Astronaut Mae Jemison (STEM Trailblazer Bios)

Wonderful little book, quick read for my 7th grader to do a book report on for black history month. Loved the book.

it's a good start for a fourth grade report....

Mae Jemison was into science big time when she was a little girl. It all began with a splinter in her thumb that became infected. The pus that oozed out of it was mega-cool, least ways in her mind. Mae’s “mother told her to go look it up and learn more about it.” It was from that day forth, a young scientist in the making was born. Books, books, books ... science books became her passion. One other thing that was a passion of Mae’s was “Star Trek.” Her favorite character was Lieutenant Ohura, a black female scientist. Maybe, just maybe, Mae could one day become an astronaut!Education was her path to becoming an astronaut, but “her teacher didn’t think a black girl could be a scientist.” Surely she wanted to be a nurse. Not. Mae’s dual love of science and “Star Trek” persisted and her dream of heading into space kept her moving. Mae was a multi-talented girl and in addition to being a top-notch student, she was a dancer. She felt that dancing “made her feel as excited and free as science.” Mae would dance her way into the starry night skies, but there were still many obstacles she’d have to overcome.As a young sixteen-year-old high school graduate, Mae was off to Stanford University. She wanted to be a biomedical engineer, but no one took her seriously. One professor “ignored her questions,” no one believed she could speak Russian, and certainly no one thought she would one day be an astronaut. There were, however, educators and others who did believe in her. There was always the possibility of being a dancer, but she could become a doctor in order to “pursue he goal of becoming a biomedical engineer.” Choices and challenges were certainly on Mae Jemison’s plate.Her mother, who was a teacher, “told her that she could still dance if she was a doctor, but she couldn’t doctor if she was a dancer.” There were so many possibilities, but Mae didn’t waver from her childhood goals and aspirations. It was off to Cornell University to get that medical degree. And then there was that travel bug that bit her. You’ll read all about how Mae joined the Peace Corps, where she served, her applications to NASA, the phone call that would change her life, and you’ll learn much more about an amazing woman ... Mae Jemison ... astronaut.This is a fascinating book about Mae Jemison, a multi-talented astronaut, young students will love. Every youngster has hopes and dreams, but Mae shows them that despite many serious obstacles, they can succeed in their chosen field. It seemed like everything and everyone was against her, but she held onto her dreams. The layout of the book pops with full color photographs and numerous, informative “Tech Talk” sidebars (quotes from Mae). In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a Timeline (1956 to 2012), source notes, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore. There are additional free, complementary downloadable resources on the publisher’s website.This book courtesy of the publisher.