Award-winning author and Navy veteran Jennifer Swanson has a love for science and STEM that goes back to her own elementary school years. Those interests and experiences converge in a delightful way in this picture book exploration of the career of engineer Raye Montague. From her first visit to a submarine in 1943 to her final assignment designing a submarine for the U.S. Navy, readers will see Raye overcome one obstacle after another.
The author was able to interview Raye Montague about her experiences and how she worked to meet her goals despite the limitations placed in the way of Black women who were interested in science and math. Raye persevered and became a third-generation college graduate, learned to program the UNIVAC computer, and even invented a way to have a computer design an entire naval ship - not just separate ship's systems as others were doing at that time.
Many may recognize the style of illustrator Veronica Miller Jamison (A Computer Called Katherine). The changing fashions and hairstyles help to show the time periods in various scenes. Readers may also see the enormous banks of machines with their reels of magnetic tape that made up the UNIVAC. The end papers at the back of the book even show the design for the USS Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate Raye's computer program created.
"No one thought a woman could do it.
No one thought a Black woman could do it.
But Raye Montague
became the first person to do it."
Back matter includes more information about Raye Montague and an author's note. This book is the perfect addition to library collections - it can be used in units for Black History Month, Women's History Month, biography projects, and STEM careers. Due out this November - so put it on your wish list now!
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