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Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math
Learn about seven groundbreaking women in math and science in this gorgeously written biographical novel-in-verse, a companion to the “original and memorable” (Booklist, starred review) Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science.
After a childhood spent looking up at the stars, Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and to earn a salary for scientific research. Florence Nightingale was a trailblazing nurse whose work reformed hospitals and one of the founders of the field of medical statistics. The first female electrical engineer, Hertha Marks Ayrton registered twenty-six patents for her inventions.
Marie Tharp helped create the first map of the entire ocean floor, which helped scientists understand our subaquatic world and suggested how the continents shifted. A mathematical prodigy, Katherine Johnson calculated trajectories and launch windows for many NASA projects including the Apollo 11 mission. Edna Lee Paisano, a citizen of the Nez Perce Nation, was the first Native American to work full time for the Census Bureau, overseeing a large increase in American Indian and Alaskan Native representation. And Vera Rubin studied more than two hundred galaxies and found the first strong evidence for dark matter.
Told in vibrant, evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates seven remarkable women who used math as their key to explore the mysteries of the universe and grew up to do innovative work that changed the world.
After a childhood spent looking up at the stars, Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and to earn a salary for scientific research. Florence Nightingale was a trailblazing nurse whose work reformed hospitals and one of the founders of the field of medical statistics. The first female electrical engineer, Hertha Marks Ayrton registered twenty-six patents for her inventions.
Marie Tharp helped create the first map of the entire ocean floor, which helped scientists understand our subaquatic world and suggested how the continents shifted. A mathematical prodigy, Katherine Johnson calculated trajectories and launch windows for many NASA projects including the Apollo 11 mission. Edna Lee Paisano, a citizen of the Nez Perce Nation, was the first Native American to work full time for the Census Bureau, overseeing a large increase in American Indian and Alaskan Native representation. And Vera Rubin studied more than two hundred galaxies and found the first strong evidence for dark matter.
Told in vibrant, evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates seven remarkable women who used math as their key to explore the mysteries of the universe and grew up to do innovative work that changed the world.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 2020
About the author
Jeannine Atkins
23 books42 followersJeannine Atkins is the author of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science, Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math, and Little Woman in Blue: A Novel of May Alcott. She teaches in the MFA program at Simmons College. You can learn more on her website at http://www.Jeannineatkins.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 27, 2021
Absolutely loved this biography-in-verse of 7 women who contributed much to our understanding of the world we live in despite the restrictions placed on them because of their gender and the times they lived in.
Be it Caroline Herschel who in the 18th century, became the first woman to spot a comet, get paid for scientific research and be awarded a gold medal by the Royal Astronomical society or Katherine Johnson who came into the spotlight with the book Hidden figures that traced her journey in NASA and her contribution to man stepping on the moon or the other five women whose stories are told here, they had a couple of things in common. They loved Maths, were told it was not the subject for women and went ahead despite discouragement to apply their knowledge and make scientific discoveries.
All of them encountered stiff resistance from the academic and scientific world that consisted mainly of men who decided what women could and could not do based on their convenience. From no rest room for ladies in the research centres to not being allowed to attend important meetings to not being given credit for the papers they wrote, these women had to go through it all and persisted.
I had heard of some of them but learnt more by reading this. Florence Nightingale, known for pioneering the nursing profession was also responsible for the field of medical statistics which has proved invaluable. This and other such nuggets as well as the way these truly driven achievers managed family and their own ambition is related in very interesting prose.
I believe that this will definitely inspire young girls of today in particular to aspire to literally reach for the stars.
Be it Caroline Herschel who in the 18th century, became the first woman to spot a comet, get paid for scientific research and be awarded a gold medal by the Royal Astronomical society or Katherine Johnson who came into the spotlight with the book Hidden figures that traced her journey in NASA and her contribution to man stepping on the moon or the other five women whose stories are told here, they had a couple of things in common. They loved Maths, were told it was not the subject for women and went ahead despite discouragement to apply their knowledge and make scientific discoveries.
All of them encountered stiff resistance from the academic and scientific world that consisted mainly of men who decided what women could and could not do based on their convenience. From no rest room for ladies in the research centres to not being allowed to attend important meetings to not being given credit for the papers they wrote, these women had to go through it all and persisted.
