Astronaut Ellen Ochoa

August 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-A celebration of innovators and the various STEM fields they pioneered and loved. Throughout the series, the authors routinely but gently emphasize how interconnected the acts of studying, inventing, and playing are (especially in Lonnie Johnson)-a quality that makes these titles natural companion texts for maker spaces. Also, the initial focus on the childhood of each subject allows students to draw their own personal connections (a young Nikola Tesla unsuccessfully tried to fly, Ellen Ochoa's parents divorced when she was a teen). Bright, well-designed layouts make for an effortless reading experience, though the text can be vague at points; for instance, in Katherine Johnson, students may wonder why her town "did not have a high school she could attend." Upbeat profiles of admirable STEM figures and fine additions to biography collections.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017
Grades 3-6 In straightforward chapters with plenty of photos, entries in the STEM Trailblazer Bio series showcase notable inventors and scientists who broke barriers in their fields. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa profiles the titular engineer, who, apart from being the first Hispanic woman in space, has several patents under her belt and is the current director of the Johnson Space Center. Though they're a bit on the dry side, these biographies hit the major highlights of their subjects' lives, and with a broad range of topics in the series, including many contemporary women of color working in STEM fields, these will be useful starting points for students looking for research topics.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
This set of the continuing series features both contemporary and historical science and technology innovators. The inspiring profiles, which touch on childhood, education, and the subjects' breakthrough accomplishments, will tie in well with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum objectives. A colorful, easy-to-read format features photos and "tech talk" sidebars with quotes, mostly from the "trailblazers" themselves. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)