The uplifting, amazing true story—a New York Times bestseller! This edition of Margot Lee Shetterly’s acclaimed book is perfect for young readers. It's the powerful story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program.  Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. This book brings to life the stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who lived through the Civil Rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality, and whose work forever changed the face of NASA and the country. This middle grade edition allows children to explore this incredible period. Inspirational Life Stories: Four mathematicians. Countless barriers. One space program that would not have succeeded without them. Revealed Histories: The full story of the “human computers” whose calculations powered America’s greatest space achievements—and whose contributions went uncredited for decades. The Space Race: The missions, the math, and the stakes—told through the lives of the women who made it possible. Civil Rights Era: A candid look at how these four women navigated segregation and gender discrimination while redefining what a scientist could look like.