A gorgeously drawn graphic novel with an interesting narrative, plot, and concepts. Definitely recommended for fans of this genre.

Black Women in Science is a collection of short biographies about American women of color in the STEM fields. Released 24th Sept 2019 by Rockridge press, it's 113 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. This is a well written group of biographies aimed at young readers up through middle school age. Although ostensibly written for a younger audience, I found it very interesting and many of the subjects were previously unfamiliar to me.

The biographies are arranged chronologically by birth date of the subjects, starting with Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895) and ending with forencisist Gina Presley (1985-). The subjects are all inspiring and dedicated, intelligent and driven. The author uses age appropriate language to briefly describe some of the mind boggling racism, sexism, misogyny, and unfairness each of them encountered. I found their stories inspiring and (mostly) uplifting. I am encouraged to find more emphasis today on encouraging young people to follow careers in the STEM fields and hope that this book finds a receptive audience with young girls, normalizing and showing the possibilities that are available for everyone, not just some.

For Kindle Unlimited subscribers; this title is available in the KU subscription to borrow and download for free. It's also worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The art and illustrations are appealing and colorful. The links and quotations sections at the end of the book provide numerous good resources for further reading. There's a glossary and each of the included biographies has a sidebar section with questions for the reader as well as tips for further activities.

This would make a superlative school or classroom library book as well as a support text for a classroom unit on American history, women in science, scientists, etc.

Really well done.

Five stars.

The author of the forward to this book is a black woman in science as a veterinarian and is the daughter of a black woman in science as her mother was a nurse and nursing instructor. In this book, the author speaks directly to her readers trying to encourage and empower them and to believe in all that they can accomplish.

Doctor Brown Pellum tells the stories of many African American pioneers including for example the first female physician, Rebecca Lee Crumpler; Mamie Phipps Clark, the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. from Columbia; astronaut Mae Jemison; and Annie Turbo Malone who created hair products specifically for African American women. Each entry includes an illustration, a quote, a biography and sections called Explore Ore and Tips for You! For example, the tip on Rebeeca Lee Crumpler states "Rebecca Crumpler's aunt inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Who in your family inspires you? Write them a thank you and note and explain why you appreciate what they do."

This book is a fantastic compendium that should be made easily available to students. It will encourage them to achieve their professional dreams while connecting them to a long history of African American women in STEM.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and informative read for kids and adults! This book features illustrated portraits and mini biographies of 15 black female scientists, most of which I had never heard of before. Each biography also has a part at the end where the author recommends a book or website to learn more about the woman and a fun activity that a child could do that is somehow related to each woman's career. I really love books like this because they present information in a concise and easy to understand way and even if they are targeted towards kids I still learn a lot from them as well. Definitely a good book to learn about some important women you won't hear about in your basic history classes!