I had heard of some of them but learnt more by reading this. Florence Nightingale, known for pioneering the nursing profession was also responsible for the field of medical statistics which has proved invaluable. This and other such nuggets as well as the way these truly driven achievers managed family and their own ambition is related in very interesting prose.
I believe that this will definitely inspire young girls of today in particular to aspire to literally reach for the stars.
March 13, 2021
Like the first book, Finding Wonders: Girls who Loved Science, this one, Grasping Mysteries: Girls who Loved Math, has an awesome focus on curiosity, determination, and perseverance. I think those traits are really important in any any field, but particularly for those that have historically been dominated by men.
I loved that we get not three, but seven women to look up to in this one! The first book had a really cool thread about religion and how that plays a part in discovery. Oftentimes we think that science and religion are separate, but we saw in the first book that that's not always the case!
This one, Girls who Loved Math, we see examples of GOOD men who did more than allow these women to succeed in their field but, in fact, encouraged, uplifted, and supported them. (This was my favorite thing about this book!) Yes, there's an interesting discussion about how women have often had to choose between being mothers or succeeding in math, and that has largely been the fault of men. But not all men are like that, I appreciate the author showing that through fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons of these remarkable women.
This one also tackles some racial injustices as well, especially as we learn about Katherine Johnson who charted courses around the earth and to the moon for NASA. It's one of those subjects that, thankfully, children are being exposed to earlier and, which can hopefully help them see that these injustices are, well, not right! Our world has come a long way, sure, but there's more to be done not only for our women who need to tape signs on doors in order to have a bathroom, but for Blacks and Native Americans and other minorities who are unfairly looked down upon.
On a personal note, I think if I had read a book like this as a kid, I might have wondered about women drummers and maybe asked around or looked up women who loved to play the drums. I talk about this on my blog, but one of the reasons I quit drumming in junior high was largely due to the fact that I didn't know ANY girls who played, and I was very concerned about how people would treat me, as a girl if I continued to play a "boy" instrument.
So even if math isn't your thing, this book is worth checking out!
I loved that we get not three, but seven women to look up to in this one! The first book had a really cool thread about religion and how that plays a part in discovery. Oftentimes we think that science and religion are separate, but we saw in the first book that that's not always the case!
This one, Girls who Loved Math, we see examples of GOOD men who did more than allow these women to succeed in their field but, in fact, encouraged, uplifted, and supported them. (This was my favorite thing about this book!) Yes, there's an interesting discussion about how women have often had to choose between being mothers or succeeding in math, and that has largely been the fault of men. But not all men are like that, I appreciate the author showing that through fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons of these remarkable women.
This one also tackles some racial injustices as well, especially as we learn about Katherine Johnson who charted courses around the earth and to the moon for NASA. It's one of those subjects that, thankfully, children are being exposed to earlier and, which can hopefully help them see that these injustices are, well, not right! Our world has come a long way, sure, but there's more to be done not only for our women who need to tape signs on doors in order to have a bathroom, but for Blacks and Native Americans and other minorities who are unfairly looked down upon.
On a personal note, I think if I had read a book like this as a kid, I might have wondered about women drummers and maybe asked around or looked up women who loved to play the drums. I talk about this on my blog, but one of the reasons I quit drumming in junior high was largely due to the fact that I didn't know ANY girls who played, and I was very concerned about how people would treat me, as a girl if I continued to play a "boy" instrument.
So even if math isn't your thing, this book is worth checking out!
October 23, 2021
Jeannine Atkins has another excellent book to follow "Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science," and it's this wonderful book. The women she focuses on this time include Katherine Johnson and Vera Rubin. Each poem is a small moment in the girls’ lives. I especially love the last lines of so many of the poems. They feel hopeful and end on an upward note.
“She charts what’s known in the sky, dipping a quill in ink,/recording the sizes, colors, and locations of stars/on paper that turns a brighter white as the sun rises” are the closing lines in the poem “Minding the Heavens” about Caroline Herschel. And in “The Gray Cat and the Green Chair” about Hertha Marks Ayrton, “Wrong answers point ways to right ones.”
