Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
"As a child, Katherine loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about maths, about the universe...
Helaine Becker interviewed Katherine and her family for this authorized biography. From Katherine's early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, this is the true story of a groundbreaking African-American woman who went above and beyond what was expected of her in the 1960s, saving lives and making enormous contributions to history. Featuring Dow Phumiruk's gorgeous full-colour illustrations throughout." - MacMillan Childrens (K-4)
Helpful Links:
Article: The True Story Behind Hidden Figures & Movie Trailer (Smithsonian Magazine)
Database: Visit PebbleGo Biographies to find out about Katherine and view a timeline of her life (or see PDF here)
Google Expeditions: Visit space! (web or app-based virtual or augmented reality)
Interview: Watch an interview with Katherine Johnson from 2017 or NASA's commemorative video celebrating her life achievements
Activity: MC Baker's Art Connection: STEM Launcher
MEMS Library related text: Search for other books about space
Read Aloud of Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Doe Phumiruk (7 min, 30 sec)