Slade, Suzanne. Women on a Mission: The Remarkable Heroes Who Put Men on the Moon. Molly Magnell, Illus. Charlesbridge, 10/2025. 48pp. Nonfiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-62354-395-2. GRADES 2–5. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
A dozen female scientists are profiled in this collective biography that focuses on the women who helped astronauts land on the moon in 1969. Beginning with Marya Golda Ross, a member of the Cherokee nation who worked for Lockheed as a mathematician starting in 1949, to Katherine Johnson, a Black mathematician who calculated flight paths for NASA who some readers will remember from the film Hidden Figures, the women did a variety of expert jobs and represented different races. Each entry has full-color graphic illustrations, a photo of the woman, and four or five paragraphs of text. Back matter includes information on women who joined the space program after the moon landing, including the first female astronauts, source notes, a list of further reading, and bibliography. This is useful both for recreational reading and research projects.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool