A sharp, revealing look at deeply entrenched institutional sexism.
During the Cold War, 13 highly experienced women aviators proved they had as much of the “right stuff” as male astronauts but were nonetheless excluded from America’s space program.
Within the context of the United States’ space race with the Soviet Union, Siegel tells the infuriating story of how these women were denied opportunities even after excelling at grueling physical and psychological tests. As Tanya Lee Stone did in her Sibert Medal–winning Almost Astronauts (2009), Siegel chronicles how the “Mercury 13” proved to be as courageous, intelligent, and fit as any man. Despite this, they were nonetheless ridiculed and thwarted by everyone from Vice President Lyndon Johnson to the Mercury 7 astronauts, and they were shockingly betrayed by the highly respected woman aviator Jackie Cochran, apparently out of jealousy and spite. Whereas Stone’s narrative focuses on Jerrie Cobb, Siegel includes the experiences of all the women and alternates chapters about the women with those about the Mercury 7. Her focus on their arrogant, boozing, loutish, womanizing behavior and sloppiness on missions puts these men—all white, like the women—in a considerably unheroic light. Disappointingly, this emphasis serves as a distraction from the women’s narrative rather than throwing it into relief. And oddly, given this overall icon-busting approach, Siegel does not reveal Wernher von Braun’s Nazi past when introducing this minor character.
A sharp, revealing look at deeply entrenched institutional sexism. (photos, glossary, notes, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-29015-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Scholastic Focus
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
An engaging, intriguing story of a fascinating man.
In December 1915, San Diego’s reservoirs were nearly empty, so the city turned to Charles Mallory Hatfield, whose skills at making rain were legendary.
Hatfield, who claimed no supernatural powers, had perfected a method of sending a concoction of evaporating chemicals into the atmosphere to make rain fall. The San Diego City Council contracted with Hatfield to fill the Morena Resevoir to overflowing, for which he would receive $10,000 if successful. A light drizzle quickly turned into torrents, resulting in flooded roads, washed-out bridges, burst dams, widespread property damage, and several fatalities. Blaming Hatfield for the disaster, the City Council refused to pay him. Hatfield was more than compensated for his lost fee by the publicity, and he continued his rainmaking work into the 1930s. When he died in 1958, Hatfield took his rainmaking chemical formula with him. His success in making rain remains a mystery. In this attractively designed and illustrated biography, Brimner offers a fascinating, well-timed portrait of an enigmatic character, providing contextualizing information and efficiently exploring the San Diego controversy. Readers will not find an explanation of how Hatfield acquired his knowledge of chemical processes or his methods of experimentation. The generously leaded text is set within wide margins and accompanied by copious archival illustrations; both decisions keep the relatively complex text accessible.
An engaging, intriguing story of a fascinating man. (author’s note, bibliography, source notes, index) (Biography. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59078-990-2
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
A nifty supplement to traditional nonfiction and fiction on the period.
Bearce’s latest installment in the Top Secret Files series introduces young readers to the Cold War.
Following the design and format of the previous titles in the series, reading this book is rather like opening a filing cabinet, reaching in, and pulling out a file. Any file will do. Skip around; every file contains something interesting: stories of the CIA operative who made an escape dressed as a dog; the Cambridge University students who became KGB spies; the 87-year-old “grey-haired granny” who became a spy. Suggested activities have readers making up secret codes, creating parachutes, making “glacier goo,” and creating UFOs. The “carrot submarine” activity even refers budding vegetable sculptors to a YouTube video if they need help. Interesting tidbits about poop-shaped transmitters, animal agents, U-2 spy planes, the space race, and even Dr. Seuss’ The Butter Battle Book add to the fun. The writing style of the longer chapters—such as “Tunnels to Freedom” and “They Built a Wall”—is direct and matter-of-fact, imparting information clearly. Most entries have lead sentences designed to pull readers in: “What do a raven, a cat, and a dolphin have in common? They were all trained as agents for the CIA.” Particularly valuable for young researchers is a lengthy guide to relevant websites.
A nifty supplement to traditional nonfiction and fiction on the period. (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61821-419-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Prufrock Press
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
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