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One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission
This picture book autobiography reveals what is was like for a young black mother of three to navigate the difficult world of the 1950s and 60s and to succeed in an unwelcoming industry to become one of the now legendary "hidden figures" of NASA computing and space research.
Johnson's own narrative is complemented by the recollections of her two daughters about their mother's work and insights about how she illuminated their paths, including one daughter's fight for civil rights and another's journey to become a NASA mathematician herself. The narrative weaves together Johnson's personal story, her influence on her daughters' formative years, her and her daughters' fight for civil rights, and her lasting impact on NASA and space exploration.
Johnson's own narrative is complemented by the recollections of her two daughters about their mother's work and insights about how she illuminated their paths, including one daughter's fight for civil rights and another's journey to become a NASA mathematician herself. The narrative weaves together Johnson's personal story, her influence on her daughters' formative years, her and her daughters' fight for civil rights, and her lasting impact on NASA and space exploration.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2021
2 people are currently reading
2518 people want to read
About the author
Katherine G. Johnson
4 books62 followersKatherine Johnson is a former NASA mathematician whose work was critical to the success of many of their initiatives, including the Apollo Lunar landing program and the start of the Space Shuttle program. Throughout her long career she has received numerous awards, including the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 25, 2022
“One Step Further” is an awe-inspiring book about the unsung heroes of the space race, and one woman in particular. This story is about Katherine Johnson, and her work as a NASA scientist and an anti-racism activist. I had to do a project on someone I thought should be remembered for their work by future generations, and Johnson was a perfect example of it. It is a children’s book, but it is still extremely insightful to get more information about her story, just told in a new way, meant for new readers. It helps with getting Johnson known, and she knows it, considering she wrote the book. Johnson, along with her daughters, Joylette Hylick, and Katherine Moore, to tell her story, along with Charnelle Barlow as the Illustrator. This perspective gives the reader insight into what she was thinking and how she felt being at NASA and going through these hardships.
There were two main reasons that this book is important, and why Johnson should be remembered by kids reading about her. The book starts by introducing Johnson and giving background to tell the reader what her overall contribution was, to get them focused in that area. Then she goes on to talk about what she did as a kid, and how she was so intelligent that she skipped four grades. For the readers, who are somewhere in elementary school, it shows the scale at which she was accelerating just as a kid. Then she gets into the tougher topic, racism. She was an african american woman in the early 1900s, so racism and sexism were a big thing at the time, and it was very difficult to get a good education. But since Johnson was so smart, she got into a college and graduated at 18 with a bachelor's degree. She eventually got into NACA, the predecessor to NASA. The book discusses how she broke through the barriers of racism and sexism to get what she wanted. White people looked down on Black people, but she didn’t care. For instance, she wanted to get into the White men’s meetings, but she kept fighting, and in time, she was a part of the meetings. When NASA was finally going to orbit someone around the Earth, John Glenn was chosen, and Johnson’s moment finally came. He specifically asked her to check the calculations for space flight, which took her a day and a half, but then he took off, and landed safely after three orbits. The sad part is that no one outside small Black communities knew and recognized her for what she did until 2015, when she received the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Obama. She also got a movie made about her and other african american mathematicians, called Hidden Figures.
Katherine Johnson’s movements inspired her daughters and generations to come to shoot for the stars, and maybe, thanks to her work, we might get there. Sadly, Johnson died on February 24, 2020, but the impact she left is finally being recognized, and will be in adaptations and retellings like these. Just in my research alone, I found children everywhere who were inspired by her work, and wanted to be like her. One little girl even dressed up as her for halloween. It’s the little things like that that can spread awareness for people that should be remembered, and help make the world a better place, just like this book.
There were two main reasons that this book is important, and why Johnson should be remembered by kids reading about her. The book starts by introducing Johnson and giving background to tell the reader what her overall contribution was, to get them focused in that area. Then she goes on to talk about what she did as a kid, and how she was so intelligent that she skipped four grades. For the readers, who are somewhere in elementary school, it shows the scale at which she was accelerating just as a kid. Then she gets into the tougher topic, racism. She was an african american woman in the early 1900s, so racism and sexism were a big thing at the time, and it was very difficult to get a good education. But since Johnson was so smart, she got into a college and graduated at 18 with a bachelor's degree. She eventually got into NACA, the predecessor to NASA. The book discusses how she broke through the barriers of racism and sexism to get what she wanted. White people looked down on Black people, but she didn’t care. For instance, she wanted to get into the White men’s meetings, but she kept fighting, and in time, she was a part of the meetings. When NASA was finally going to orbit someone around the Earth, John Glenn was chosen, and Johnson’s moment finally came. He specifically asked her to check the calculations for space flight, which took her a day and a half, but then he took off, and landed safely after three orbits. The sad part is that no one outside small Black communities knew and recognized her for what she did until 2015, when she received the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Obama. She also got a movie made about her and other african american mathematicians, called Hidden Figures.
