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sassmistress's review against another edition
3.75
The pictures are good, and it's factual but story-driven and mentions math concepts (like a parabola) but isn't intimidating. I like the progression of concepts from counting to geometry, and the "Katherine knew that was wrong--as wrong as ___" that gets slightly harder each time. I loved learning that John Glenn trusted her calculations so much that he wouldn't fly until she double-checked everyone's math. It does a fairly good job of explaining the risks, but not the stakes--they explain what makes the flight path calculations so difficult, and how little room for error there is, but the moment of tension is a single-page spread of countdown to lift-off showing her nervousness, and then the book ends with "Four days later, as Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon... Katherine smiled, and began to count." I feel like the significance of the moment could have been more powerfully communicated. But as a math-y biography, it does a pretty good job!
Rating lowered some because the socio-historical content is super preachy--it tells instead of shows what the experience was like. For example:
"Meanwhile, most everyone in town was arguing about 'right' and 'wrong.' Some people said it was wrong for children with different skin colors to attend the same school. Others said it wasn't right for women to work at the same jobs as men. Their arguments seemed wrong to Katherine--as wrong as 5 + 5 = 12. She believed everyone should be treated the same. So she kept working hard in school and dreamed of a future when all people would have equal rights."
and:
"Back then, people said women could only be teachers or nurses. Katherine believed that was wrong--as wrong as 10 - 5 = 3. She believed women could be anything--scientists, lawyers, or mathematicians. So she set out to prove it!"
and:
"But Katherine wasn't like the other women. She asked questions. Lots of questions! [...] The men engineers noticed the woman who asked intelligent questions and how quickly she solved difficult math problems. So they asked Katherine to join their space team. Its mission--send America's first astronaut into space.
Katherine said yes! Then she discovered that women weren't allowed to attend the group's meetings. She knew this was wrong--as wrong as 5 x 5 = 20. She asked if she could go.
"Women don't ever go to those," the engineers replied.
"Is there a law against it?" Katherine asked.
"No."
So Katherine showed up at the next meeting--ready to work."
My kid enjoyed it.
Rating lowered some because the socio-historical content is super preachy--it tells instead of shows what the experience was like. For example:
"Meanwhile, most everyone in town was arguing about 'right' and 'wrong.' Some people said it was wrong for children with different skin colors to attend the same school. Others said it wasn't right for women to work at the same jobs as men. Their arguments seemed wrong to Katherine--as wrong as 5 + 5 = 12. She believed everyone should be treated the same. So she kept working hard in school and dreamed of a future when all people would have equal rights."
and:
"Back then, people said women could only be teachers or nurses. Katherine believed that was wrong--as wrong as 10 - 5 = 3. She believed women could be anything--scientists, lawyers, or mathematicians. So she set out to prove it!"
and:
"But Katherine wasn't like the other women. She asked questions. Lots of questions! [...] The men engineers noticed the woman who asked intelligent questions and how quickly she solved difficult math problems. So they asked Katherine to join their space team. Its mission--send America's first astronaut into space.
Katherine said yes! Then she discovered that women weren't allowed to attend the group's meetings. She knew this was wrong--as wrong as 5 x 5 = 20. She asked if she could go.
"Women don't ever go to those," the engineers replied.
"Is there a law against it?" Katherine asked.
"No."
So Katherine showed up at the next meeting--ready to work."
My kid enjoyed it.
jaij7's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book about Katherine Johnson. I liked this author and illustrator's version. Well done.
garnetofeden's review against another edition
5.0
A Computer Called Katherine subtly weaves social issues such as race and gender discrimination in beside the excellent and clear portrayal of mathematical computations, graphs, and geometry. The high-quality illustrations visually show the math concepts involved while still keeping it accessible for elementary readers.
Rating reviewed 1/27/2023.
Rating reviewed 1/27/2023.
litagentsaritza's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a huge Katherine Johnson fan even though I’m terrible at Math. She’d likely say that it’s not that I’m bad at Math, simply that I’m not applying Math properly but the truth is that Katherine’s ability to apply Math is unmatched. This wonderful picture book not only helps you learn more about Katherine and her contributions to the world, it also allows you to apply math to your everyday as well.
mariahroze's review against another edition
5.0
"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."
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."
libraryrobin's review against another edition
4.0
Great bio of a girl that loved math and grew up to help astronauts reach the moon. She defied the prejudices of her day and is a trailblazer for today's girls interested in STEM.
choirqueer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book with its gorgeous illustrations and engaging narration of a very important person in history! Definitely recommend this one!
sarasreadingnook's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
5.0
I thought that this was a beautiful book which did a good job at showing how Katherine was able to break barriers and pursue/excel at a job in STEM. It shows the needless and nonsensical barriers that woman have had to go through in order to pave out a way for themselves in that world. As a person of colour, Katherine had even more barriers and I think that this book is inspiring: to pursue ones passion and to dismantle the senseless barriers and systems that create them.