The poetic language Atkins uses gives power to everyday moments as well as the breakthroughs in research and celebrations these women experienced: “Houskeeping/looks endless, but she starts by sweeping ashes/from the hearth, taking flint from the tinderbox./She strikes it on steel, fans the sparks.”
This book, like "Finding Wonders," makes poetry out of something I usually find to be so technical and dry. It makes me see mathematics in a new light: “Math seems to set forces on paper,/still as sleeping birds just before they soar.” The sections can be read separately—but once you start, I bet you will want to read the whole book!
Elizabeth L. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
“She charts what’s known in the sky, dipping a quill in ink,/recording the sizes, colors, and locations of stars/on paper that turns a brighter white as the sun rises” are the closing lines in the poem “Minding the Heavens” about Caroline Herschel. And in “The Gray Cat and the Green Chair” about Hertha Marks Ayrton, “Wrong answers point ways to right ones.”
The poetic language Atkins uses gives power to everyday moments as well as the breakthroughs in research and celebrations these women experienced: “Houskeeping/looks endless, but she starts by sweeping ashes/from the hearth, taking flint from the tinderbox./She strikes it on steel, fans the sparks.”
This book, like "Finding Wonders," makes poetry out of something I usually find to be so technical and dry. It makes me see mathematics in a new light: “Math seems to set forces on paper,/still as sleeping birds just before they soar.” The sections can be read separately—but once you start, I bet you will want to read the whole book!
Elizabeth L. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
August 6, 2020
As I read “Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math,” Jeannine Atkins’s lyrical celebration of seven women who fought against myriad obstacles to study math and math adjacent fields, I thought about the women scientists whose stories inspired me as a young girl. Even now girls face daunting struggles in math and science, but “Grasping Mysteries” offers a window into the lives of seven inspiring women. Many of them demonstrate how to negotiate the family-work dynamic.
Atkins also invites readers into her creative process as she describes the poetic license she takes in imagining the lives and conversations of her subjects while presenting the factual information about their contributions to science and math. I found her rendering of Marie Tharp’s life particularly touching.
A couple of gorgeous lines illustrating both Atkins’s tone and lyricism throughout this biography in verse:
“Sarah loves math for its loyalty. Numbers may disappear, but new ones take their place.”
“Math works out ways to give everyone a fair chance.”
Highly recommended for MG through YA. I can see this book as a mentor text for students learning to write biographical sketches in verse and for those looking for female role models.
Atkins also invites readers into her creative process as she describes the poetic license she takes in imagining the lives and conversations of her subjects while presenting the factual information about their contributions to science and math. I found her rendering of Marie Tharp’s life particularly touching.
A couple of gorgeous lines illustrating both Atkins’s tone and lyricism throughout this biography in verse:
“Sarah loves math for its loyalty. Numbers may disappear, but new ones take their place.”
“Math works out ways to give everyone a fair chance.”
Highly recommended for MG through YA. I can see this book as a mentor text for students learning to write biographical sketches in verse and for those looking for female role models.
Shelved as 'dropped'
September 19, 2020Dropped after 64 pages.
When I requested this from the library, I thought that it would be a collection of nonfiction biographical sketches, but this is actually a series of free verse poems about different women. Because I'm not sure how much of the information is completely accurate versus creative license, I don't have the motivation to get through the writing style, which breaks up sentences with minimal rhythmic consistency and lots of white space.
However, because I don't ordinarily like free verse, my experience with this book will not reflect everyone else's. This book contains lots of information about women in math and science fields, and adults and children who are interested in this topic may enjoy this book very much. The style just doesn't work for me.
When I requested this from the library, I thought that it would be a collection of nonfiction biographical sketches, but this is actually a series of free verse poems about different women. Because I'm not sure how much of the information is completely accurate versus creative license, I don't have the motivation to get through the writing style, which breaks up sentences with minimal rhythmic consistency and lots of white space.
However, because I don't ordinarily like free verse, my experience with this book will not reflect everyone else's. This book contains lots of information about women in math and science fields, and adults and children who are interested in this topic may enjoy this book very much. The style just doesn't work for me.
August 27, 2020
A great “girl power” book about five very different girls and how they grew up to use their love for math to make profound contributions in their fields of study—using medical statistics to improve health, mapping the ocean floor, studying dark matter in space and more. Great for middle school girls. Especially for readers who wonder what they’ll ever do with math (like I did, sadly.) With a subtle feminist spin. Well done.
