Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition (edició 2016)

An awesome book. I would recommend this for readers of all ages! While the original Hidden Figures is an amazing book, it is almost more a reference than a story. The amount of detail is a bit overwhelming, even for the avid readers in my book club. And so, I believe that the Young Readers' Edition is a more accessible version of the book for the majority of readers.

Great history, and I enjoyed that the book centered on specific women's stories. Not a totally riveting read, but I also appreciated the way the book highlighted ongoing and consistent discrimination. ( )

Bought this for the grandkids and read it first to check out the reading level. Found it to be well written and I look forward to giving it to the children. It's hard to explain how different the world was in the 1950s-60s when segregation was the norm in many of the states. and this book does it very well by introducing you to the 'computers', the lady mathematicians. Reading about their struggles for equality and their optimism and drive to better themselves, their families and all the African American people, is very inspirational. Children reading it will learn that dreams along with hard work will ensure they accomplish their goals in life. ( )

Independent Reading Level - Grade 6
Awards: n/a

Hidden Figures covers the story of four African American Women who join NASA, including mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden, during the Civil Rights era, the Space Era, the Cold War, and the movement for women equality. The book uncovers how these four women faced racial and gender discrimination upon working at NASA despite their efforts of mathematical calculations and years of extended STEM careers. Even if faced through the social issues during this time periods, the four mathematicians exceedingly proved their efforts by solving issues through calculations for NASA. This book is an amazing book that can be correlated towards STEM content subjects as well as US History content area topics such as the Civil Rights era and how these group of women succeeded despite being women, as women were not seen as equal as men during this period, or in a time where African Americans faced discrimination from the people around them. Additionally, this chapter book serves as an inspiration towards middle grade readers as the four mathematicians kept persevering to achieve success in an era that was downplayed their accomplishments. It is a great read to teach students about historical events that took place during the 1960’s and it serves as a good read that correlates towards math and science content areas that involve calculations and the orbit around Earth. ( )