The inspirational story of Mary Sherman, the world’s first female rocket scientist, who overcame gender barriers and many failures to succeed.
Growing up in the 1920s on a dirt-poor farm in North Dakota, Mary Sherman’s life was filled with chores—until she finally began school and discovered she loved to learn.
Mary excelled at science, especially chemistry, and leaped at the chance to work in a laboratory during World War II designing rocket fuels. And when the US decided to enter the space race, Mary was chosen over her male colleagues to create the fuel to launch a rocket carrying America’s first satellite.
With courage and perseverance, Mary’s hard work and calculations paid off, opening up a brand-new frontier for exploration. This STEM biography of an unsung and courageous woman in science will inspire and motivate young readers.
“Dates and details.” “More About Mary.” Information about Explorer I and the Juno I rocket. Archival photographs. Selected
bibliography. Author’s note. Full-color illustrations done in a hybrid of collage, digital collage, prisma drawings on vellum, and digital paint.
Book Genres Autobiography/Biography, Narrative Nonfiction, Picture Book
Canadian Rights Yes
Dewey B
Title alpha Blast Off!: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space
Category Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus
Pages Count 48
Genre Nonfiction
Topics Mary Sherman Morgan (1921–2004). Rocketry. US women scientists. Chemistry. World War II (1939–1945). Space Race (1955–1975). Twentieth-century US history.
Lexile 690L
Trim Size 10" x 11 1/2"
JLG Span Fall
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2022-04-11
JLG Release Date Jul 2022
Minimum grade 2
Maximum grade 6
Reading level Elementary
Format Print
Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus (Grades 2-6)
Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus
Science Nonfiction Elementary Plus (Grades 2-6)
For Grades 2-6
Explore everything from the galaxies to your own backyard in these accurate and up-to-date nonfiction titles. Young scientists will experience fascination monthly with the 14 books in this category.