Counting on Katherine

You've likely heard of the historic Apollo 13 moon landing. But do you know about the mathematical genius who made sure that Apollo 13 returned safely home?

As a child, Katherine Johnson 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 math, about the universe.

From Katherine's early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, Counting on Katherine is the story of a groundbreaking American woman who not only calculated the course of moon landings but, in turn, saved lives and made enormous contributions to history. (From Raincoast Books)

• Here are the 2020 Silver Birch Express Award finalists
• Meet the black women who broke ground in NASA space race

From the book

More about Katherine Johnson

The Current25:20How the black women of NASA broke ground for equality during space race

Segregated, underestimated and invaluable. A group of African-American women whose job at NASA was to do the math pushed for civil rights and made a lasting mark on the U.S. space program. Author Margot Lee Shetterley shares this hidden story. 25:20

Other books by Helaine Becker