December 27, 2022
good read for learning more about women's history in math 🥰 the writing in verse didn't work well for me, but I'm sure many young readers will enjoy it
April 9, 2024
This was great, no notes. I love how I had only heard of about half of these women before, and still learned things about those too.
July 5, 2020
I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Biographies of seven female mathematicians told through poetry. Atkins uses a variety of verse styles to tell their stories. The challenges and difficulties come through as each woman fought for her chance to become who she wanted to be. Middle grade readers will appreciate these role models. Mostly single page poems allow them to process each part of the women's lives and then move on to learn more.
Informative text provided at the end of the book.
Biographies of seven female mathematicians told through poetry. Atkins uses a variety of verse styles to tell their stories. The challenges and difficulties come through as each woman fought for her chance to become who she wanted to be. Middle grade readers will appreciate these role models. Mostly single page poems allow them to process each part of the women's lives and then move on to learn more.
Informative text provided at the end of the book.
November 24, 2020
Written in verse, Grasping Mysteries tells the stories of seven women who didn’t let the opinions of others keep them from pursuing their live of math. These inspiring stories make this a must read book.
Read
December 16, 2019Just lovely.
July 6, 2022
Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math by Jeannine Atkins
This collection of verse short stories about women who influenced society by using their math skills reads like a combination of non-fiction, biography and narrative story telling. The combination allows the reader to connect with each of the women at a more personal level. We see them as people as well as their accomplishments. Great for discussion on women's rights and opportunities based on setting.
Caroline Hershel- (England) sister to astronomer who became and astronomer in her own right.
Florence Nightingale: (England) A girl who wants more, plays with insects and doesn’t faint at blood or naked bodies. She is an advocate for the sick and healthy hospital conditions. After the war she gets the ear of the queen and is forever known for her vigilance in saving lives.
Bertha Marks Ayrton: ( England) An electrical engineer and inventor whose Ayrton fans we’re sent into battlefields to protect soldiers from mustard gas. She also invented a quieter movie reel. Her daughter ran for Parliament and women were given the right to vote in her lifetime. (Widow)
Marie Tharp: (Indiana, Ohio) Studies geology, fossils, underground fuel, she makes maps and charts. She discovers the Continental drift and that earthquakes on the mid- Atlantic ridge have caused it. She insists on getting credit when her name is left of the report of discovery.
Katherine Johnson ( West Virginia)
Black girl in south goes to school and is a math wiz. At age 14 goes to Cornell. 1940- asked to join WVUniversity. She’s married.
She gets an aeronautical job and calculates flight speeds, turbulence, wind behind waves. She works on space travel and calculations for a rocket to soar around the Earth, then another assignment to land on the moon. Movie made about her life. She’s proud of accomplishments yet acknowledges other black math teachers along the way.
Edna Lee Paisano- Making charts Part II (Idaho) Native American-1972- tittle IX, protests for rights for all. She works for Census Bureau and noticed many native Americans aren’t registered. She helps change the questions so that American Indians know how and can answer. Census numbers change drastically next year. She made and impact.
Vera Rubin (1928-2016 Washington DC) She builds her own telescope, curious about the stats and has a friend Jane who also likes math. She gets a scholarship to Vassar College. It’s been 100 years since Maria Mitchell discovered the first comet and no one remembers her, even at the school she taught at for 20 years. She gets a masters in astronomy from Cornell. She presents her paper on expanding and changing galaxy with her 3 week old son in the audience. Her husband Bob gets degree in physics. Gets a PHD from Georgetown. Has 4 children. Gets gold medal from Royal Astronomical Society.
Recommend: grades 5+, women's rights, verse,
Topics: math, science, education, balancing family and work
This collection of verse short stories about women who influenced society by using their math skills reads like a combination of non-fiction, biography and narrative story telling. The combination allows the reader to connect with each of the women at a more personal level. We see them as people as well as their accomplishments. Great for discussion on women's rights and opportunities based on setting.
Caroline Hershel- (England) sister to astronomer who became and astronomer in her own right.
