The Kid Who Built a Rocket
About this ebook
Eight-year-old Terysa is a born problem-solver with a galaxy of ideas—and she's determined to win the school science fair. There's just one tiny problem... she has too many brilliant ideas to choose from!
Luckily, her big sister, Shana, is an astronomy whiz. When Shana shares the inspiring story of Dorothy Vaughan—NASA's first Black supervisor and a trailblazing computer programming pioneer—Terysa is inspired. Together, the sisters dive into coding, teamwork, and a little trial-and-error to design a project that moves all on its own. It's creative. It's unique. It's out of this world. But will it be enough to win first place?
Perfect for readers who love:
- STEM-inspired stories for kids.
- Strong, curious girls in science.
- Coding and beginner programming concepts.
- Inspiring real-life role models like Dorothy Vaughan.
- Sister relationships and teamwork.
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About the author
Terysa Ridgeway is a technical program manager at Google. Before that, Terysa was a rocket scientist developing code for exoatmospheric spacecraft! Terysa holds computer science and mathematics degrees from Southern University and A&M College, and has completed Stanford University’s Executive Education LEAD program. Terysa is inspired to write from her vivid dreams, stories from her children’s out-of-this-world imagination, and by seeing brilliant young minds at work. Terysa lives with her husband and their four children in Louisianna. Terysa believes when it comes to learning, with the right support, the sky is the limit.
MARIA GABRIELA is a designer and illustrator from Brazil. In 2019 she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design at São Paulo State University (UNESP). Since she was a child, Maria always had a pencil in her hand, ready to draw! So, she opted for a degree in Design and, throughout college, she discovered that it was possible to turn her passion for drawing into her profession. That’s when Maria came across the fantastic world of children’s illustration and decided to make that dream come true. She started her professional career working with graphic design in advertising agencies and, today, after graduating, she became a freelance illustrator. Maria works mainly with the children’s publishing market and aims to provide joy, representation and positive change through her art.