Katherine Johnson’s movements inspired her daughters and generations to come to shoot for the stars, and maybe, thanks to her work, we might get there. Sadly, Johnson died on February 24, 2020, but the impact she left is finally being recognized, and will be in adaptations and retellings like these. Just in my research alone, I found children everywhere who were inspired by her work, and wanted to be like her. One little girl even dressed up as her for halloween. It’s the little things like that that can spread awareness for people that should be remembered, and help make the world a better place, just like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2021
One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission is a children's picture book written by Katherine G. Johnson with Joylette Hylick and Katherine G. Moore and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. Johnson is joined by two of her daughters in this familial autobiography, which parallels her life with her children's.
Creola Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. During her 33-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks.
Johnson's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In an honest, conversational tone, Johnson tells of facing segregation and sexism as a Black woman in an overwhelmingly white male environment. Backmatter includes historical notes and context, a timeline, a glossary, and an illustrator’s note. Engaging, collage-style art augments the text, with speech bubbles, archival family photographs, and Barlow’s child-friendly illustrations.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Johnson tells her career at NASA in an candid manner of the discrimination she encountered as a Black woman. Johnson also describes her daughters following in her footsteps , who became educators and a NASA mathematician, showing how her pioneering steps paved the way for the next generation.
All in all, One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission is an accessible and intimate book that will both inform readers and inspire them to reach for the stars.
Creola Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. During her 33-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks.
Johnson's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In an honest, conversational tone, Johnson tells of facing segregation and sexism as a Black woman in an overwhelmingly white male environment. Backmatter includes historical notes and context, a timeline, a glossary, and an illustrator’s note. Engaging, collage-style art augments the text, with speech bubbles, archival family photographs, and Barlow’s child-friendly illustrations.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Johnson tells her career at NASA in an candid manner of the discrimination she encountered as a Black woman. Johnson also describes her daughters following in her footsteps , who became educators and a NASA mathematician, showing how her pioneering steps paved the way for the next generation.
All in all, One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission is an accessible and intimate book that will both inform readers and inspire them to reach for the stars.
March 2, 2021
A well-delivered story with nice illustrations and first-person sources (like Johnson's photographs and report card). I love that she and her daughters collaborated on this one.
April 15, 2021
Nicely-presented and educational book that weaves Katherine Johnson's incredible story of helping NASA send humans into space along with what was happening in Johnson's own personal life and with society in general.
February 4, 2021
This was a very well-delivered story, with a lot of good illustrations and photos to make the story connect with young readers.
My daughter didn't even want to read it when I had her sit down with me to read, but she became absorbed in it, and really got into the details of all the photos and illustrations. It makes the reader aware of racial injustices, while also inspiring one to hold their self to high standards, to work hard, to overcome obstacles, and more than anything: to contribute to society in a positive way, and to keep improving one step more than before.
My daughter didn't even want to read it when I had her sit down with me to read, but she became absorbed in it, and really got into the details of all the photos and illustrations. It makes the reader aware of racial injustices, while also inspiring one to hold their self to high standards, to work hard, to overcome obstacles, and more than anything: to contribute to society in a positive way, and to keep improving one step more than before.
August 9, 2022
Told by both the subject of the book and her three daughters, this book was surprisingly readable for younger readers, but also revealing of Katherine Johnson's life. I was very impressed by just how much was included in a picture book. The main text and the extensive end matter would leave any reader feeling as though they had gained a thorough-enough understanding of the life of Katherine Johnson and her three daughters.
August 16, 2021
The picture book autobiography of Katherine Johnson, legendary NASA computer. Not only telling her story about he journey as a mathematician but recalling life as a person of color in the 1950s and 60s. The book is complimented by memories from her daughters and personal photos. The illustrations by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow are a perfect fit as are the historical notes at the end.
February 5, 2022
The story of Katherine Johnson and her daughters.
It shows how Katherine's work affected her daughters and what they did as grown-ups.
And how segregation affected Katherine's work and her daughters and how they protested -- Katherine by speaking up at work and asking to be included and her daughters by sit-ins.
It shows how Katherine's work affected her daughters and what they did as grown-ups.
And how segregation affected Katherine's work and her daughters and how they protested -- Katherine by speaking up at work and asking to be included and her daughters by sit-ins.
January 30, 2021
Very well written, with great art, to introduce younger children to the story of Katherine Johnson, and to the difficulties that women of color fought against to do what they loved.
March 10, 2021
I love how it included original photographs and focused on her daughters too.
Want to read
March 29, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
September 21, 2022
This is a good book.
The topic of this book is what I’m interested in. I recommend this book to others. I hope you like it!
The topic of this book is what I’m interested in. I recommend this book to others. I hope you like it!
June 9, 2023
Includes extensive back matter.
March 23, 2024
The archival photos and documents had me hooked. I especially liked the heartwarming pictures of Johnson’s daughters.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews