Digital Inclusion: Books for Kids

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Becker, Helaine

When Emmy Noether is born in 1882, no one knows she's going to become a visionary mathematician. Back then, girls were expected to be gentle and quiet -- definitely not geniuses. But Emmy is a genius! And she's much more interested in math than in learning to cook and sew. Though she faces sexism and anti-Semitism, she perseveres to earn her mathematics degree and teach at a university. And when Einstein's famous Theory of Relativity has a problem that no one can solve, Emmy gets the chance of a lifetime to prove herself. 

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Eboch, M. M.

Annie Easley didn't plan to become a computer, but she needed a job, and she was good at math. Her work at NASA helped send rockets into space. She lived a life of learning and helping others. Her story inspires all young people to enjoy science and math.

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Brown, Don

Machines That Think! explores machines from ancient history to today that perform a multitude of tasks, from making mind-numbing calculations to working on assembly lines to guiding spaceships to the moon. Included are fascinating looks at the world's earliest calculators, the birth of computer programming, and the arrival of smartphones. Contributors discussed include Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, Ada Lovelace, and Bill Gates. From the abacus to artificial intelligence, machines through the ages have pushed the boundaries of human capability and creativity.

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Brown, Tami Lewis

The nonfiction story of a team of women innovators, Jean Jennings Bartik, Kay McNulty Mauchly, and Betty Snyder Holberton, who programmed early computer ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer).

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Dufresne, Emilie

Sometimes being who you are can be a hard thing to do. Learn about people from across the LGBTQIA+ community who celebrate who they are and never stop fighting for what they believe in. No matter who you are, inside or out, this book is here to teach you that you can be proud of who you are. Let's break down some barriers! It's time to have pride in STEM!

Includes short biographies of Alan Turing, Lynn Conway, Sally Ride, Ben Barres, Megan Smith, Ann Mei Chang, Nergis Mavalvala, Polly Arnold, Audrey Tang, Jack Andraka.

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Maurer, Richard

A stunning and intimate biography of Margaret Hamilton, the computer engineer who helped Apollo 11 and mankind get from the Earth to the moon. First-hand accounts, exclusive interviews with the legendary Margaret Hamilton, and detailed science populate the pages of this remarkable biography. In 1969, mankind successfully left our atmosphere and landed on the moon. It took countless hours of calculations, training, wonder, and sacrifice from all of the men and women who worked hard to make that landing. One of those people was Margaret Hamilton. A young computer engineer, Hamilton was hired to develop the completely new software used in the groundbreaking Apollo Space Program. Soon she became the lead engineer, one of the few women in the almost entirely male-dominated profession. But it wasn't always easy. In The Woman in the Moon, science-writer and journalist Richard Maurer (Destination Moon, 2019) dives deep into the backstory of this extraordinary woman. With first-hand interviews and access to primary sources, this striking biography perfectly captures the exciting atmosphere of the Space Race and the inspiring figure of Margaret Hamilton.

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Schwartz, Heather E.

A straightforward biography of famous British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing.

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Slade, Suzanne

Shares the story of the pioneering African American mathematician, Katherine Johnson, who helped calculate America's first manned flight into space, its first manned orbit of Earth, and the world's first trip to the moon.

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Tate, Don

Introduces readers to Jerry Lawson, a Black engineer who changed the videogaming world forever by building a videogame console that allowed players to switch out cartridges and who founded the first African American-owned videogame company in the country.

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Stanley, Diane

A fascinating look at Ada Lovelace, the pioneering computer programmer and the daughter of the poet Lord Byron.

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Wallmark, Laurie

This is a children's book biography of Grace Hopper, who played a prominent role in the early days of computers.

Summaries provided by DPL's catalog unless otherwise noted. Click on each title to view more information.

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