Margaret and the Moon

K-Gr 3--When Margaret Hamilton was a child, her father encouraged her interest in space. She loved sports, reading, art, and music, but she especially enjoyed mathematics. Working with computers, Hamilton was able to combine her interests by teaching herself to write code and program computers. In 1964, she went to work for NASA and became the director of Software Programming for Project Apollo. Cartoon-style illustrations add a sense of levity to the work, making Hamilton's complex jobs accessible and appealing to a young audience. The narrative builds to an emotional climax when Apollo 11's lunar module, the Eagle, runs into problems minutes before the scheduled landing. Faced with a potentially disastrous computer overload, Hamilton's code corrected the malfunction, and the module touched down safely. The author was able to interview Hamilton, and an informative note explains more about her life and career. VERDICT Entertaining and illuminating, this book has many curricular connections, including space travel, women's history, inventions, and coding.--Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Robbins (Miss Paul and the President) traces the life of mathematician and self-described software engineer Margaret Hamilton. Beginning with her early life as a curious girl who questioned (and studied) everything, Robbins moves briskly through her career path, from teaching herself how to write computer code to assisting with the 1969 moon landing and other NASA missions: "Could Margaret use computers to get the astronauts... 238,855 miles there... and 238,855 miles back?" Knisley's (Relish) crisp cartooning approaches Hamilton's story with reverence for her accomplishments, as well as humor ("Yippee!" shouts Apollo 11's lunar module as it decamps for the moon's surface). As the contributions of women in STEM fields gain increased attention and appreciation, Robbins and Knisley deliver an inspiring tribute to a true innovator. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. Illustrator's agent: Holly Bemiss, Susan Rabiner Literary. (May)