Download or read book Blast Off! written by Suzanne Slade and published by Astra Publishing House. This book was released on 2022-04-12 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids The inspirational story of Mary Sherman, the world's first female rocket scientist, who overcame gender barriers and many failures to succeed. Growing up in the 1920s on a dirt-poor farm in North Dakota, Mary Sherman's life was filled with chores--until she finally began school and discovered she loved to learn. Mary excelled at science, especially chemistry, and leaped at the chance to work in a laboratory during World War II designing rocket fuels. And when the US decided to enter the space race, Mary was chosen over her male colleagues to create the fuel to launch a rocket carrying America's first satellite. With courage and perseverance, Mary's hard work and calculations paid off, opening up a brand-new frontier for exploration. This STEM biography of an unsung and courageous woman in science will inspire and motivate young readers.