Black Lives: Great Minds of Science

Gr 3-7–The nine scientists and innovators featured in this first installment of the series may not be subjects often included in curriculum, but their accomplishments are sure to amaze. Bolden recounts the career paths of doctors, engineers, and inventors, sharing the reasons they each pursued their chosen profession. It may have been a family tradition of providing healthcare, or it could have been a trip on a glass-bottomed boat at age five. Information is broken up into the main narrative, speech bubbles, small text boxes with fun facts or quotes, and sidebars on additional accomplishments or details about other pioneers in related fields. Large-scale illustrations capture groundbreaking personalities, such as the first professional female pilot in the Bahamas or the first Black graduate of the University of Iowa’s school of engineering. Smaller images show moments that feature the scientists training others in the medical field, providing hands-on robotics experiences to students, or digging for dinosaur bones. Entries are ordered chronologically, starting in the 1870s and ending with events in 2022. A time line of key dates concludes each section. End notes provide reference sources.