Florence Nightingale: (England) A girl who wants more, plays with insects and doesn’t faint at blood or naked bodies. She is an advocate for the sick and healthy hospital conditions. After the war she gets the ear of the queen and is forever known for her vigilance in saving lives.
Bertha Marks Ayrton: ( England) An electrical engineer and inventor whose Ayrton fans we’re sent into battlefields to protect soldiers from mustard gas. She also invented a quieter movie reel. Her daughter ran for Parliament and women were given the right to vote in her lifetime. (Widow)
Marie Tharp: (Indiana, Ohio) Studies geology, fossils, underground fuel, she makes maps and charts. She discovers the Continental drift and that earthquakes on the mid- Atlantic ridge have caused it. She insists on getting credit when her name is left of the report of discovery.
Katherine Johnson ( West Virginia)
Black girl in south goes to school and is a math wiz. At age 14 goes to Cornell. 1940- asked to join WVUniversity. She’s married.
She gets an aeronautical job and calculates flight speeds, turbulence, wind behind waves. She works on space travel and calculations for a rocket to soar around the Earth, then another assignment to land on the moon. Movie made about her life. She’s proud of accomplishments yet acknowledges other black math teachers along the way.
Edna Lee Paisano- Making charts Part II (Idaho) Native American-1972- tittle IX, protests for rights for all. She works for Census Bureau and noticed many native Americans aren’t registered. She helps change the questions so that American Indians know how and can answer. Census numbers change drastically next year. She made and impact.
Vera Rubin (1928-2016 Washington DC) She builds her own telescope, curious about the stats and has a friend Jane who also likes math. She gets a scholarship to Vassar College. It’s been 100 years since Maria Mitchell discovered the first comet and no one remembers her, even at the school she taught at for 20 years. She gets a masters in astronomy from Cornell. She presents her paper on expanding and changing galaxy with her 3 week old son in the audience. Her husband Bob gets degree in physics. Gets a PHD from Georgetown. Has 4 children. Gets gold medal from Royal Astronomical Society.
Recommend: grades 5+, women's rights, verse,
Topics: math, science, education, balancing family and work
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2020
In celebrating six women from history who loved math and used it to pursue passions like astronomy and hospital care, the oceans and statistics, Jeannine Atkins offers stories in verse about their lives, including the challenging paths each traveled because they were female. Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and have it named after her and the first to receive a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society. It was more than a century, however, that Vera Rubin, another whose story is told by Jeannine, was awarded the second medal. Thus lies the stories of girls loving math, but expected to stay with housework, marriage, and motherhood, not to carry on their research into questions that arise from their curiosity, whether through microscopes or by tending to war-wounded soldiers. I enjoyed the poetic words as the stories unfolded. Caroline Herschel's brother took her in as his assistant in his "celestial" research. (She also felt beholden to do the housework!) As he began to teach her more mathematics, Jeannine writes: "William begins where many teachers end, pushing so she's caught in thickets and thorns." These girls, then women, worked hard to understand those 'thickets', often going without notice, often having men put their own bylines on articles published. Perhaps you will remember Katherine Johnson's story from the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly? In part of her story, we read of her preparing charts "for meetings that women aren't allowed to attend".
Many moments show the persistence of the women in this book, the hurdles and the accomplishments of leaping over them. Although some things have changed, roads are often still rocky. Look at the news and the talk about Kamala Harris being only the third woman nominated for vice-president as if it's a milestone to be celebrated. In one way it is, yet after reading this book, I wonder why hurdles continue to be placed on so many paths for woman. It's a great book for young girls to know what's gone before, who they might count on for their own push to follow their passions. Sometimes it will only be themselves!
More information is added at the back about each woman along with a brief author's note. I would place this in the hands of every middle-grade reader, believe it would bring great conversation if used as a read-aloud. It's a terrific book!
Many moments show the persistence of the women in this book, the hurdles and the accomplishments of leaping over them. Although some things have changed, roads are often still rocky. Look at the news and the talk about Kamala Harris being only the third woman nominated for vice-president as if it's a milestone to be celebrated. In one way it is, yet after reading this book, I wonder why hurdles continue to be placed on so many paths for woman. It's a great book for young girls to know what's gone before, who they might count on for their own push to follow their passions. Sometimes it will only be themselves!
