helped send John Glenn into orbit, or Mary Jackson, the first African American female engineer to work for NASA or Annie Easley who helped with the Centaur rocket that helped send the Apollo astronauts to the moon. Thanks to the skills, courage, and determination of these women, doors slowly started to open. This middle grade book introduces readers to these women and the contributions they made to the space race as well as to the Civil Rights Movement.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the African-American women who worked at NASA. It’s a lot like the book and movie Hidden Figures but written for children.

There are many reasons this book is important for children, particularly girls of colour, to read this book. These women demonstrate how important women were to the work of NASA. They worked behind the scenes, so they were not the focal point of the news stories. Everyone can picture the white male astronauts who landed on the moon, but not the black women who did the math and science that made it possible for them to do it. It’s important for young children to be able to see themselves in historical figures.

This story also highlights the importance of math and science in the days before computers. The job titles for these women was “computer” before there were machines of the same name. Often today, children don’t understand the point of learning math when they can just do the same computations on their cell phones in seconds. But it’s important to know how to do these things, because sometimes even the computers can be wrong.

This book is nonfiction but each chapter reads like a short story narrative about the women who worked at NASA. This will make the story accessible and entertaining for young readers.

I highly recommend this book for young readers!

I received a copy of this book on NetGalley.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on Hidden Figures, but written for middle-school age children, this book tells of the challenges faced and overcome by the highly intelligent and brave African-American women Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, Miriam Mann & Mary Jackson. They worked for NACA (the organization which would become NASA) as computers in the early days of the space program, when women of color were not accepted as the equal of their peers, throughout the landing of a man on the moon when their considerable contributions were recognized. It then goes beyond those years, describing the work environment at NASA for the second generation of women of color, and into current times.

Rebecca Rissman does such an excellent job of describing the social and political climate of the time period when this book takes place that I believe it should be required reading for every American middle-schooler. The book is fact-based, easy to understand, and talks about segregation, the Race for Space, and the Cold War in an unbiased way and informative way.

A wonderful read, I give this 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[B. Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a NetGalley giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Rissman does a great job of chronicling the lives of the African American "Human Computers" who helped NASA reach the stars to win the space race and successfully land on the Moon. Not just providing a narrative, Rissman adds actually photos throughout this book to give readers a deeper connection with these amazing women who almost slipped through the cracks and pages of history. Against a difficult and oppressive socio-cultural backdrop, these women not only managed to overcome the racist pressure of their jobs but also misogyny and helped paved a new way for future generations of women "steminist". It seems as though the Latin creed for the Apollo 1 effigy can also be applied here, "ad astra per aspera" meaning "A rough road leads to the stars".

I believe this book would be a great companion to the movie that was recently released about these phenomenal women called "Hidden Figures". It even provides Critical Questions for discussion and other books one might think to be beneficial in regards to these Hidden Figures.

[penny shima glanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging history of four female African-American mathematicians who helped shape America's early aeronautics program written for middle-grade readers. Yes, there is a young reader's edition of Shetterly's acclaimed book; multiple titles of the same topic at the library or book store are valuable. Together they help to show that it is an important topic! Books that can help young women interested in STEM fields find role models who look like them are needed. It's beneficial that the stories include how these trailblazers arrived at their career and challenges they overcame. Hidden Women helps to share the advances pioneered by these strong, hardworking, and brilliant women.

I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review. The FTC wants you to know.

[Diane Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book written for middle school level but as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed it. It describes the experiences of African American woman working in the space industry. These women made an incredible contribution to the space race. They helped the US win the space race. The book describes the obstacles they faced as African American woman. The last chapter of the book compares the experiences of women currently working in the industry to the experiences of the women of the past. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! It was a fast read, filled with several, informative stories, and rather easy to follow. I think young readers (as well as older ones!) will be able to appreciate it, and I hope that it will also inspire many of them! Rissman did an excellent job conveying information in an engaging, storytelling format!

Note: An e-ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Xydel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It goes over a lot of people and it got a little confusing to keep track of all the people.

[JoJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that needed to be told, and thankfully it is told well.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction for kids!

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells briefly about six African American women who worked for NASA, as human computers, engineers, and more. It tells about the opposition they faced because of their gender and race. It also discusses their contributions and how they were important to NASA's success. It also talks about the Space Race between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

This book is well-written and enjoyable for middle schoolers, young adults, and even adults who want a brief introduction to these women and their contributions. It also would be a good discussion-starter for talking about discrimination and civil rights.

I read a copy via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.