Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson

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Worth the read - you may need to have discussions depending on the age of the child.

August 10, 2019

I just finished Reaching for the Moon. It is a young adult book, but has rather deep subjects (racism, lynching, separate and not equal, etc) so I am not sure how young a reader you would let read this. I would think it would take a lot of discussion.

One paragraph really bothered me. It is inaccurate, but Mrs. Johnson is over 100 years old. At the time of Pearl Harbor, she was a young mother living in West Virginia. Maybe this means more (to me) because I lived in Pearl City when I was very young.

"On December 7, 1941, Japanese kamikazi fighter planes , dive bombers, and torpedo bombers attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese destroyed or damaged three Navy cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and a minelayer, leading our nation into World War II. One hundred eighty-eight US aircraft were destroyed.”

1) There weren't kamikazi pilots at this point in the conflict/war.
2) What about the 4 battleships that were sunk and the 4 that were badly damaged? (Battleships are bigger than cruisers and cruisers are bigger than destroyers)
3) According to Wikipedia, not the best source but quick, 188 planes were destroyed and 159 were damaged. There were an additional 3 ships destroyed or damaged.
4) I felt she should have mentioned how lucky we were that the carriers (fleet carriers are bigger than battleships) were at sea when the attack happened so we were able to fight back.

Minor - but it took me out of the mood.

Still a book I would recommend with the understanding that you are going to have to have a discussion with the children reading it.

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Jeanette

A Highly Inspiring Book to Read

October 20, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Of all of the hundreds of books I've read, this is one of my favorites so far. Not only was it inspiring for a young woman to read, but I also learned a lot about history from this book. This book inspires excellence, hard work, courage and to press through difficulties. It has also taught me to be extra grateful for the privileges we have in this modern age, and to have an even greater respect for those before us who paved the way. I recommend this book to everyone.

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John R

Perfect read.

September 14, 2019

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great book from a awesome woman.

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Mark

November 8, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Awesome!!! Must read!!!! History that needs to be taught! Mrs. Johnson talked about the team and working together to accomplish a common goal. No matter what ethnicity you are. She just wanted to be included to share her talents that changed the world.

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Ms.Ele

Super star

July 24, 2019

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Impressive

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September 28, 2019

I checked out this autobiography, aimed at young readers, from the library; and thoroughly enjoyed it. Her account of her life and upbringing in the segregated South, her personal experiences, her education and talent for mathematics and languages, was much more fascinating than I had anticipated. She deftly moves between her family and personal life and the experiences of changing times (from lynchings and limited job opportunities to the civil rights movement in the 60s she didn't want her daughters to participate in for fear of consequences) by showing how our lives are a process of navigating our circumstances while trying to move them in a positive direction. She also shows the little twists and turns of life that take us to where we are. Excellent read!

I also think it's REALLY appropriate for the young people it's aimed for, and would be both engaging and educational to them.

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