Readers first learned about Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden through the adult book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and Robin Miles. More people were introduced to these remarkable women through the major motion picture that was adapted from the book. Following that, a “Young Readers’ Edition” of the original book was released.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (Harper) by Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conkling, illustrated by Laura Freeman, is a picture book biography that will introduce these bright women of color to younger readers.

Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine all knew that they were excellent at mathematics. College educated, they were only allowed to teach math in segregated public schools. When there was a shortage of mathematicians during WWII, Dorothy was the first of the group who was hired to work for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The other women also obtained jobs, and they joined other women and men who were called the computers. Because of the prevalent racism in the United States, the women worked in a different building and a separate office from the white women computers. They continued to face discrimination at lunch counters, and they were forced to use separate water fountains and bathrooms.

Dorothy Vaughan worked on building faster planes than the Russians.
Mary Jackson was the first African-American female engineer at Langley.
Katherine Johnson analyzed the effects of turbulence on planes, and she helped calculate the trajectories of John Glenn’s historic space flight.
Christine Darden became an engineer for supersonic airplanes and worked for NASA planning the first trip to the moon.