Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden are names that have been largely forgotten. The four women worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in the mid-twentieth century. Each displayed early aptitude for math, sharp curiosity about the world around them, and marked confidence in the face of discrimination. They contributed to discoveries about space and to sending manned missions into orbit. Their life stories are the perfect impetus for discussion on a host of important historical themes germane to the 1950s, such as gender roles, racial prejudice and segregation, and scientific exploration. In any context, these women's contributions to science and aerospace technology would be impressive, but the obstacles imposed by the norms of their society make their achievements all the more impressive. Middle-schoolers will find their story, here in a young readers' edition of Shetterly's 2016 adult book (the basis of a current movie), engaging and inspirational.

The talented black women working at NASA's Langley facility in the mid-twentieth century started as mathematics "human computers," but persisted through racism and sexism to make significant contributions as engineers, analysts, and programmers. Shetterly's outstanding young readers' edition of her similarly titled adult book highlights the intersecting worlds of educated, middle-class southern African Americans and Cold War space program scientists. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Gr 3-5--Scary Stories 3 is here! And it was worth the wait. Schwartz has once again created a crowd pleaser with these 25 short stories that include everything from confronting death to jump tales. There are six major categories of gore with one to eight concise tales in each to delight horror lovers. The selections are straightforward and to the point, allowing readers to put their imaginative skills to full use. The book is well paced and continually captivates, surprises, and entices audiences into reading just one more page. Gammell's gauzy, cobwebby, black-and-white pen-and-ink drawings help to sustain the overall creepy mood. To complete the picture, source notes explain the origins of each story; a comprehensive bibliography includes materials for adults and children. This will be a well-used addition to all collections. Children who have read and reread and reread Schwartz's other books will appreciate this new offering. Teachers will use it in their classrooms as a read-aloud. Storytellers will make these tales part of their repertoires. Definitely a first-purchase consideration. --Molly Kinney, formerly at Miami Dade Public Library System, Miami, FL