More information is added at the back about each woman along with a brief author's note. I would place this in the hands of every middle-grade reader, believe it would bring great conversation if used as a read-aloud. It's a terrific book!
March 2, 2022
Caroline Herschel: A brief story that follows Caroline as she goes along with her brother to England, where she becomes much more than was ever expected of her at home. One of the many beautiful parts of this story is how she passes along her knowledge and encourages her nephew to a life studying the stars as well. She is certainly not known well enough.
Florence Nightingale: Florence is probably the one that I knew of the most before this story. This may be why hers was one of the shortest. Her profound impact on the future of nursing - who could imagine it not being a female dominated field before now? Her observations have saved hundreds of thousands of lives by now. I do wish this story had been a little longer.
Hertha Marks Ayrton: "Girls need better education than boys." I thought it was really neat how she picked her name - what a power move. The story feels a little long, but I'm glad that once again it ended with the hope of a new generation of women leading the way for change.
Marie Tharp: I had not thought about the mapping of the bottom of the ocean or the discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge before. This was a truly amazing story about a scientist who even her colleagues didn't want to believe.
Katherine Johnson: I loved how this story really emphasizes Katherine Johnson's genius from the time that she was very young. It also details how many people helped get Katherine along.
Edna Lee Paisano: This one is short, and sweet. It illustrates how something as "simple" as counting can lead to steep changes for your community. I hope the US Census Bureau reads this one!
Vera Rubin: One of the longer stories - it took a long time to get to the meat of her discovery, but, as with many of these, the point is in the journey. Vera faced many setbacks and obstacles in the teachers who didn't believe in her. She pressed on anyways.
Overall, this is a great narrative non-fiction book. It isn't very exciting, but is very inspirational. When I think of an ideal reader for this, I think of Girl Scout Troops, Girls Who Code organizations, and any girl who loves math and science.
Florence Nightingale: Florence is probably the one that I knew of the most before this story. This may be why hers was one of the shortest. Her profound impact on the future of nursing - who could imagine it not being a female dominated field before now? Her observations have saved hundreds of thousands of lives by now. I do wish this story had been a little longer.
Hertha Marks Ayrton: "Girls need better education than boys." I thought it was really neat how she picked her name - what a power move. The story feels a little long, but I'm glad that once again it ended with the hope of a new generation of women leading the way for change.
Marie Tharp: I had not thought about the mapping of the bottom of the ocean or the discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge before. This was a truly amazing story about a scientist who even her colleagues didn't want to believe.
Katherine Johnson: I loved how this story really emphasizes Katherine Johnson's genius from the time that she was very young. It also details how many people helped get Katherine along.
Edna Lee Paisano: This one is short, and sweet. It illustrates how something as "simple" as counting can lead to steep changes for your community. I hope the US Census Bureau reads this one!
Vera Rubin: One of the longer stories - it took a long time to get to the meat of her discovery, but, as with many of these, the point is in the journey. Vera faced many setbacks and obstacles in the teachers who didn't believe in her. She pressed on anyways.
Overall, this is a great narrative non-fiction book. It isn't very exciting, but is very inspirational. When I think of an ideal reader for this, I think of Girl Scout Troops, Girls Who Code organizations, and any girl who loves math and science.
April 26, 2021
This is a fantastic non-fiction compilation of stories in verse about seven ground-breaking women mathematicians:
* Caroline Herschel, who discovered a comet and got paid for doing so!
* Hertha Ayrton, a woman electrical engineer and inventor of 26 patents!
* Florence Nightingale, who crunched medical statistics in her campaign to prove how to improve how to treat patients in hospitals and clinics (yes, statistics do matter!).
* Marie Tharp, who co-mapped the ocean's floor. (Wowzer, right?)
* Katherine Johnson, one of NASA's premier women "computers" who calculated launch windows, trajectories and double-checked the computers' math (!!)
* Edna Lee Paisano, who worked for the US Census Bureau and increased representation of Native peoples.
* Vera Rubin, a pioneer in astronomy and discoverer of the first evidence of dark matter.
The excerpts are short but compelling and would make for great in-class reading. They're technically historical fiction, as the author states she had to imagine many of the conversations represented in the book. But all these women faced disappointments and kept on going! It's a message of hope and resilience your students may need to hear.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
* Caroline Herschel, who discovered a comet and got paid for doing so!
