December 9, 2017

Margaret and the Moon, written by Dean Robbins and illustrated by Lucy Knisley (’09) was released in May this year, telling the story of one of the women of NASA, Margaret Hamilton. And now Air and Space, a Smithsonian magazine, has listed it among the best aviation- and space-themed children’s books of 2017. “Young readers are sure to be engrossed . . . .”

Margaret Hamilton originally started working for NASA on the Apollo space mission. Her teams were responsible for developing in-flight software and the systems software, including error detection and recovery software (like restarts). She helped Apollo 11 land on the moon after several computer alarms went of and became the hero of the mission. She also coined the term “software engineering” during these Apollo space missions!

There are already plenty of enthusiastic reviews:

• Kirkus Review: Knisley’s cartoonish illustrations, reminiscent of Megan McCarthy’s, especially in Margaret’s bespectacled eyes, perfectly capture the young white woman’s inquisitive spirit while keeping the story light and child-friendly.
• Publisher’s Weekly:  As the contributions of women in STEM fields gain increased attention and appreciation, Robbins and Knisley deliver an inspiring tribute to a true innovator.
• Rhapsody in Books: Both Robbins and Knisley are to be credited with making what could have been a dry story into more of an inspiring and entertaining comic book tale of a real-life superhero.
• Carolyn Bales, HSLDA’s Homeschooling Now: I appreciate the details in these illustrations. One of the piles of printouts on Margaret’s desk is on that old style of paper with a tear-off row of holes along either side for the computer to process.
• Stephanite Tournas, Youth Services Book Review: This is an important person for kids to know about, especially kids who are interested in space travel.
• Louise Capizzo, Nonfiction Detectives: Knisley’s illustrations . . . perfectly complement the text, offering an element of excitement.

Post by Angela Boyle (′16).