Ada Lovelace: Poet of Science
Two hundred years ago, a daughter was born to the poet Lord Byron and his mathematical wife Annabella. Like her father, Ada had a creative mind. Like her mother, she had a passion for science, math, and machines. She called herself a “poet of science,”and she dreamed of using her beautiful mind to do something important.
That dream came true when she met the inventor Charles Babbage and saw the plans for his Analytical Engine–a steam-powered, fully-programmable digital computer. She saw right away how much his machine could do–from writing words and producing images to composing scientific music and playing games like checkers or chess. A hundred years before the dawn of the digital age, Ada Lovelace envisioned the computer-driven world we know today. And in showing how code could be written to tell the computer what to do, Ada’s algorithm, published in 1843, made her the first computer programmer in history.
For ideas on how to use Ada Lovelace: Poet of Science in the classroom: http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2017/01/ada-lovelace-poet-of-science-the-first-computer-programmer-orbis-pictus-recommended-title/
Recognition & Awards
An American Library Association Notable Book; an NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children ; Children’s Book Council Best STEM Books for 2017; a 2017 National Science Teachers Association/Children’s Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12; Bank Street College of Education, Best Children’s Books of the Year; Top 10 Science and Health Books for Youth, Booklist; Best STEM Books, Winning Title, National Science Teachers Association; American Scientist, STEM Books for Young Children; 2017 Amelia Bloomer Top Ten; A Junior Library Guild Selection; Coolmompicks: Ten New Favorite Empowering Books for Girls; Stem Girls – Ten Books Featuring Girls Rocking Science by Nancy Castaldo, the Nerdy Book Club website; Starred Review, Booklist.
“Stanley has been delighting and informing readers with her biographies for years, and here, her considerable talents are once again on display. . . . This is a solid addition to STEM studies, yes, but also a great choice for any biography lovers.”
–Starred review, Booklist.
“A thoroughly engaging look at a trailblazing mathematical mind.”
–Publisher’s Weekly
