Hidden Figures

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW (from Common Sense Media)

Parents need to know that Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition, by Margot Lee Shetterly, is a kids' version of the best-selling book for adults that inspired the Oscar-nominated film of the same name. It brings to light the story of four African American women mathematicians who worked on the teams developing aircraft and spacecraft for the United States. The book starts earlier than the film, during World War II, when one of the women first got hired as a "computer" (someone doing mathematical calculations) helping to develop faster planes for the war effort. The stories of the four women are set squarely in the context of the racial climate of segregated, pre-civil rights Langley, Virginia. These real women role models, previously unsung, are a powerful inspiration for young African American girls interested in considering careers in STEM fields. There's an audiobook version narrated by Bahni Turpin.