Non-Fiction - People to Know

  Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  From Alyson and others, you will discover terrific non-fiction books!

       I realize that there are many things that I do not know, and am grateful for non-fiction picture books that add to my knowledge of the world and its history. Here are two books that tell the stories of two people who in different ways, amazed the world.

"Queen of Computer Code" she became, and "problem solver" she always was. Starting on the inside cover with a poem about Grace, "Software tester. Workplace jester./Order seeker. Well-known speaker." and on into her fun as a young child taking things apart to figure out how they work. Through high school, then on to Vassar and Yale, Grace took on the math and science classes, reveling in her continuing learning. She began teaching, but when World War I started, she realized she could be of greater service there, and finally, they let her join. There are numerous computer discoveries attributed to Grace Hopper, among others the idea that repetitive code could be saved in the computer and used when needed. Really, she was the first to realize this! Her retirement was mandatory until the Navy realized they needed her, so she returned, until 80 years old! It's a story with different inspiring quotes placed on some of the pages. There is plenty of back matter support including a source list, a piece about the honors Grace received, and a wonderful list of books about other women in Stem.  You may remember Laurie Wallmark from another recent book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine. Katy Wu's illustrations are toon-like, interacting with the content in different ways. They're colorful and fun.

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        In 1325 at twenty-one, Ibn Battuta set off on a journey from Tangier, Morocco to Mecca. He didn't return home until nearly thirty years later, visited throughout the Islamic World and beyond. He kept journals, eventually turned into a book, from which Fatima Sharafeddine wrote this story. Fatima's story of Ibn is told in first person, offering an overview of all the places visited and some of the experiences there. Intelaq Mohammed Ali interlaces the text with maps for her illustrations, showing small parts of where some cities, rivers, and oceans are. If studying the middle east, this would work well as a departure for the topic. There are many, many ideas/places discussed by Ibn about his travels.

       Happy Reading!