* Hertha Ayrton, a woman electrical engineer and inventor of 26 patents!
* Florence Nightingale, who crunched medical statistics in her campaign to prove how to improve how to treat patients in hospitals and clinics (yes, statistics do matter!).
* Marie Tharp, who co-mapped the ocean's floor. (Wowzer, right?)
* Katherine Johnson, one of NASA's premier women "computers" who calculated launch windows, trajectories and double-checked the computers' math (!!)
* Edna Lee Paisano, who worked for the US Census Bureau and increased representation of Native peoples.
* Vera Rubin, a pioneer in astronomy and discoverer of the first evidence of dark matter.
The excerpts are short but compelling and would make for great in-class reading. They're technically historical fiction, as the author states she had to imagine many of the conversations represented in the book. But all these women faced disappointments and kept on going! It's a message of hope and resilience your students may need to hear.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
January 20, 2021
Read aloud for school. This book is written in free verse, which really lends itself to being read aloud. I don’t think we would have enjoyed it as much reading independently.
Seven different women through history (1750-present day) are given chapters in this book. Some are familiar (Florence Nightingale and Katherine Johnson) and some were brand new to us (Edna Lee Paisano and Vera Rubin). Each used math in different ways, to chart stars and comets, to revolutionize health care, to map ocean currents and geography, to get men into space, and to discover dark matter.
Many chapters referenced previous ones, as these women in mathematics and science had so few women to look up to, they gravitated to each other’s histories. The author notes that she invented some dialogue as needed, but tried to keep it in line with what was known about each woman and the time in which she lived.
My older kids (12 and 10) were engaged throughout while the younger ones (7 and 4) listened some times but not others.
Seven different women through history (1750-present day) are given chapters in this book. Some are familiar (Florence Nightingale and Katherine Johnson) and some were brand new to us (Edna Lee Paisano and Vera Rubin). Each used math in different ways, to chart stars and comets, to revolutionize health care, to map ocean currents and geography, to get men into space, and to discover dark matter.
Many chapters referenced previous ones, as these women in mathematics and science had so few women to look up to, they gravitated to each other’s histories. The author notes that she invented some dialogue as needed, but tried to keep it in line with what was known about each woman and the time in which she lived.
My older kids (12 and 10) were engaged throughout while the younger ones (7 and 4) listened some times but not others.
February 17, 2022
I have to say that much like "Finding Wonders," I just loved this book.
Full disclosure: I love books in verse and I've had the pleasure of (virtually) meeting and talking with this author so the book had me at hello, but it really is great.
I've never been much of a math girl myself and these stories are all about math so you'd think it wouldn't work...but these stories are also all about girls and about women; working past the limitations that history and other people have placed on them. This book is also about how math is more than numbers on a page but how it can be used to explain and enact change in all sorts of areas.
The stories of the real women on these pages are inspiring and shine bright enough for me (the opposite of a math-lover) to connect and do a little swoon over, I can't imagine what they'd do for anyone (male or female) who could also connect to that love of numbers, charts, and precision answers.
This book belongs in any library and any classroom. Read it.
Full disclosure: I love books in verse and I've had the pleasure of (virtually) meeting and talking with this author so the book had me at hello, but it really is great.
I've never been much of a math girl myself and these stories are all about math so you'd think it wouldn't work...but these stories are also all about girls and about women; working past the limitations that history and other people have placed on them. This book is also about how math is more than numbers on a page but how it can be used to explain and enact change in all sorts of areas.
The stories of the real women on these pages are inspiring and shine bright enough for me (the opposite of a math-lover) to connect and do a little swoon over, I can't imagine what they'd do for anyone (male or female) who could also connect to that love of numbers, charts, and precision answers.
This book belongs in any library and any classroom. Read it.
May 18, 2020
My daughters' fifth grade math teacher would rejoice at this title. She felt that it was so important for girls to take for granted that they could do math, just as they could read. This title will reinforce that idea by sharing the stories of girls who loved math.
