To The Moon (Book)

If you know a small person – especially a femme-presenting one- you will absolutely want to share this book with them. We all know we need more women in STEM, especially women of color, and this book is a wonderful highlight and inspiration of that concept.I loved this book. Because I have a five-year-old, I jumped at the chance to share this book with her, and I am so glad I did. I, too, have a little budding scientist a la Terysa and Shana, and she often tells me how she wants to go to the moon – as long as I and her dad can go along – so this seemed like the perfect book for her.Otherwise, I thought it brought a lot of great history and scientific facts into the mix. The book was a great jumping-off point for budding scientists to start their research. It would make a great addition to any classroom library and a great highlight for either Black History or Women’s History month classroom curriculums.I also love that the author is herself a women of color working in a STEM field. That provides that extra inspiration and role model to show little girls they can grow up to be scientists just like her!For my neurodivergent five-year-old, it did get bogged down in history and science facts a little – but she still enjoyed the story once we found the right setting for her, which if you have an neurodivergent kid, you know is key. She enjoyed seeing little girls like herself tackling science, and really enjoyed the concepts. It might be slightly more appropriate for slightly older kids, but having only raised my ND child, other neurotypical five-year-olds might be more able to focus on it.This is a great book for kids who love science, and it might help inspire some kids who don’t already love science. It’s a great read for middle to upper elementary students, and I really think parents and teachers will enjoy reading this along with their children.Apparently, this is the second in a series about Terysa, and we will definitely be looking into that book, and will keep an eye open for future installments. Terysa and her sister are loveable, and have definitely earned a spot on my family’s bookshelf.I received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review, and it didn't affect my review.

I'm gonna start by saying that this amazing picture book should be in every public library, home library, and in every classroom. Not only does it have one of the most charming and beautiful covers, and the message it provides is pure joy.I do believe every kid growing up shows some form of interest in science or space. Our intrepid heroine Terysa is a problem solver. At only eight years old, she is extremely intelligent, and she loves astronomy. So when her school announces the science fair is around the corner, she goes into overdrive to present something outstanding. To do so, she enlists the help of her equally smart older sister, Shana. Together, they'll do research, work together, and combine ideas to create an amazing project. I absolutely fell in love with Terysa and Shana. The way they compliment each other and, of course, the family dynamic.Also, I admire books that mention important figures in science, and we also meet Dorothy Vaughan. The sisters learned how much Mrs. Vaughan helped other women in computer science that they took inspiration from it. I have a five year old daughter, and this book is an amazing tool to show her how important it is to follow your dream and be the best at whatever she decides to be in society.

What’s not to love about this children’s book! It’s so fun, vibrant and inspiring.Representation is extremely important and I will happily champion any book that highlights it.It’s wasn’t until I was an adult, well, truth be told, it wasn’t until more recent years, did I realise how little or poor the representation for girls/women, and especially girls/women of colour was, so seeing books like Terysa Solves it entering the mainstream, makes me extremely happy.I LOVE that this promotes STEM for girls. Showing young girls that the sky’s the limit when it comes to your hopes, dreams and aspirations. That with a little bit of teamwork & determination, you can achieve everything your heart desires.I adore the the relationship with her sister. It’s sweet and the end is so cute.I love the computer work. I remember when I was a kid (using a far more primitive computer system) to control the turtle and get it moving.It was the best feeling seeing that little line move across the screen.And of course, I LOVE that it’s educational and showcases a real trailblazer in Dorothy Vaughan, NASA’s first Black supervisor and computer programmer. I immediately looked her up, wanting to learn more!And finally, the illustration. Oh, my days! It’s adorable. It’s bold, colourful and whimsical.What I love the most has to be the expressions. Those eyes! So simple, but so expressive. Amazing.

To The Moon follows Terysa and her plans for the school science fair. She has so many ideas, but doesn't know which one to choose. As an astronomy lover, Terysa wants her project to be about space!Adam's review (age 6):I thought the book was good. I really liked the bit where Terysa and her sister worked together to make her ideas come to life. I also liked the ending when we saw her project finished.Rachel's review:This was a great book to introduce children to coding. After we finished, Adam wanted to see what Python coding was like, and so we spent some time talking about that and watching some videos about it. I also particularly like that it focuses on Black women in STEM too!

- I love the cover of this book, it's big and bold and would appeal to children. The illustrations through this book are colourful and have plenty to talk about, especially with younger children. The author tells the story of Terysa a 8-year-old girl that loves all things Space and wants to do somethings special for the school science fair. After talking to her older sister Shana and hearing about Dorothy Vaughan and her being a computer programming pioneer, she decides to use coding. I like how the author shows that if it doesn't work the first time, you shouldn't give up. This book explains that using computer coding can help in so many ways, not just in gaming.