She persisted Sally Ride

"Life would lead her down a path of hard work, luck and privilege that would eventually make her the first American woman in space." From her childhood in California where she excelled in tennis (and considered playing professionally) to earning a PhD in physics, to being selected into NASA's space program, to her pivotal role in the Challenger-disaster investigation, this entry in the chapter-book biography series (conceived by Chelsea Clinton) offers a well-rounded portrait not only of its subject but also of the obstacles faced by women in science and in astronautics. The short chapters are broken up by friendly black-and-white illustrations, making the presentation welcoming to younger elementary-age students. Back matter includes suggestions to learn more about Ride and space as well as a list of books and websites. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sally Ride: from tennis-playing schoolgirl through astronaut and educator to entrepreneur. Sally Ride stars in this entry to the chapter-book series spun off from Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger's picture book She Persisted (2017). Long before she becomes the first woman to go to space, Sally is an athlete, a White girl born in California in 1951. She's a tennis whiz but an inconsistent scholar, attending a prestigious private school on an athletic scholarship. Though the narrative a little ostentatiously tells readers that "Sally persisted," the youth presented here--a child who rolls her eyes at boring teachers, a college student who drops out to play tennis, an excellent tennis player who "just did not enjoy" the effort of becoming a professional--shows the opposite. Sexism is alluded to, but no barriers are portrayed as blocking young Sally herself. Though her amazing achievements aren't downplayed, the groundbreaking Sally Ride, in this telling, becomes simply someone who applied for a job and excelled once she liked what she was doing. Sally's partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, is mentioned as such, but the text avoids using any pronouns for O'Shaughnessy, which, along with her gender-neutral name, may leave many young readers ignorant that Ride silently broke sexuality barriers as well. Despite choruses praising Ride's persistence, her life is inexplicably portrayed as lacking struggle. (reading list, websites) (Biography. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Dear Reader, As Sally Ride and Marian Wright Edelman both powerfully said, "You can't be what you can't see." When Sally Ride said that, she meant that it was hard to dream of being an astronaut, like she was, or a doctor or an athlete or anything at all if you didn't see someone like you who already had lived that dream. She especially was talking about seeing women in jobs that historically were held by men. I wrote the first She Persisted and the books that came after it because I wanted young girls--and children of all genders--to see women who worked hard to live their dreams. And I wanted all of us to see examples of persistence in the face of different challenges to help inspire us in our own lives. I'm so thrilled now to partner with a sisterhood of writers to bring longer, more in-depth versions of these stories of women's persistence and achievement to readers. I hope you enjoy these chapter books as much as I do and find them inspiring and empowering. And remember: If anyone ever tells you no, if anyone ever says your voice isn't important or your dreams are too big, remember these women. They persisted and so should you. Warmly, Chelsea Clinton TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: California Girl Chapter 2: Science and Sports Chapter 3: Dreams Can Change Chapter 4: Space Woman Chapter 5: After the Landing Chapter 6: Swinging on a Star How You Can Persist References Chapter 1 California Girl Sally Kristen Ride was born a California girl. She loved the taste of the sun on her face and wind in her hair. She was smart and sassy. She was energetic and strong. She was a diehard Los Angeles Dodgers fan, dreaming of one day playing shortstop for them. Sally did not grow up wanting to be an astronaut, but life would lead her down a path of hard work, luck and privilege that would eventually make her the first American woman in space. Excerpted from She Persisted: Sally Ride by Atia Abawi, Chelsea Clinton All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.