The girls featured here were born anywhere between the 1700s and 1900s so quite a time span. Included are Caroline Herschel, who discovered a comet; Florence Nightingale; Hertha Marks Ayrton who became an engineer and inventor; Marie Tharp who mapped the ocean floor; Katherine Jenkins, of Hidden Figures fame; Edna Lee Paisana who was a Native American statistician and Vera Rubin who studied dark matter.
This title is an inspiring one. Girls learn, they persist and they make a difference. What a message for all children to take in.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
The girls featured here were born anywhere between the 1700s and 1900s so quite a time span. Included are Caroline Herschel, who discovered a comet; Florence Nightingale; Hertha Marks Ayrton who became an engineer and inventor; Marie Tharp who mapped the ocean floor; Katherine Jenkins, of Hidden Figures fame; Edna Lee Paisana who was a Native American statistician and Vera Rubin who studied dark matter.
This title is an inspiring one. Girls learn, they persist and they make a difference. What a message for all children to take in.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2021
This novel in verse is a biographical tribute to 7 extraordinary women who loved math and science. They were often the first in their field (or at least the first to be recognized), such as the first women to discover a comet and earn a salary for scientific research, found the field of medical statistics, the first female electrical engineer, co-creating the map of the entire ocean floor, calculating trajectories and launch windows for NASA, increasing American Indian and Native Alaskan representation in the census by noting discrepancies, and finding the first strong evidence for dark matter.
Engaging, inspiring, and easy to read/understand. These names need to become much more widely known. It also explores the harsh reality of how women often had to either choose between career and family or somehow incorporate family into career.
Engaging, inspiring, and easy to read/understand. These names need to become much more widely known. It also explores the harsh reality of how women often had to either choose between career and family or somehow incorporate family into career.
October 30, 2020
Such an unusual book! I really appreciated the diversity among the women. One was a sister who stayed single, as did others; still others were wives and mothers. Some were rich, others not so much. Most of the women were white, but Katherine Johnson was of course African American and there is also a profile of a Native American statistician who recognized the under-counting of her own birthplace in the Census. There's a general theme of these women asking more for themselves, from Caroline Herschel demanding a salary of her own to Vera Rubin wanting her name on a paper and a women's bathroom at the observatory. I really enjoyed these vignettes of remarkable women.
June 15, 2021
I must have noticed that this book was a novel in verse when I checked it out from my library, but forgot that by the time I picked it up to read it. The poetry surprised me, but in a fun way. Grasping Mysteries is a fun, fascinating, lyrical look at several nearly-forgotten scientists from the 18th century, up through the 20th century. It's a beautiful book about how they held to their dreams and change the world around them in the process. I highly recommend reading it and will be reading it again to my own children as well.
April 4, 2024
LOVED this book. It was inspiring to read about so many women that took a stand in a field that still suffers from a lack of women and made huge discoveries. It’s a reminder that as a teacher I need to make sure I’m encouraging ALL students the same and be mindful of what I say. I usually struggle with non-fiction but because this was written in verse, it made it so much easier for me!
August 17, 2020
My 12-year-old math-loving daughter devoured this book and I finally got the chance to read too. So much information packed in these lovely lines, and such inspiring depictions of these important women and their work. Highly recommend!
November 3, 2020
Told in vibrant, evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates seven remarkable women who used math as their key to explore the mysteries of the universe and grew up to do innovative work that changed the world. From the author of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science.
May 23, 2021
Captivating and beautiful. Sort of like a short story collection in verse. Bios of 7 inspiring women who loved math enough to push boundaries of thinking about not only their field, but about a woman's place within it.
September 28, 2021
I really liked how I got to learn about girls who changed the world in a way. It felt empowering and that I can do anything I can believe. I recommend this book to people who like poetry like writing, where it tells their stories in stanzas with short "chapter" like sections.
February 9, 2022
I loved it! These mini biographies are very approachable and interesting. I read this book allowed to some 3rd and 4th graders and it lead to great discussions. As the author says in the second to last poem: every name matters!
January 3, 2023
Engaging stories of historical figures who used or loved math. The format was a combination of poetry and prose, which took some getting used to. I liked how there were connections between some of the women's lives.
September 24, 2020
It's weird to see my home county (Blackford County, Indiana) referenced in... well, anything.
October 2, 2020
I’m loving this series. An interesting way to finally highlight the contributions of women in science and math.
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